8 BULLETIN 110, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTURE. 



ration of 2.4 pounds of cottonseed meal and 8.9 pounds of hulls per 

 steer. A ration of 2.4 pounds of cottonseed meal and 8.9 pounds of 

 hulls in addition to the range is therefore seen to produce an average 

 daily gain of 0.47 pound on steers weighing 633 pounds each. 



Table 2. — Quantity of feed consumed per steer during winter 1909-10, 91 days. 



Lot.i 



Number 

 of steers 

 in lot. 



Ration. 



Total amount 

 consumed per 



steer. 



Daily amount 

 consumed per 



steer. 



Cotton- 

 seed 

 meal. 



Hulls. 



Cotton- 

 seed 

 meal. 



Hulls. 



2 



15 





Pounds. 

 221 



Pounds. 

 808 



Pounds. 

 2.4 



Pounds. 

 8.9 









1 Lot 1 was on range alone; lot 4 was on range plus coarse hay, but the quantity of the latter was not 

 accurately determined. 



As there is no way of estimating the amount or price of feed per 

 acre on range, no charge has been made for it. Range in this portion 

 of the State is still free during the winter, and unless cattle are turned 

 upon it the farmer gets no returns from it. When cottonseed meal is 

 worth $26 per ton and hulls are worth $6 per ton, as they were at the 

 time this experiment was made, the feed consumed by each steer cost 

 5.8 cents per day, or $5.30 per head for the whole winter. 



MONTHLY GAINS OR LOSSES DURING THE WINTER. 



The gains or losses made by the steers during the different months 

 of the winter will vary greatly each year, depending chiefly upon 

 weather conditions. Cold, dry weather does not cause severe losses 

 in weight of beef cattle, but cold rains followed by cold winds or sleet 

 storms injure them very materially, as they get chilled through and 

 the feed is rendered unpalatable and at times unavailable, due to a cov- 

 ering of ice. 



The following table shows the gains or losses made by the groups 

 for each month during the winter of 1909-10: 



Table 3. — Results of feeding by 4-week periods. 



Lot. 



Number 

 of steers. 



Ration. 



Gain or 



loss per 

 steer first 



period 

 (Dec. 8 to 



Jan. 4). 



Gain or 

 loss per 

 steer sec- 

 ond pe- 

 riod (Jan 



5 to 

 Feb. 1). 



Gain or 

 loss per 



steer 

 third pe- 

 riod (Feb. 

 2 to 

 Mar. 1). 



Gain or 



loss per 



steer 



fourth 



period 



(Mar. 2 to 



Mar. 8).i 



Range alone 



Range plus cottonseed meal and hulls. 

 Range plus coarse hay 



Pounds. 

 -10 

 +27 



Pounds. 

 -41 

 + 1 

 - 5 



Pounds. 



+28 

 -35 



Pounds. 

 -46 

 -13 

 -24 



1 The last period has but 7 days. 



