s 
BULLETIN 110, t T . S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
ration of 2.4 pounds of cottonseed meal and 8.9 pounds of hulls per 
steer. A ration of 2.4 pounds of cottonseed meal and 8.9 pounds of 
hulls in addition to the range is therefore seen to produce an average 
daily gain of 0.47 pound on steers weighing 633 pounds each. 
Table 2. — Quantity of feed consumed per steer during winter 1909-10, 91 days. 
Lot.i 
Number 
of steers 
in lot. 
Ration. 
Total amount 
consumed per 
steer. 
Daily amount 
consumed per 
steer. 
Cotton- 
seed 
meal. 
Hulls. 
Cotton- 
seed 
meal. 
Hulls. 
2 
15 
Pounds. 
221 
Pounds. 
808 
Pounds. 
2.4 
Pounds. 
8.9 
1 Lot 1 was on range alone; lot 4 was on range plus coarse hay, but the quantity of the latter was not 
accurately determined. 
As there is no way of estimating the amount or price of feed per 
acre on range, no charge has been made for it. Range in this portion 
of the State is still free during the winter, and unless cattle are turned 
upon it the farmer gets no returns from it. When cottonseed meal is 
worth $26 per ton and hulls are worth $6 per ton, as they were at the 
time this experiment was made, the feed consumed by each steer cost 
5.8 cents per day, or $5.30 per head for the whole winter. 
MONTHLY GAINS OR LOSSES DURING THE WINTER. 
The gains or losses made by the steers during the different months 
of the winter will vary greatly each year, depending chiefly upon 
weather conditions. Cold, dry weather does not cause severe losses 
in weight of beef cattle, but cold rains followed by cold winds or sleet 
storms injure them very materially, as they get chilled through and 
the feed is rendered unpalatable and at times unavailable, due to a cov- 
ering of ice. 
The following table shows the gains or losses made by the groups 
for each month during the winter of 1909-10: 
Table 3. — Results of feeding by b-week periods. 
Number 
of steers. 
1 
23 
2 
15 
4 
23 
Ration. 
Gain or 
loss per 
steer first 
period 
(Dec. 8 to 
Jan. 4). 
Gain or 
loss per 
steer sec- 
ond pe- 
riod (Jan. 
5 to 
Feb. 1). 
Gain or 
loss per 
steer 
third pe- 
riod (Feb. 
2 to 
Mar. 1). 
Gain or 
loss per 
steer 
fourth 
period 
(Mar. 2 to 
Mar. 8).i 
Range alone 
Range plus cottonseed meal and hulls. 
Range plus coarse hay 
Pounds. 
-10 
+27 
Pounds. 
-41 
+ 1 
Pounds. Pounds. 
- 9 I -46 
+28 I -13 
-35 I -24 
The last period has but 7 days. 
