6 BULLETIN" 762, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
WEIGHTS AND GAINS OF STEERS. 
The following table shows the initial weight of the steers of all 
lots, the final weights, the total gain per head, and the average daily 
gain : 
Table 2.— Weights and gains of steers (Nov. 20, 1913, to Feb. 12, 1914—84 days). 
Lot 
No. 
Ration. 
Average 
initial 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
final 
weight 
per steer. 
Average 
total 
gains 
per steer. 
Average 
daily 
gains 
per steer. 
1 
Cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls 
Pounds. 
837 
847 
819 
Pounds. 
1,046 
1,058 
1,036 
Pounds. 
209 
211 
217 
Pounds. 
2.48 
2 
2.51 
3 
Cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, and corn silage 
2. 58 
The gains made by the steers of all lots were exceedingly satis- 
factory and indicate that the steers relished their rations and made 
good use of their feed. The silage-fed steers gained slightly more 
for the short period than those fed cottonseed hulls. The steers 
receiving the 'mixed ration of cottonseed hulls and silage made the 
greatest gains. 
It is a well-known fact that for a short feeding period a ration of 
cottonseed meal and hulls is a superior feed for fattening steers that 
are not to be fed over 90 days. The results of this experiment indi- 
cate, however, that corn silage as the sole roughage is fully equal to 
cottonseed hulls for making large daily gains, and it is known that 
it would have proved much superior for a long feeding period. 
QUANTITY AND COST OF FEED REQUIRED TO MAKE 
100 POUNDS OF GAIN. 
The economy of gains must be considered as well as the size of the 
gains before drawing any conclusions concerning the value of the 
two roughages. Knowing the price of feeds and the amount of feed 
required to make 100 pounds of gain, this can be determined easily. 
The following table shows the amount of feed required to make 100 
pounds of gain and the cost of 100 pounds of gain for each lot of 
steers : 
Table 3. — Quantity and cost of feed required to make 100 pounds of gain. 
(Nov. 12, 1913, to Feb. 12, 1914—84 dnysq. 
Lot 
No. 
Ration. 
Pounds 
of feed 
to make 
100 
pounds 
of gain. 
Cost of 
100 
pounds 
of gain. 
251 
1,142 
248 
1,711 
'242 
727 
689 
, 
1 
> $8. 88 
•k 
2 
y 6.19 
1 
3 
\ 7.89 
j 
