Economic Fattening of Cattle. 



21 i 



with equal quantities of the same food until November 29th, 

 1898, when the experiment commenced. 



The animals in both lots were given as much chaffed hay 

 and straw and pulped roots as they would eat, together with 



5 lbs. of long hay per head daily. In addition to this com- 

 mon ration, each bullock in Lot I. received per day 3 lbs. of 

 maize meal and 3 lbs. of decorticated cotton cake, while for 

 Lot II. an individual daily allowance of 5 lbs. of each of these 

 foods was provided, so that the total daily supply of concen- 

 trated foods was 6 lbs. per head for Lot I., as compared 

 with 10 lbs. for Lot II. It was noticed that the animals 

 which received the smaller rations of cake and meal ate a 

 little more long hay (about i lb. per head per day) than those 

 of the second lot. Water was supplied twice a day ; no 

 difference was observed in the quantity drunk. It was 

 intended at the outset to increase the allowance of cake and 

 meal to Lot I. to 4 lbs. of each food, and at the same time to 

 give 6 lbs. of cotton cake and 6 lbs. of maize meal to Lot II. 

 This was actually done for two days at the end of December, 

 but was then discontinued as it was found that the cattle in 

 Lot II. did not eat the extra quantity. 



Before the commencement of the experiment the cattle 

 were all weighed. They were again weighed at the end of a 

 month, and again before they left to be slaughtered at the 

 end of nine weeks. They were sold and slaughtered 

 in two successive weeks, two being taken from each lot on 

 both occasions. 



The aggregate live weight of the four bullocks in Lot I. at 

 the beginning of the experiment was 39 cwt. 2 qrs. 26 lbs. ; 

 and at the close it was 44 cwts. o qrs. 26 lbs.; the total 

 increase was therefore 4I- cwts., or an average of 126 lbs. per 

 head. Lot II. started with an aggregate weight on hoof of 

 40 cwts. 1 qr. 14 lbs., and they put on altogether in the nine 

 weeks 3 cwts. 3 qrs. 12 lbs., or an average increase of 

 108 lbs. per bullock. 



The total carcase weight of Lot I. when slaughtered was 

 23 cwts. 2 qrs. 8lbs., or 5 cwts. 3 qrs. 16 lbs. per bullock; 

 while on Lot II. it was 24 cwts. 2 qrs. 20 lbs., or 



6 cwts. o qrs. 19 lbs. per head. The average percentage of 

 •dead to live weight in each lot was 53*2 and 557 respectively. 



