The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-17
WEEKLY DIGEST
Of Experiment Station Bulletins
No SO.
STEER FEEDING


No state produces SO many cattle as
Texas, and the Importance of ascer.
tanning some means of economically
preparing them for market on Texas
soil, instead Of having them shipped
into other states by the hundred thou
sand every year to be fed for market,
has induced the Texas experiment sta
tlon to make elaborate tests in steer
feeding every year from 1882 to the
present time. Five bulletins have been
issued, from time to time, giving the
details and results Of these tests, the
last one, No. Al, having just come to
hand.
Previous tests having shown that
cotton seed meal mixed with cotton
seed hulls make very we'll balanced
ration OF special economy in Texas, by
far the most extensive cotton growing
state in the Union, these tests Of 1890 z
we're to determine, lat, what proper.
ton OF meal to hulis produce the cheap
est gain for both long and short feed
ing periods; 2d, what proportion pro
duces the most rapid gain; Sd, can
meal and hulls be 80 proportioned as
to produces blindness, or fiat sick-
ness" in good cattle with heaIthful sur
roundings.
Toe steers used were good blocky
short horn grades raised in Leon coun
ty, and were three or four years old,
and had been running on the same
range before being put into the feeding
pens. They were 80 assorted as to give
all pens as nearly as possible bunches
of steers Of equal weight, form, age.
and appetite. All lots received regu
lar feeding, watering and weighing un,
der like conditions.
The short period of feeding was 70
days, the long period 12O days, and to
determine the fat sickness" problem,
18O days.
AS low as fb meal to 1 III hulls
was fed with good results and as high
as tb meal to 2-S ID Jof hulls was fed
without iDjuring the health or impair
ing the appetite.
The general conclusions drawn from
these tests and corroborated by similar
tests in previous year, cotton seed
meal being rated ct $15 per ton and
hulls at So so, are as follows:
In answer to the question, In what
proportions should cotton seed meal
and hulIs be fed for cheapest gain in
flesh for long and short fattel ing Pc
riOds9" the answer given by both ex-
periments seem clear: At current or
probable prices of meal and hulls, it
pays best to feed some or 6 pounds Of
hulls to every pound Of meal eaten.
The largest daily gain in live weight
can be secured by feeding meal and
hulls in a very common proportion of
pounds Of hulls to 1 pound of meal.
The quicker gain, secured by increes-
ing the smount of meal fed daily from
some pounds to 6 pounds, increase
the cost of feeding each steer 1925 or
$I.5O for every 100 days.
Changing the amount of cotton seed
meal from light feed of meal for first
80 days to heavy meal feed for last 20
days gave results of no marked value,
although the change Of ration clearly
added to the cost Of maintenance.
We were totally unable to cause ''fat
sickness" in steers fed on sound, dry
cotton seed meal and hulls when COM
bined in various proportions and fed
for 18O days, continuing into hot
weather.
When less than 2 1-2 pounds of hulls
is fed to pound cotton seed meal the
appetite is disturbed and indigestion is
produced, resulting in light feeding and
SLOW gains. .....E
From the trials here reported, we
may safely conclude that when the
price of ton of cotton seed meal as
compared with a ton of huIIs is to 1,
then pound Of meal fed should be &C
companied by atleast pounds of hulls.
should be corresponding increased.
Thus, il meal be worth $15 per ton and
hulIs s3, at least pounds of hulls
should be fed to each pound of meal; if
meal be worth SIS and hulls 50 per ton,
1-2 pounds Of hulis should be fed to
every pound of meal-provided the
steers eat freely Of the foods mixed in
this proportion.
Referring back to bulletin 81, of the
same station, giving an account of
steer feeding tests in which cotton seed
was compared with other rRtions, we
fad that the following conclusions
were drawn: ...... ~