FEBD AND CARE OP FATTENING CATTLE 211 



for digestion as is digested. Barley and rye straw do not fur- 

 nish sufficient nutriment to warrant their use. 



Molasses. — When the price of this feed is low it may be used 

 to furnish part of the carbohydrates of a ration. On account of 

 its increasing price it is not within the reach of many of our 

 feeders. 



Kaffir Corn may be successfully fed in the arid regions where 

 corn is not profitably grown, for feeding steers. The Kansas 

 Experiment Station found that Kaffir corn was a little below 

 corn in feeding value. Where Kaffir corn is available, the 

 stover may be fed as is practiced in feeding corn. Kaffir corn 

 should be ground or soaked before feeding because of the hard- 

 ness of the grains. 



Sorghum Hay is sometimes used to furnish roughage in feed- 

 ing steers. The smaller the stems, the more suitable is this 

 feed. 



Leguminous Hays. — Alfalfa, clover, cowpea, soy bean, etc., 

 may often be used to advantage in furnishing the greater part 

 of the nitrogenous portion of a fattening ration. It is often 

 very profitable to utilize these hays in this way. Of course the 

 market value will influence the extent of their use. 



Grass Hays. — Most of the grass hays are suitable for fatten- 

 ing cattle. When corn stover is available it is cheaper to feed 

 the stover and sell or save the hay for other live stock. Some- 

 times a part of the roughage may be profitably supplied in the 

 form of hay. In Western sections prairie hay is often cheap 

 and can most profitably be utilized as roughage for fattening 

 cattle. Timothy hay is more profitable to sell than to feed cat- 

 tle at the present market value. It is low in digestible nutrients 

 and cattle cannot use it economically at the present price it car- 

 ries. 



Oats is sometimes used in fattening cattle. It is not high 

 enough in carbohydrates to furnish the whole of the grain and 

 should be supplemented with corn. The market value often 

 makes the use of oats unprofitable. 



Wheat. — Ground wheat is about equal to corn for fattening 

 purposes. On account of its stickiness, bran, oil meal or some 



