COMPARISON OF ROUGHAGES FOR FATTENING STEERS. 
23 
The steers used in this test were purchased at an average cost of 
$5 per 100 pounds. After 127 days of feeding the steers of each of 
the first three lots sold on the St. Louis market for $8.45 per 100 
pounds. The steers of Lot 4 brought but $8.17 per hundredweight, 
as they were not so well finished. The margin between the purchase 
and the sale price of the steers was exceptionally high. The costs 
of gains were low and this factor combined with the wide margin 
tended toward the high profit which was realized on the different 
lots. Lot 1, which received cottonseed meal and corn silage, showed 
the greatest profit, and Lot 4 showed the least profit. 
SLAUGHTER DATA. 
On April 2 the steers were driven 2 miles to Canton, Miss., from 
which place they were shipped to the St. Louis market. During the 
24 hours prior to this they were given only bright oat straw to eat, 
but were allowed all the water they wished to drink. They were 
loaded on the cars at 10 a. m., April 2. At 4 p. m., April 4 they 
arrive in the stockyards at East St. Louis, being in transit 56 hours, 
which was unusually long for this run. Upon arrival at market they 
were fed and watered. They were sold the morning of April 5, 
after taking only a fair fill. 
The following table gives the slaughter data for each of the lots: 
Table 11. — Slaughter data. 
Ration. 
Average 
farm 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
market 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
weight 
of car- 
cass. 
Per cent dressed. 
Lot 
No. 
Average shrinkage 
in transit. 
By 
farm 
weights. 
By 
market 
weights. 
1 
Cottonseed meal and sor- 
Pounds. 
1,058 
1,036 
1,030 
989 
Pounds. 
966 
943 
945 
901 
Pounds. 
92 
93 
85 
88 
Per cent. 
8.69 
8.97 
8.25 
8.89 
Pounds. 
549 
537 
532 
491 
Per cent. 
51.88 
51.81 
51. G5 
49.65 
Per cent. 
56.82 
2 
Cottonseed meal, sor- 
ghum silage, and corn 
56.92 
3 
Cottonseed meal, sor- 
ghum silage, and oat 
56.29 
4 
Cottonseed meal, oat 
straw, cowpea hay, 
and corn stover 
54.51 
The average shrinkage per head for each lot was as follows : Lot 
1, 92 pounds; Lot 2, 93 pounds; Lot 3, 85 pounds; Lot 4, 88 pounds. 
Lot 3, which received oat straw in addition to cottonseed meal and 
corn silage, showed the least shrinkage. The shrinkage was more than 
normal on all lots, probably due to the length of time in transit. 
The carcasses were all good, being nicely covered with fat. The 
dressing percentages of the first three lots were very uniform. The 
