FATTENING STEEES ON PASTURE IN THE SOUTH. 



METHOD OF FEEDING AND HANDLING. 



Each day, about sundown, the steers in lots 2 and 3 were fed in 

 troughs in the open pasture. Initial and final weights of every 

 animal were taken and each lot was weighed at the end of each 28- 

 day period. All were dipped in an arsenical dip five times during 

 the experiment, to keep them free from ticks. Salt was provided once 



a week. 



RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. 



Table 4 shows the chief features of the experiment. 



Table 4. — Results of summer steer feeding in Alahama, 1913. 



Item. 



Lot 1. 



Pasture 

 alone. 



Lot 2. 



Pasture and 



one-half 



com-and-cob 



meal and 



cne-hall 



cottonseed 



cake. 



Lots. 



Pasture 



and 



cottonseed 



cake. 



Number of steers 



Days of feeding period 



Average daily ration per head: 



Cottonseed cake 



Corn-and-eob meal 



Cost of pasture and feed for 100 pounds gain . 



Cost per head to feed through summer 



Initial cost of steers per 100 pounds 



Selling price of steers per lOO pounds 



Average profit per head 



Average imtial weight per head 



Average final (farm) weight per head 



Average total gain per head 



Average daily gain per head 



26 

 147 



.poimds. 

 ...do.... 



.pounds. 

 ....do... 

 ....do... 

 ....do... 



81.09 



$2.62 



S5.25 



$,5. 00 



$6.60 



610 



850 



240 



1.63 



25 

 147 



1.79 



1.76 



$3.51 



$9.71 



$5.25 



$6.00 



$8.27 



588 



840 



2.52 



1.71 



147 

 3.70 



$3.27 



$10. 12 



$5.25 



$6.00 



$11.23 



593 



902 



309 



2.10 



DAILY RATION. 



The steers had been fed cake lightly for about 5 weeks before the 

 test. Lots 2 and 3 were given, therefore, 3 pounds of concentrates 

 per head at the beginning, and the quantity was gradually increased 

 until on May 10 the steers of lot 2 were eating daily 2 pounds of 

 cottonseed cake and 2 pounds of corn-and-cob meal per head, and 

 those of lot 3 were each eating 4 pounds of cottonseed cake daily. 

 These quantities were fed daily until the end of the experiment, Sep- 

 tember 2. 



COMPARATIVE GAINS. 



Lot 1 made an average daily gain of 1.63 pounds a head, a very 

 satisfactory result for such steers. 



Lot 2 gained 1,71 pounds per head daily. While this gain was 

 greater than that of the steers in lot 1, it is less than would be ex- 

 pected from the feeding method used. 



Lot 3, having cottonseed cake in addition to pasture, made very 

 good gains for that class of steers. From the standpoint of produc- 

 102287°— 19— Bull. 777 2 



