18 



BULLETIlSr 111, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



average daily allowance per head was 5 pounds, which quantity was 

 fed until the steers were marketed. The average daily ration of cake 

 for the 134 d^js was 4.32 pounds a head. 



WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 



The average weight of the steers of lot 1 was 662 pounds when 

 the experiment began, and they gained a total of 214 pounds a head, 

 which was a daily gain of 1.6 pounds. For the grade of steers used 

 these gains were fairly satisfactory. 



The average initial weight of the steers of lot 2 was 664 pounds a 

 head, and the final weight 921 pounds, showing a total gain of 257 

 pounds a head, equal to an average daily gain of 1.92 pounds for the 

 period of 134 days. As would be expected, they gained more rapidly 

 than those of lot 1, but better steers would have made larger gains. 



COST OF GAINS. 



The cost of gains for the steers getting pasture alone was low, as in 

 previous tests, but the gains of those fed cottonseed cake on pasture 

 cost more in this experiment than in 1913 and 1915, due principally 

 to the higher cost and more liberal use of the cake. 



The cost of feed per head through the summer was $2.39 for lot 1 

 and $11.67 for lot 2. 



SLAUGHTER DATA. 



The steers were taken off the experiment on September 28, driven 

 to Canton on September 29, shipped to the St. Louis market, and 

 slaughtered. After the steers had taken their " fill " at the market 

 and were weighed, it was found that those of lot 1 had lost an aver- 

 age of 57 pounds, while those of lot 2 had lost 79 pounds. This wide 

 variation in shrinkage between the 2 lots can not be accounted for. 

 The conclusion that cake-fed steers shrink more in transit than 

 grass-fed cattle is not supported by the results of many other ship- 

 ments of steers. 



The per cent of dressing was 51.17 for the steers of lot 1 and 54.21 

 for those of lot 2, which indicates the superior finish of the cake-fed 

 steers. The latter were much better covered with fat than those of 

 lot 1. 



Table 9. — Shipping and slaughter data. 



Item. 



Lotl. 



Lot 2. 



Number of steers 



Average final farm weight per liead pounds. 



Average market weight per head do. . . 



Average shrinkage in transit per head do. . . 



Average weight of carcass do. . . 



Per cent dressed - - - 



30 



30 



876 



921 



819 



842 



57 



79 



419 



457 



51.17 



54.21 



