18 BULLETIN 777, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
average dairy allowance per head was 5 pounds, which quantity was 
fed until the steers were marketed. The average daily ration of cake 
for the 134 days was 4.32 pounds a head. 
WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 
The average weight of the steers of lot 1 was 662 pounds when 
the experiment began, and they gained a total of 214 pounds a head, 
which was a daily gain of 1.6 pounds. For the grade of steers used 
these gains were fairly satisfactory. 
The average initial weight of the steers of lot 2 was 664 pounds a 
head, and the final weight 921 pounds, showing a total gain of 257 
pounds a head, equal to an average daily gain of 1.92 pounds for the 
period of 134 days. As would be expected, they gained more rapidly 
than those of lot 1, but better steers would have made larger gains. 
COST OF GAINS. 
The cost of gains for the steers getting pasture alone was low, as in 
previous tests, but the gains of those fed cottonseed cake on pasture 
cost more in this experiment than in 1913 and 1915, due principally 
to the higher cost and more liberal use of the cake. 
The cost of feed per head through the summer was $2.39 for lot 1 
and $11.67 for lot 2. 
SLAUGHTER DATA. 
The steers were taken off the experiment on September 28, driven 
to Canton on September 29, shipped to the St. Louis market, and 
slaughtered. After the steers had taken their " fill " at the market 
and were weighed, it was found that those of lot 1 had lost an aver- 
age of 57 pounds, while those of lot 2 had lost 79 pounds. This wide 
variation in shrinkage between the 2 lots can not be accounted for. 
The conclusion that cake-fed steers shrink more in transit than 
grass-fed cattle is not supported by the results of many other ship- 
ments of steers. 
The per cent of dressing was 51.17 for the steers of lot 1 and 54.21 
for those of lot 2, which indicates the superior finish of the cake- fed 
steers. The latter were much better covered with fat than those of 
lot 1. 
Table 9. — Shipping and slaughter data. 
Item. Lot 1. 
Lot 2. 
Number of steers 
Average final farm weight per head pounds. . 870 
Average market weight per head do 819 
Average shrinkage in transit per head do 57 
Average weight of carcass do J 419 
Per cent dressed 51. 17 
30 
921 
842 
79 
457 
54.21 
