WINTER RATIONS OF YEARLING STEERS. 



19 



worth $3.73 and $4.44, respectively. If the three rations had cost 

 the same per steer per year, these figures would represent the added 

 profit. With feeds at prices as charged during the first three years, 

 however, the dry-feed ration was the most costly. It cost 88 cents 

 less to feed a steer on corn silage, mixed hay, and wheat straw than 

 on mixed hay and straw alone. The addition of cottonseed meal and 

 the elimination of the hay decreased the cost $1.35. By adding these 

 figures to the value of the increased gains, the total added profit per 

 steer can be obtained. In the case of the steers fed corn silage, 

 mixed hay, and wheat straw, this amounted to $4.61, and for the 

 steers fed on corn silage, cottonseed meal, and straw the corresponding 

 figure was $5.79. 



Since the average initial weights of the lots were practically the 

 same for each trial, and since all lots were summered on the same 

 pasture, the difference in final weight can be attributed to the different 

 rations fed during the winter. 



GENERAL SUMMARY OF COSTS AND GAINS. 



A general summary of costs and gains is given in Table 12. 

 Table 12. — General summary of costs and gains. 









Lots 2, 













Lots 1, 



(corn 





Lots 4, 

 (corn 

 silage 



and soy- 

 bean 

 hay). 



Lots 5, 







(corn 



silage, 



Lots 3, 

 (mixed 



(corn 







silage, 



wheat 



silage, 



Items. 





mixed 



straw, 



hay and 



rye hay, 







hav, and 



and 



wheat 



and cot- 







wheat 



cotton- 



straw). 



tonseed 







straw). 



seed 





meal). 









meal). 











$14. 49 



$14. 32 



T15.67 



$14. 76 



$16. 82 







128 



129-i 



129i 



133 



133 







$0. 116 



$0. Ill 



$0. 121 



$0. Ill 



$0. 127 





$8.20 



$7.90 



$7.90 



$7.00 



$7.00 



Average length of summer periods 



days.. 



164 



158 



158 



140 



140 



Cost per day, summer 





SO. 05 



$0.05 



$0.05 



$0.05 



$0.05 





$22. 69 



$22. 22 



$23.57 



$21. 76 



$23.82 



Average gain or loss per steer, winter. . . 



...pounds.. 



-1 



- +62 



-35 



+27 



+ 11 



Average gain per steer, summer 



do... 



317 



262 



309 



240 



281 



Average total gain per steer 



do... 



316 



324 



274 



267 



292 







$0,072 



$0,069 



$0,086 



$0,081 



$0. 081 







CONCLUSIONS. 



1. Corn silage, wheat straw, and cottonseed meal (fed to Lots 2) 

 was the cheapest ration used and at the same time the best, making 

 the greatest increase (62 pounds) in weight of the steers. It is 

 seldom that one gets the best for the least money. 



2. Silage added to a ration for wintering steers makes it more 

 economical than dry roughage alone, considering the gains made 

 both during the winter and in the summer following the winter 

 feeding period. 



