FATTENING STEERS ON PASTURE IN THE SOUTH. 9 
METHOD OF FEEDING AND HANDLING. 
Each day, about sundown, the steers in lots 2 and 3 were fed in 
troughs in the open pasture. Initial and final weights of every 
animal were taken and each lot was weighed at the end of each 28- 
day period. All were dipped in an arsenical dip five times during 
the experiment, to keep them free from ticks. Salt was provided once 
a week. 
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. 
Table 4 shows the chief features of the experiment. 
Table 4. — Results of summer steer feeding in Alabama, 1913. 
Item. 
Lot 1. 
Pasture 
alone. 
Lot 2. 
Pasture and 
one-half 
corn-and-cob 
meal and 
one-half 
cottonseed 
cake. 
Lot 3. 
Pasture 
and 
cottonseed 
cake. 
Number of steers 
Days of feeding period 
Average daily ration per head: 
Cottonseed cake 
Corn-and-cob meal 
Cost of pasture and feed for 100 pounds gain 
Cost per head to feed through summer 
Initial cost of steers per 100 pounds 
Selling price of steers per 100 pounds 
Average profit per head 
Average initial weight per head 
Average final (farm) weight per head 
Average total gain per head 
Average daily gain per head 
26 
147 
.pounds. 
..do 
.pounds. 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
$1.09 
$2.62 
$5.25 
$5. 00 
$6.60 
610 
850 
240 
1.63 
25 
147 
1.79 
1.76 
$3.51 
$9.71 
$5. 25 
$6.00 
$8.27 
588 
840 
252 
1.71 
26 
147 
3.70 
$3.27 
$10.12 
$5.25 
$6.00 
$11.23 
593 
902 
309 
2.10 
DAILY RATION. 
The steers had been fed cake lightly for about 5 weeks before the 
test. Lots 2 and 3 were given, therefore, 3 pounds of concentrates 
per head at the beginning, and the quantity was gradually increased 
until on May 10 the steers of lot 2 were eating daily 2 pounds of 
cottonseed cake and 2 pounds of corn-and-cob meal per head, and 
those of lot 3 were each eating 4 pounds of cottonseed cake daily. 
These quantities were fed daily until the end of the experiment, Sep- 
tember 2 
COMPARATIVE GAINS. 
Lot 1 made an average daily gain of 1.63 pounds a head, a very 
satisfactory result for such steers. 
Lot 2 gained 1.71 pounds per head daily. While this gain was 
greater than that of the steers in lot 1, it is less than would be ex- 
pected from the feeding method used. 
Lot 3, having cottonseed cake in addition to pasture, made very 
good gains for that class of steers. From the standpoint of produc- 
102287°— 19— Bull. 777 2 
