260 PRODUCTIVE FEEDING OF FARM ANIMALS 
the following table for gain for steers of different ages, and also 
for the gain for each successive group: 
Relation of Age to Weight and Daily Gain of Steers 
Gain per aiiod. i. ia 
Number | A Agen” | Gain eacsieaeae 
1 umber erage 4 er d P ————t 
Classes of steers of steers | age, days a Traundé tsa ty 
Calves............ 30 297 780 2.63 780 2.63 
Yearlings.......... 152 612 1334 2.18 554 1.76 
Two-year-olds...... 145 943 1639 1.74 305 92. 
Three-year-olds.... 133 1283 1938 1.51 299 87° 
The figures show a decided decrease in the rate of daily gain 
with increasing age of the steers, and also a still more marked de- 
crease in the gain for each period, -viz., from 2.63 pounds for the 
calves to 0.87 pound for the last year of the three-year-olds. 
The results given in the last two tables were obtained with 
NUMBER OF 
DAYS FEEDING) 100 200 300 400 500 600 70 800 900 Kw 
Fig. 60.—The amount of grain required to produce a hundred pounds of gain in 
fattening steers increases with the range of the feeding period from about 730 pounds to 
1000 pounds. (Kansas Station.) 
cattle of the specific beef breeds and of choice individuals within 
these breeds. They are, therefore, higher than are likely to obtain 
with steers of poorer breeding and fed less intensively (Fig. 60). 
The percentage dressed weight of cattle in thin body flesh will 
generally come from 54 to 58 per cent, and for fattening steers 58 
to 65 per cent or better, according to the breed and degree of finish. 
The percentage dressed weight of steers but rarely exceeds 70 per 
cent. 
