it BULLETIN 981, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
regained their original weight and averaged 50 pounds highter at the 
end of the period than at the beginning. 
Farmers in western Kansas report that horses and mules stand 
plowing and other hard work in the hot summer months better when 
fed upon Sudan grass hay than when their hay ration consists of 
alfalfa. 
A second feeding test at the Fort Hays Experiment Station showed 
that Sudan grass hay was an efficient feed for carrying stock cattle 
through the winter. When “long-yearling”’ heifers were fed Sudan 
grass hay with'a small supplementary ration of silage and linseed 
meal, steady gains in weight. were obtained at a reasonable cost. 
The results of this test are given in Table XITE. 
Taste XITI.—Comparison of Sudan grass hay with alfalfa hay, kafir stover, and sorgo 
stover as a roughage for wintering stock calile. 
[Feeding period 12) days, Dec. 17, 1914, to Apr. 15, 1915, 25 heifers in each lot.] 
Items of comparison. Lott. >|><Lot 2. | Lot 3. §/2 Got 
Daily ration per animal: 
SLNEOoae 5 Ns a ne ne amr eres A oo pounds.-/ 10.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 10. 00 
Sta IMe RASS HAYS fos i a cee een On oer wee eee GOL! Te O41 S52 all oo tall eee ieee 
KG SUOVORSS = -ei bas oa. Bers eee ee ee Goss EEE oes [ad 1230) ty ee ee | see sree 
ZN HEAL E SL 12  ce ecee ir e  memenaee Seo TRG Ee 3 dOs,. 2153 fora eeesesee os ated Pega 
SOPSOSEOVetas 2055S) See sae ce ee Se ee dozzt seater! Neath Sey ala See 10, 24 
SUT Eh Ese ea a ei ear te nr ep see EOS Sd a do. 2.64 | 3.78 3.10 2.60 
shimseed aneal so. 5. ese. 8s ee eee ee doze! 1.00 1.00 1.00 | 1.00 
Results of weighing: | 
Average init tial W OLS Gc: 20 Pe a on oe Ae reper we ge Gorse. |. 62028 © 65056) |> 661 | 365556 
Averaceiinal weighitoss <6) 5 cece eee eee doz acjue (0152 733.2 | 740 | 736.4 
Gainsper meade 5522 Te ae Pe ie ee ee do-222| 180.4) | 82:6) 79 80.8 
Gain per head pemd aye ne -- oese an | yee eee doses . 670 | - 688 | . 658 . 673 
Cost comparisons: | | | 
Cost peribead peda Vest a5 ae ee ees aera eae re $0. 057 30.058 | $0. 063 | $0. 057 
Wost per pound Of gail Le ee ae as we ae ee eee - 085 | - 084 | . 096 . O85 
1 Thesupply ofsorgo stover was exhausted on March6. After that date Sudan grass hay wassubstituted 
for the sorgo stover in feeding lot 4. 
In this test the feeds were evaluated as follows: Silage, $3; alfalfa 
hay, $6; kafir stover, $3; sorgo stover, $3; Sudan grass hay, $5; 
straw, 50 cents a ton; linseed meal, $1.54 a hundredweight. These 
prices are all much lower than the present market rates, but are rep- 
resentative of farm values in 1914. The alfalfa hay had been dam- 
aged considerably in curing, and its feeding value was no doubt less 
than that of good hay. This perhaps accounts for the rather poor 
showing of the animals fed upon alfalfa. This lot, despite its handi- 
cap, had smoother coats and a better general appearance than any of 
the other lots. The different lots received all the Sudan grass hay, 
kafir stover, alfalfa hay, and sorgo stover that they would eat up 
clean and were allowed all the straw they would eat in addition to 10 
pounds of silage and 1 pound of linseed meal a head daily. The pro- 
portion of silage in the ration was small, but it no doubt had much to 
do with the good showing made by the different roughages other 
than alfalfa. Without the silage the results would probably have 
been much more favorable to alfalfa. 
