V. SUMMARY OF THE FOUR YEARS' SUMMER 
FATTENING EXPERIMENTS. 
The more important data of the four years' summer fattening work 
are shown in condensed form by Table 11. This permits a direct 
comparison to be made of the results from the different methods 
used. 
Comparing the averages of the three methods of fattening the 
steers, it will be noted that there was little difference in the average 
length of feeding and pasture periods. The average daily gains 
per head, which may be considered the most valuable standard in 
judging the efficiency of rations, were 1.49 pounds for the steers 
getting pasture only, 1.83 pounds for the steers getting cottonseed 
cake with pasture, and 1.53 pounds for those whose pastures were 
supplemented with the mixture of cake and corn chop. 
The initial cost of the steers per 100 pounds of the three groups 
was the same for any one year, but in each case the steers of group I 
(pasture alone) sold for a lower price. The margins realized be- 
tween the buying and selling prices of the cattle were always in 
favor of those which were fed supplements with their pastures. The 
margins averaged 24J cents a hundredweight for the steers of group I, 
90 cents for group II, and 81| cents for group III. 
While the data on the dressing per cent are not complete, inspec- 
tion of the results given will show that the steers which were fed 
cottonseed cake or a mixture of cake and corn with pasture dressed 
out higher than the cattle which had pasture alone. 
The steers of group I, which had pasture only, returned an average 
profit of $5.78 a head, against $6.23 for the cake-fed steers, and $6.48 
for those on cake and corn. The average profit made on the cake- 
fed steers is adversely affected by the small loss on the lot fed in 
1916. This poor result was caused by a combination of unfortunate 
conditions and the use of scrub steers. 
Table 11. — Summary of four years' summer fattening ivork. 
Group, ration, and year. 
Num- 
ber 
of 
steers. 
Days 
fed. 
Aver- 
age 
total 
gain 
per 
head. 
Aver- 
age 
daily 
gain 
per 
head. 
Cost of 
feed 
per 100 
pounds 
gain. 
Cost of 
cattle 
per 100 
pounds. 
Selling 
price 
per 100 
pounds. 
Margin 
per 100 
pounds. 
Dress- 
ing 
per 
cent. 
Aver- 
age 
profit 
per 
head. 
I. Pasture alone: 
1912 
29 
26 
20 
30 
112 
147 
107 
134 
Lbs. 
117 
240 
180 
214 
Lbs. 
1.04 
1.63 
1.68 
1.60 
$1.71 
1.09 
1.06 
1.12 
$3.87 
5.25 
5.00 
5.50 
$4.00 
5.00 
5.75 
5.85 
$0.13 
1.25 
.75 
.35 
Perct. 
48.68 
5i."i7" 
$3.47 
1913... 
6.60 
1915 
7.19 
1916 
5.88 
Average 
125 
188 
1.49 
1.25 
4.90 
5.15 
.245 
49. 92 ' 
5.78 
u: 
21 
