8 BULLETIN 131*. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
SHELTER AND LOTS 
The steers were fed in lots measuring 2l by 54 feet. These feed 
lots were on both sides of an open shed with a central alley. The 
feed bunks were sheltered, as they were on each side of this alley. 
The shed was kept dry by the use of rice straw and bagasse for bed- 
ding. During the first two tests the lots outside of the sheds were 
very muddy during the rainy weather. All lots, however, were 
floored with 2-inch "pecky" cypress boards before the third test. 
During the third and fourth tests the lots became sloppy, but the 
boards prevented the steers from sinking into the mud. 
WEIGHT RECORDS 
Individual weights were taken of all steers for three consecutive 
days at the beginning and at the end of each experiment. The 
averages of these weights were used for the initial and final weights. 
respectively. The first experimental feed was the afternoon feed of 
the second weigh day. All weights were taken between 9 and 11 
a. m.. after the steers had cleaned up their morning feed. Lot 
weights were taken every 30 days throughout the experiment for use 
in computing 30-day records. The last experimental feed was on 
the morning of the second of the last three weigh days. 
QUANTITIES OF FEED CONSUMED 
The steers were fed as much silage as they would clean up. The 
cottonseed meal and molasses were limited, the same quantities being 
fed to each lot with the exception of the cane-top silage lot in 
1915-16 and 1916-17. The quantities of feed consumed in the fourth 
experiment were greater than in any other experiment. 
However, the initial weights of these steers as well as the gains in 
live weight were also greater. Although the rate of silage consump- 
tion was not uniform throughout the four tests, the differences were 
not great. 
The feed consumed is shown in Table 3 and the relation of feed 
with and without molasses to gain in weight is shown in Table -i. 
Table 3. — Total and average daily feed consumed per steer when fed with and 
without molasses 
Feed 
Total feed consumed per steer 
Lot 
No. 
Without molasses 
With molasses 
1915-16 
1917-18 
Average 
1916-17 
1918-19 
Average 
1 
Corn silage ....... . .. 
Pounds 
4.045 
500 
Pounds 
4,136 
420 
Pounds 
4,082 
468 
Pounds 
3.403 
512 
16 
4,289 
512 
16 
4.146 
512 
16 
Pou nds 
5. 25S 
527 
27 
5,144 
527 
27 
4. 725 
527 
27 
Pounds 
4.227 
Cottonseed meal 
519 
Molasses 
21 
?, 
Corn and sovbean silage . 
3.730 
500 
13 
4,050 
500 
4.254 
420 
3,940 
468 
4,669 
519 
21 
3 
4.224 
420 
4,119 
468 
4.403 
519 
21 


i This small quantity of molasses was fed during a period of 20 days in an unsuccessful attempt to get 
che steers to eat more of the silage. 
