Oe BULLETIN 762, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Tt will be noted that the steers were on feed 120 days. The amount 
of cottonseed meal fed was uniform for each lot, while the rough- 
ages were different for each lot. 
All the cattle were started on 2 pounds of cottonseed meal per head 
daily, which amount was increased during the first 28-day period, 
so that for this period each steer in the three lots ate an average of 
2.7 pounds daily. They were given all the silage they would eat, 
and in addition Lots 2 and 3 were given what dry roughage they 
would consume. 
Some of the steers had never been fed meal and silage and con- 
siderable difficulty was encountered in teaching a few in each lot to 
eat these feeds. Several head were stall fed for a few days until 
they became accustomed to the feeds. When they had once started 
eating well they gave no further trouble. 
The allowance of cottonseed meal was increased gradually until 
in the last period the steers of each lot were getting 7.7 pounds daily 
per head. The roughage also was increased until the steers were on 
a full feed of cottonseed meal, after which time less roughage was 
eaten. 
In Lot 2 one pound of corn stover replaced about 2 pounds of 
silage in the ration. Each pound of oat straw added to the ration 
of Lot 3 replaced about 3 pounds of silage. 
Only about 50 per cent of the corn stover was actually eaten, as 
most of the dry stalks were refused by the steers. It was estimated 
that 25 per cent of the straw was likewise refused. These waste feeds 
were pulled down under the steers’ feet and could not be weighed 
back. 
WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 
Table 13 gives the average initial and final weights per head for 
each lot, and the total and daily gains per head: 
TABLE 13.—Weights and gains (Nov. 24, 1916, to Mar. 23, 1917—120 days). 
Average | Average | Average | Average 
Lot Ration initial final total daily 
No. oD. weight | weight gain gain 
per steer. | per steer. | per steer. | per steer. 
Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. 
Cottonseed meal and sorghum silage......-. eae A hI 856 1,078 2 1.85 
Cottonseed meal, sorghum silage, and corn stover.---.-- 856 1,084 228 1.89 
Cottonseed meal, sorghum silage, and oat straw..--.----- 856 1,073 218 1. 82 
Whore 
The above figures indicate that the addition of stover or oat straw 
to the cottonseed meal and silage combination had little effect so 
far as producing gains is concerned. The steers which had corn 
stover in addition to meal and silage made slightly better gains, 
