FEEDS FOR BEEF CATTLE 311 



eat so much, and hence they may make slightly smaller gains. Other- 

 wise, the feeding value of wheat is as high as that of corn. 



Since oats are usually high in price compared with other grains, 

 they are seldom used as the chief concentrate for fattening, tho they 

 are well liked by cattle and produce beef of good quality. Oats are 

 excellent for growing cattle, and are also useful for mixing with 

 corn in starting cattle on feed, especially calves being fattened for 

 baby beef. 



For the northern part of the Great Plains region emmer ranks 

 high as a grain for fattening cattle. Tho in one trial 1 it proved fully 

 equal to corn, its usual value will probably be slightly lower than that 

 of corn. 



The grain sorghums are of great and increasing importance for 

 beef production thruout the southern portion of the Great Plains 

 region. When fed with alfalfa hay to balance the ration, kafir or 

 milo grain nearly equals corn in feeding value. 



The seed of hog- or broom-corn millet, which is a reliable grain 

 crop on the northern plains, is a satisfactory feed for fattening cattle, 

 being worth about three-fourths as much as corn per 100 lbs. 



In the South low grade rough rice is sometimes an economical feed 

 for beef production, being worth slightly more than corn. 



Since all of these grains are low in protein, they should be fed 

 with legume hay or protein-rich concentrates. All should be ground 

 or crushed for fattening cattle, even when pigs follow, for the grains 

 that escape mastication are too small to be readily recovered by the 



pigs- 

 Miscellaneous carbonaceous concentrates. — In the vicinity of 

 western beet-sugar factories thousands of cattle are fattened annually 

 on wet be.et pulp with alfalfa hay, which admirably supplements this 

 protein-poor feed, and usually with a small allowance of grain in 

 addition. In a trial at the Colorado Station 2 1 ton of wet beet pulp 

 was equal to 620 lbs. .of alfalfa hay or 220 lbs. of ground corn. 

 Animals should be accustomed gradually to the pulp, later getting 

 all they will clean up. Care should be taken that refuse pulp does 

 not accumulate in the troughs and decompose. 



In the sugar districts of the South cane molasses is an economical 

 carbonaceous concentrate for cattle. When replacing not more than 

 half the corn in a ration, it proved slightly more valuable, pound for 

 pound, than this grain, in a trial at the Texas Station. 3 Owing to the 

 high price of molasses in the North, as much as 5 lbs. per head daily 

 is not ordinarily economical, tho a small amount mixed with other 



i Wilson, S. D. Bui. 160. s Burns, Tex. Bui. 110. 



2 Carlyle and Griffith, Colo. Bui. 102. 



