28 
BULLETIN* 762, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
It will be noted that the steers were on feed 120 days. The amount 
of cottonseed meal fed was uniform for each lot, while the rough- 
ages were different for each lot. 
All the cattle were started on 2 pounds of cottonseed meal per head 
daily, which amount was increased during the first 2§-day period, 
so that for this period each steer in the three lots ate an average of 
2.T pounds daily. They were given all the silage they would eat, 
and in addition Lots 2 and 3 were given what dry roughage they 
would consume. 
Some of the steers had never been fed meal and silage and con- 
siderable difficulty was encountered in teaching a few in each lot to 
eat these feeds. Several head were stall fed for a few days until 
they became accustomed to the feeds. When they had once started 
eating well they gave no further trouble. 
The allowance of cottonseed meal was increased gradually until 
in the last period the steers of each lot were getting 7.7 pounds daily 
per head. The roughage also was increased until the steers were on 
a full feed of cottonseed meal, after which time less roughage was 
eaten. 
In Lot 2 one pound of corn stover replaced about 2 pounds of 
silage in the ration. Each pound of oat straw added to the ration 
of Lot 3 replaced about 3 pounds of silage. 
Only about 50 per cent of the corn stover was actually eaten, as 
most of the dry stalks were refused by the steers. It was estimated 
that 25 per cent of the straw was likewise refused. These waste feeds 
were pulled down under the steers' feet and could not be weighed 
back. ( 
WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 
Table 13 gives the average initial and final weights per head for 
each lot, and the total and daily gains per head : 
Table 13. — Weights and gains {Nov. 
1916, to Mar. 23, 1917—120 days). 
Lot 
No. 
Ration. 
Average 
initial 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
final 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
total 
gain 
per steer. 
Average 
daily 
gain 
per steer. 
Pounds. 
856 
856 
856 
Pounds. 
1,078 
1,084 
1,073 
Pounds. 
222 
228 
218 
Pounds. 
1.85 
2 
3 
Cottonseed meal, sorghum silage, and corn stover 
1.89 
1.82 
The above figures indicate that the addition of stover or oat straw 
to the cottonseed meal and silage combination had little effect so 
far as producing gains is concerned. The steers which had corn 
stover in addition to meal and silage made slightly better gains, 
