2IO ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON STOCK FEEDS AND FEEDING 



with dry feed and the increase in profits amounted to $3-$8 

 per steer. The cotton-seed meal gave better results than oil 

 meal and tended to produce a firmer flesh with silage. 



Wheat Bran. — When the market price permits, wheat bran 

 may be utilized for giving bulk to a ration. It seems to pro- 

 duce a slight laxative action and possess cooling properties 

 which are desirable. When corn meal is fed, wheat bran is es^ 

 pecially valuable in the ration. 



Protein Concentrates. — Linseed meal, gluten feed, gluten meal, 

 cotton-seed meal, etc., may often be used to advantage in fur- 

 nishing protein to fattening animals. A little protein especially 

 from linseed meal seems to give a finish to beef and often re- 

 duces the fattening period. This is helpful on a declining market. 

 Linseed meal or oil cake at the rate of 2 to 4 lbs. a day is ex- 

 ceedingly beneficial for the finishing period. Cotton-seed and 

 cotton-seed meal are good beef producing feeds. 3 to 4 lbs. of 

 cotton-seed meal is sufficient per day. 



Roots are valuable in the preliminary period of fattening, but 

 should not be fed during the finishing period, because they pro- 

 duce soft flesh. 10 to 20 lbs. of roots per day are ample. Roots 

 should always be sliced or pulped before feeding. In fatten- 

 ing rations the feeds are generally heat producing and roots 

 seem to exert a cooling effect which is beneficial. In the corn 

 belt it is cheaper to feed silage because twice as much dry 

 matter can be obtained from, equal areas by growing corn than 

 roots. The mangel is the best root crop for steers and it pro- 

 duces a higher tonnage than the other roots. 



Beet pulp has been shown by experiments to be a good feed 

 for fattening cattle. With alfalfa as an adjunct, in sections 

 where alfalfa is cheap, beet pulp may be fed profitably for fat- 

 tening cattle. 



Straw. — Flax straw, when flaxseed is present, may be used in 

 fattening cattle. Oat straw is sometimes profitably utilized for 

 supplying half the roughage. If hay is available it is perhaps 

 better to feed the hay. Wheat straw has been found to be un- 

 satisfactory because as much energy is expended in preparing it 



