AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 71 



FEEDING EXPERIMENT WITH STEERS. 



In the fall of 1888, a feeding experiment was undertaken with 

 six steers which had a two fold object. 



(1.) To test the relative growth of steers of different breeds 

 when feeding rations of the same character. 



(2.) To determine the effect of two rations having quite dif- 

 ferent nutritive ratios, when these rations are fed for a long period 

 of time or until the animal is quite fully matured. 



The breeds represented in the experiment were Holstein, 

 Shorthorn and Hereford, two animals of each being used. The 

 history and age of the animals were as follows : 



Holstein No. i.age 6 1-2 months, bred by Chas. H. Fitch, Pepperell, Mass. 



" No. 2, " 5 

 Shorthorn No. 3, age, 7 

 " No. 4, age, 7 



Hereford No. 5, age, 8 



" No. 6, age, 6 1-2 



bred by Maine State College, 

 bred by E. E. Parkhurst, Presque Isle, Me. 

 bought of Howard & Ellis, Fairfield, Me. 

 bred by M. M. Bailey, Winthrop, Me. 

 bred by A. J. Underwood, Fayette, Me. 





The experiment began early in November 1888 when the ani- 

 mals were from five to eight months old. Three of the steers, 

 one from each breed, were fed hay, mostly Timothy, and a grain 

 ration consisting of equal parts of cotton seed meal, ground oats 

 and wheat bran. The other three steers, one from each breed, 

 were fed hay, and a grain ration consisting of equal parts of corn 

 meal, ground oats and wheat bran. The animals were fed in this 

 manner throughout the time the experiment was continued, 

 excepting that in the following spring a portion of the hay was 

 replaced by a certain amount of corn ensilage. 



It would be gratifying to be able to report this experiment as 

 having been completed in accordance with the original plans, but 

 owing to a surprising number of accidents this cannot be done. 

 Early in the summer of '89 one of the Holistein steers received an 

 injury which interfered with his growth, and in the following Octo- 

 ber a workman employed in painting the new Station barn care- 

 lessly left a pot of paint sitting in the yard where the steers were 

 running, from which two of them drank more or less, thus 

 causing their death. For these reasons it is impossible to report 

 the experiment later than July 27th, 1889. The results that were 

 obtained are given here, not because of having any special value 

 as a comparison of breeds, but because they give important testi- 

 mony in regard to one of the prominent problems in animal nutri- 

 tion. 



