10 



BULLETIN 870, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



pounds in 122 days, making a daily gain of 0.66 pound per steer. 

 In 1916-17 the corresponding lot gained 52 pounds per steer in 134 

 days, making an average daily gain of 0.39 pound. In 1917-18 the 

 corresponding lot gained 40 pounds per steer in 133 days, making an 

 average daily gain of 0.3 pound. 



Lot 3 in 1914-15, fed on mixed hay and wheat straw with no 

 silage, lost an average of 46 pounds, equal to a daily loss of 0.36 

 pound per steer. The corresponding lot in 1915-16 lost 7 pounds, 

 equal to a daily loss of 0.06 pound per steer. In 1916-17 the corre- 

 sponding lot lost 30 pounds, making an average daily loss of 0.22 

 pound per steer. In 1917-18 the corresponding lot lost 56 pounds, 

 equal to a daily loss per steer of 0.42 pound. 



The lot fed silage and soy-bean hay in 1917-18 gained an average 

 of 27 pounds in 133 days, making a daily gain per steer of 0.2 pound. 

 In 1917-18 the lot fed silage, rye hay, and cottonseed meal gained 

 11 pounds per steer in 133 days, or an average daily gain of 0.08 

 pound. 



GAINS DURING SUMMER. 



In the spring of each year as soon as the grass was good enough, 

 which was usually about May 1, the steers from all the lots were 

 turned into the same pasture on .grass with no additional feed. 

 Weights were taken every 28 days, just as during the winter. Thus 

 the effect of the different rations upon the summer grazing of the 

 different lots could be studied. 



Table 6 shows the weights at the beginning of the grazing period, 

 the weights at the end of the grazing period, and the total and 

 average gains per steer for the summer period. 



Table 6. — Total and daily gains during four summers on pasture alone. 



1914-15. 



Lot No. 



Number 

 of steers. 



Days on 

 pasture. 



Average 

 weight 

 per steer 

 at begin- 

 ning of 

 grazing 

 period. 



Average 



final 



weight 



per steer. 



Total 

 gain per 

 steer for 

 summer. 



Average 

 daily 



gain per 

 steer. 



1 



10 

 10 

 10 



168 



Pounds. 

 599 

 692 

 577 



Pov/nds. 

 935 

 947 

 892 



Pounds. 

 336 

 255 

 315 



Pounds. 

 2.0 



2 



1.5 







1.87 











1915 



-16. 













10 

 10 

 10 



167 



678 

 758 

 671 



1,022 



1,036 



981 



344 

 278 

 310 



2.1 



2 



1.7 



3 





1.9 









1916-17. 



1 



10 

 10 

 10 



157 



709 

 742 

 659 



979 



1,000 



965 



270 

 258 

 306 



1.7 



2 



1.6 







1.9 









1917-18. 



10 

 10 

 10 



10 



140 



711 

 615 



698 

 682 



969 

 920 

 938 

 963 



258 

 305 

 240 

 281 









1.8 

 2.2 

 1.7 

 2.0 



