FATTENIiSTG OF STEERS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 9 



LOSSES DURING WINTER. 



Table 3 shows the average total and daily loss of weight per steer 

 during each of the three winters. 



Table 3. — Total and daily losses during three winters. 



Lot 

 No. 



Ration. 



Season. 



Steers 

 in lot. 



Average 

 initial 

 weight 



per steer. 



Average 



final 



weight 



per steer. 



Total loss 

 per steer. 



Daily loss 

 per steer. 



1 



Mixed hay 



191G-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 



28 

 25 

 25 



Pounds. 

 794 

 780 

 768 



Pounds. 

 759 



728 

 704 



Pounds. 

 35 

 52 

 64 



Pound. 

 0.27 







.41 

 .51 







781 



731 



50 



.39 





Corn silage 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 







?. 



25 

 25 

 25 



773 

 747 

 782 



721 

 744 

 718 



52 

 3 

 64 



.41 







.02 

 .51 







768 



728 



40 



.31 





Corn silage, stover, and straw 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 







3 



25 

 30 

 30 



787 

 755 

 767 



711 

 683 

 681 



76 . 60 







72 

 86 



.57 

 .68 







769 



691 



78 1 .62 





Winter pasture 



1916-17 

 1917-18 

 1918-19 







4 



17 

 40 

 25 



781 

 737 

 770 



763 



728 

 702 



18 

 9 

 68 



.14 







.07 

 .54 







756 



727 



29 



.23 





Stover, hay, and straw 



1918-19 







5 



20 



757 



693 



64 - ."il 











The mixed-hay-fed steers lost quite uniformly each year. The 

 losses of the silage-fed steers are irregular on account of Lot 2 having 

 been turned on pasture for the last month in 1917-18. The silage, 

 stover, and straw-fed cattle lost most heavily each year. 



The winter-grazed steers lost least of all the first year, and prac- 

 tically the same as the other lots the third year. They lost consider- 

 ably less than any of the barn-fed cattle, taking the average for three 

 winters. Close comparisons of the gains of various lots by yeai*s can 

 not be made in many instances on acccount of the irregular supple- 

 mental and su])stituted rations. 



Although all the cattle lost in weight during the three years' work, 

 they came through the winter in exceptionally thrift}^ condition, con- 

 sidering the amount of feed given (see fig. 4). In fact, they were 

 wintered much better than the average stockman winters his cattle. 

 When they were turned on pasture the following summer they made 

 excellent gains from the beginning. 



GAINS miUNG SUMMER. 



Table 4 gives the average initial and final weights per steer in each 

 of the lots and the total and average daily gains per steer for each 

 of the three summer periods. 

 39957°— 21— Bull. 954 2 



