FATTENING CATTLE IN ALABAMA. 



17 



grain per steer daily — the western feeders cause their steers to make 

 larger gains, as a rule, than those reported in this bulletin. It should 

 be noted, however, that in these cases the corn is cheap compared 

 with the price of this grain in the South. 



The table below shows that the only supplementary concentrate used 

 in these tests was cottonseed cake, and that it was used sparingly. As 

 previously stated, the cake was only fed once a day, about sundown. 



Table 5. — Average daily rations. 

 April 7 to August 3, 1910 (118 Days). 



Lot. 



Number 

 of steers. 



Ration. 



Pasture alone 



Pasture and cottonseed cake 



Pasture, cottonseed cake, and alfalfa hay 



Total feed 

 eaten by 

 each steer. 



Pounds. 



411 cake. 

 /411 cake. 

 \269hay.. 



Average 

 daily feed 

 eaten by 

 each steer. 



Pounds. 



3.48 cake. 

 3.48 cake. 

 2.28 hay. 



April 21 to September 8, 1911 (141 Days). 



A 



25 

 25 



Pasture alone 







B 





505 cake... 











In 1910 each steer in lots B and G were started off (April 7) on an 

 average daily ration of 1.5 pounds of cake. On April 18 this amount 

 was raised to 2.5 pounds, and by May 19 the amount being con- 

 sumed daily was 5 pounds per steer. 



Throughout the whole test each steer averaged but 3.48 pounds of 

 cake daily. It was thought that it might be profitable to feed a small 

 amount of alfalfa hay along with the pasture and the cake, so the 

 steers in lot G were given an average daily feed of 2.28 pounds of hay 

 along with the cake and the pasture. It will be seen later, however, 

 that no favorable results were secured from the use of the hay. 



It is seen that the cottonseed cake was fed sparingly in 1911 also, 

 as each steer in lot B consumed on the average only 3.58 pounds 

 daily. On April 21 each steer was started off on 2 pounds of cotton- 

 seed cake daily. The amount was raised gradually until May 17, 

 when the 25 steers were being fed 94 pounds of cake each day. The 

 amount was not increased after that date. 



TOTAL AND DAILY GAINS. 



When the small size of the steers is taken into consideration the 

 gains were entirely satisfactory. The steers, however, were in 

 exactly the proper condition for making good gains on the pastures, 

 as the majority had simply been "roughed" through the previous 

 winter and were, consequently, thin in flesh. Part III of this bulletin 

 43865°— 14 3 



