Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-15
Continued from last week.
Farm Exnerlments
At THE NEW HAMPSHIRE AomcutrrRAt collEoE

PER CENT OF FOOD CONSUMED by NEAT
STOCK DAILY.
It would seem to be desirable to have American
percentages of food consumed by live weight
daily, instead of German results, Of doubtful APP
plicaton here, whose general statement is per
cent. of live weight daily Of hay.
The per cent consumed daily will depend both
upon breed and age The relation Of breed to
amount Of food consumed is now under nvesti-
cation.
Twelve eows--9 in milk, forward with calf
consumed in IA days $3.50 pounds of hay, $50
pounds of meal and 266 pounds of bran; weight
Of stock, II $3.50 pounds per cent. of live weight
consumed daily, 2.63; gain Of stock, 1877 pounds,
The grain was estimated in its equivalent Of hay,
and added to it.
Two calves weight, 59S pounds; age months;
fed hay alone; time, As days fed, 017 pounds;
per cent. of live weight daily, $50 pounds hay to
make pound of growth, III pounds.
Six calves fed, q days; $40 pounds of hay;
gain, Ill pounds; to make l pound growth, IL
pounds of hay; age of calves, months; per cent.
of live weight daily, 2s.
Fed 3 two-year-old steers 50 days; consumed g.,
O65 pounds; per cent. of live weight daily, 10;
gain, 1876 pounds.
Thus they gained about pound each daily on
less food than the Germans have found necessary
to maintain existence without gain or loss. Is the
quality of our hay better than theirs or is our
stock better calculated to appropriate to growth
the food consumed?
The food given these steers was coarse Herds
grass, and not relished By mixing fine hay with
it, they would consume 10 pounds more per day,
and make very much more rapid growth. This
last 10 pounds thus consumed made much more
growth than the first 60 pounds given.
Two three-year-od steers consumed, in 30 days,
1886 pounds of hay; per cent, of daily consumr-
ton, 30 of live weight; amount of hay to make
pound growth, ia pounds gain of steers, "a
pounds, or Log pounds each daily.
BY consuming 3 of per cent, or 3 pounds of
hay more per day for every 600 pounds of animal
weight, these three-year-old steers have gained
per day more than three times as much as the
two-year old steers, the two-yearold steers being
larger per cent and more thrifty of their age
The small calves have eaten 35 of live weight
daily, and the three-year-old steers only % per
cent daily; and the calves have made pound Of
growth for ~ pounds of hay and the three-ye
old steers have required ia pounds to make !
pound of growth. Then it is large consumption
that means rapid and cheap growth.
On pigs and cattle both, ! find that young
animals consume, in proportion to weight, more
than old ones, and grow faster. As an animal in
creases in age size the food is required to
make pound of growth.
For the winter of 1878, find our two-year-old
steers consuming 80 per cent. of live weight
daily, and are gaining Il pounds daily on the
feed, being hay that was damaged by rain.
I'M old Al, f,.
2.75 per cent. daily of their live weight
1t requires IL pounds Of hay, very nearly, for
our calves and three-y steers, fed together
and they will represent the average age of
young stock kept in New Hampshire-to make /
pound of growth. At S12 per ton pound of
winter growth, under favorable circumstances,
would cost 10 cents.
Now consider the cost of summer growth.
Six steers, sold in July, had gained 100 pounds
each; cost per pound, 1,6 cents.
Six steers, sold in October had gained 900
pounds each; cost per pound, 1.3 cents.
Winter growth only pays in connection with
summer growth. The policy of fattening stock in
winter is usually bad one, and one that belongs
the past. To sell growing stock in the spring
is also poor policy.
COMPLEMENTARY FOODS
Scientists state that coarse food like straw
corn-stalks, poor hay, etc, contains an excess OF
carbohydrates, or the elements that maintain res
piration, and in measure supply fattenine
materials while they lack in the materials that
make flesh and bones-albuminoids that bran
cottonseed meal, oil cake, ETC., contain an exces.
of the latter, and low per cent. of the former
material, and that by putting the two classes Of
food together in feeding, more of each of the
elements will be utilized, II rightly combined, and
cheaper food thus furnished
series of experiments has been undertaken
which must be of long duration to test this matter
Three lots of thrifty two-year-old steers wert
weighed
Lot weight 1881 pounds. Fed average quail
ity of hay-not best
Lot weight, 1929 pounds Fed bran anC
straw
Lot 3-weight, 3,115 pounds Fed cotton-seet
meal
Without giving the several weighings, and tn
varying amounts of food, will state totals for
months feeding, with calculations of digestb
matter consumed:
Weight of lot |, at end of month, 1892 pounds
Weight Of lot 2, at end of month, 1867 pounds
Weight of lot 3, at end of month, 3,l9S pounds
Lot consumed, hay, 1910 pounds
Lot consumed, straw 1901 pounds; BRAN II
pounds.
Lot consumed, straw, 1898 pounds; cotton
seed meal, 3Sl pounds.