June 2 i, 1924 Effect of Winter Rations on Pasture Gains of Steers 1231 
Table V.— Market weight , shrinkage in transit , and dressing percentage per steer 
for the first and second years’ work 
Lot 
No 
Winter feed 
Season 
Market 
weight 
Shrink¬ 
age, or 
“drift/’ 
in 
transit 
Per¬ 
cent¬ 
age of 
drift 
Dressed 
weight 
Farm 
weight 
dress¬ 
ing per¬ 
cent¬ 
age 
Market 
weight 
dress¬ 
ing per¬ 
cent¬ 
age 
Pounds 
Pounds 
Per cent 
Pounds 
Per cent 
Per cent 
1919-20 
1,203 
66 
5.2 
673 
53.0 
55.9 
1920-21 
1,244 
77 
5.8 
687 
52.0 
55.2 
1,223 
71 
5.5 
680 
52.5 
55.6 
1919-20 
1,174 
62 
5.0 
668 
54.0 
56.9 
1920-21 
1,202 
88 
6.8 
685 
53.1 
57.0 
1,189 
75 
5.9 
676 
53.5 
56.9 
1919-20 
1,187 
59 
4.7 
677 
54.3 
57.0 
1920-21 
1,246 
92 
6.9 
709 
53.0 
56.9 
1,216 
75 
5.8 
693 
53.6 
57.0 
1919-20 
1,225 
66 
5.1 
704 
54.5 
57.4 
1920-21 
1,229 
85 
6.5 
699 
53.2 
56.9 
1,227 
75 
5.8 
701 
53.8 
57.1 
1919-20 
1,223 
47 
3.7 
681 
53.6 
55.7 
1920-21 
1, 215 
79 
6.1 
694 
53.6 
57.1 
1,220 
61 
4.8 
687 
53.6 
56.3 
1919-20 
1,187 
77 
6.1 
679 
53.7 
57.2 
1920-21 
1,211 
84 
6.5 
684 
52.8 
56.5 
1,199 
80 
6.3 
681 
53.2 
56.8 
Mixed hay and ear corn. 
Average. 
Corn silage_ 
Average. 
Corn silage.... 
Average__ 
Corn silage and cottonseed meal. 
Average. 
Corn silage, wheat straw, and cotton- 
Average. 
Corn silage and mixed hay. 
Average_ 
CONCLUSIONS 
On the whole, the steers which made larger winter gains also made larger 
total gains for the year when fattened on grass the following summer (corre¬ 
lation, 0.43). 
The steers which made only slight gains or lost weight during the winter 
made greater summer gains on pasture than steers which made larger winter 
gains (correlation between winter and summer gains, —0.57). 
Consequently, differences in weight of steers at the end of the winter, due to 
rations fed, are gradually minimized during the time of summer fattening on 
grass. An advantage of 100 pounds at the end of winter falls to one of only 41 
pounds after 136 days on grass. 
Since differences in weight due to winter feeding are gradually minimized, but 
not wholly overcome, during the summer season of fattening on grass, it is 
important that cattle to be marketed early should gain considerably more weight 
during the winter than if they are to be marketed late. An advantage of 100 
pounds at the end of winter falls to one of 62 pounds after 54 days on grass. 
There is so little difference between the gains made by the steers in the dif¬ 
ferent lots at the end of the summer grazing period that any conclusion as to the 
best winter ration must take into consideration the cost of the ration. 
Succulent rations of silage alone, or silage, cottonseed meal, and straw, or 
silage and mixed hay, as used in this experiment, are cheaper and produce greater 
gains for the year than a dry ration of mixed hay and ear corn. 
96463—24f-6 
