8 BULLETIN 73, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



proper each calf was eating daily 3 pounds of cottonseed meal, ap- 

 proximately 20 pounds of corn silage, and 4 pounds of hay. The 

 allowance of meal was raised gi-adually throughout the whole period 

 of 76 days, until at the last each calf was eating 6 pounds daily. 

 At one time each calf was consuming as much as 28 pounds of silage 

 each day, but they would not continue to eat this much, so at the 

 end of the period, April 1, they were eating an average of only 20 

 pounds per calf per day. The allowance of hay was gTadually de- 

 creased from the first. At the middle of the period each calf con- 

 sumed daily not over 3 pounds of hay, and near the end an exceed- 

 ingly small allowance met their desires. From the middle of March 

 to April 1 they averaged less than 1 pound of hay per calf per day. 



The fattenmg period continued for a period of 76 days, or until 

 April 1, when the 49 calves were sold and then shipped to New Orleans. 

 They brought $5.87|- a hundredweight on the farm. 



The following gives a short summary of the most important results 

 obtained during the fattening period : 



The fattening 'period {Jan. 17-Apr. 1). 



Number of calves in lot 49 



Nvimber of days fed 76 



Average initial weight . . , pounds. . 456 



Average final weight do 560 



Average total gain of each" calf do 104 



Average daily gain. ..■..' do 1. 37 



Average daily ration per calf: 



Cottonseed meal do 4. 4 



Corn silage do 23. 9 



Hay do 2.76 



Amount of feed required to produce 100 pounds of gain: 



Cottonseed meal do 323 



Corn silage , do 1, 741 



Hay do.... 201 



Cost to make 100 pounds of gain $7. 31 



Profit on each calf as a result of fattening • 8. 88 



Initial cost of calves per hundredweight 3. 12 



Selling price on the farm per hundredweight 5. 87^ 



As previously stated, it cost $3.12 per hundredweight to raise these 

 calves to an age of 9^ months, and they were valued at this figure 

 at the inauguration of the finishing period. At the end of the fat- 

 tening period they sold for an average price of $5.87^ per hundred- 

 weight on the farm and made a clear profit of $8.88 per calf. 



The average weight of the calves at the beginning of the fattening 

 period was 456 pounds. When sold, April 1, they had attained an 

 average weight of 560 pounds and were approximately 1 year old. 

 During this period they gained at an average daily rate of 1.37 

 pounds. 



