12 
BULLETIN 1318, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
such as labor, equipment, interest, and insurance. In a survey made 
in Illinois, from 1918 to 1922, it was found that feed constituted 70 
to 81 per cent of the cost of fattening steers. Generally it is esti- 
mated that the value of the manure offsets the costs other than feed. 
Table 6.— Prices of feeds used 
Season 
Silage 
Cotton- 
seed meal 
Molasses 
Season j Silage 
Cotton- 
seed meal 
Molasses 
1915-16 
Ton 
$4. 00 
Ton 
$33. 83 
32.20 
Gallon 
$0.06 
.27 
1917-18 
Ton 
$6.00 
6.00 
Ton 
$50. 28 
61.65 
Gallon 
1916-17 
4.00 
1918-19 
$0.14 
Table 7. — Cost of feed per 100 pounds gain, selling prices, and profit or loss 
per steer 
Lot 
No. 
Silage fed 
Years 
Cost 
per 
100 
pounds 
gain 
Necessary 
selling 
price to 
break 
even (per 
hundred- 
weight) 1 
Actual 
selling 
price 
(per 
hundred- 
weight) 
Profit or 
loss per 
steer 
1 
(1915-16 
1 1916-17 
11917-18 
I 1918-19 
$9.46 
7.70 
9.30 
15.13 
$6.99 
6.56 
8.29 
11.96 
( 2 ) 
$9.17 
10.69 
11.73 
( 2 ) 
$24. 86 
Average ... ..... ... 
23.67 
3 -2. 45 
10.40 
8.83 
10.49 
12.25 
(1915-16 
11916-17 
11917-18 
11918-19 
n 
7.60 
7.92 
10.99 
13.15 
6.67 
6.63 
8.62 
11.61 
( 2 ) 
9.17 
10.40 
11.78 
( 2 ) 
24.34 
17.06 
1.93 
10.60 
8.88 
10.41 
15.34 
(1915-16 
11916-17 
11917-18 
11918-19 
3 
7.99 
8.82 
12.49 
18.54 
6.75 
6.78 
8.84 
12.35 
( 2 ) 
8.92 
10.13 
11.16 
( 2 ) 
20.10 
Average „_.__.__ '._.. 
12. 21 
3 -12.33 
12.70 
9.19 
10.02 
8.02 
(1917-18 
\1918-19 
4 
13.35 
13.52 
8.98 
11.68 
9.99 
12.28 
9.30 
6.70 
13.44 
10.30 
11.12 
8.14 
Corn and sorgo silage . .. 
1915-16 
1915-16 
(1915-16 
-U916-17 
11918-19 
5 
7.91 
8.45 
6.74 
6.84 
( 2 ) 
( 2 ) 
( 2 ) 
6 
Corn, sorgo, soybean, and cowpea silage 
( 2 ) 
7 
10.93 
11.95 
29.49 
7.15 
7.14 
13. 19 
( 2 ) 
8.42 
11.06 
( 2 ) 
11.38 
Average ..... 
3 -20. 93 
18.77 
9.98 
9.66 
3 -2. 93 
Sugar-cane silage . ._ ... . ... ... 
(1916-17 
\1918-19 
s 
10.12 
20.27 
6.90 
12.54 
8.54 
11.36 
14.72 
3 -11.38 
Average ... .. .. ._ 
14.67 
9.57 
9.87 
2.90 
(1916-17 
\ 1917-18 
11918-19 
9 
8.96 
15.69 
27.02 
6.75 
9.20 
12.94 
8.54 
9.82 
10.78 
16.32 
5.57 
3 -20. 85 
15.38 
9.45 
9.66 
1.86 
Corn, sorgo, and soybean silage 
1917-18 
10 
15.33 
9.21 
10.04 
7.37 
i The initial cost of the steers per 100 pounds in the feed lot was as follows: 1915-16, $6.42; 1916-17, $6.26; 
1917-18, $7.95; 1918-19, $11.17. 
2 The calculations for actual selling price and profit or loss per steer have not been made for the 1915-16 
test because the cattle were not sold until 20 days after the experiment was closed. Therefore, the data 
given for 1915-16 are not included in the averages. 
3 Minus sign (— ) indicates a loss. 
