FEEDING GRADE BEEF COWS RAISING CALVES. 9 
Most of the calves were dropped in April and May and a few in 
March and June, one half of them being dropped before the cows 
were turned to pasture and the other half after. The average date 
on which the calves were dropped was April 20. The average per 
cent of calves raised by the three lots of 10 cows each for three 
years was 92. Such numbers of calves can not be produced from 
30 cows year after year if the same cows are kept. In these tests if 
the cows did not become settled in calf so as to drop calves at the 
desired time others were substituted. 
While the average birth weight of the calves of Lot 2, which, ac- 
cording to Table 3, was fed considerably more digestible protein than 
Lots 1 and 3, is 2 pounds more, this may not be significant, because 
it averaged less than the birth weights of the other lots in 1917-18. 
The smallest average birth weight, that of the calves of Lot 4, may 
be due to the lack of succulence in the ration, yet the difference does 
not seem significant, as it is small and represents only one year’s 
work. 
GAINS AND LOSSES IN WEIGHT. 
Table 6 shows the gains or losses of each lot during the winter 
periods. | 
TABLE 6.—Results during four winters. 
Calves 
Average | Average Za tas dropped cinee 
Lot Rati Season, | Days} initial | final | 5° Before | eqeee a: 
No. ee *| fed. | weight | weight farming) |\Cacse 
loss (—) end of 
per cow. | per cow. | 1 oF cow on falar 
P pastures |e 
Days.| Pounds. | Pounds. | Pounds. | Number Days. 
1 | Corn silage, mixed hay, and | 1915-16 | 122 865 779 —87 6 30 
wheat straw. 1916-17 | 137 855 879 or ETM te hee resets (is eee da 
1917-18 | 134 740 766 +26 1 15 
1918-19 | 134 858 879 +21 5 38 
FEV GT ASO spree 2S wis aS a leicterd © eaiere 132 830 826 a a en eR 
2 | Corn silage, gdh and | 1916-17 | 137 829 870 Se LS ae aes MPs 
wheat straw. 1917-18 | 134 740 789 +49 3 4 
1918-19 134 857 909 +52 6 28 
Lona. afte Sal Oa 135 809 | 856 47 |...) eae 
3 | Corn silage, cottonseed meal, | 1915-16 | 122 870 835 —35 8 23 
and wheat straw. 1916-17 | 137 849 873 =f 240)... co le ee 
1917-18 | 134 733 808 +75 3 6 
1918-19 134 857 873 +16 6 33 
1 aa) oe eee ae eg DP aust 139 827 847 +20 |: 22.5125 cies 
4 | Shock corn, mixed hay, and | 1915-16 | 122 867 818 —49 | 27 
wheat straw. 
The main fact shown in this table is that all the different lots of 
cows, except in 1915-16, gained from 20 to 75 pounds from the be- 
ginning of the feeding period in December until they were turned 
on pasture. In 1915-16 the silage-fed lots lost weight because the 
72447 °—22 
