The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-03
Maintenance Ration for Cattle.

The following bulletin has been lately
issued from the Kansas Experiment Sta
ton: On account of the probable scarcity
or feed during the fall and winter of l%0l-O2,
the Kansas Experiment Station undertook
an experiment IN feeding wheat straw and
adding enough ground wheat TO secure a
maintenance ration. Three dry cows aver
aging 1,226 pounds live weight. two two
year-old heifers averaging 1859 pounds, and
three calves averaging SO pounds, were
selected for this test. The experiment be-
gan Aug. l. when the aggregate weight of
the eight head amounted 10 1921 pounds.
As the cows came from good sorghum pas
ture and the heifers and calves from good
prairie pasture they did not relish the
wheat straw for the first few days and
only consumed about ten pounds daily per
head. The cattle were fed four pounds of
ground wheat daily per head throughout
the experiment. BY dampening the straw
and sprinkling the grain on and through il,
considerably more straw was consumed,
me average Tor thirty-One days being SIX
teen and One-half pounds daily per head.
At the close of the first week every ami
mai in the experiment lost in weight, the
average being siXty-two pounds per head.
During the second week they regained a
considerable portion of this loss. At the
close of the experiment, Sept. /, the three
COWS weighed an average OF LIZ pounds,
a loss OF ~hfty-four pounds per head for the
thirty-one days under experiment, the
heifers average 1,067 pounds, a gain Of eight
pounds per head, and the calves averaged
53 pounds, "A gain of thirteen pounds per
head. The total weight of the lot at the
close of the experiment was 7,217 pounds, a
loss of 10 pounds for the lot, or thirteen
pounds per head, a small item when one
considers that ii all came in the first week
of the experiment. The total feed con-
sumed by the lot was 4,23z pounds Of wheat
straw and 1872 pounds Of ground wheat.
The straw was hauled about eight miles
and did not contain any chaff or refuse
wheat. When the cattle have access to a
strawstack they get considerable chaff and
more. or less shriveled or waste wheat with
the chaff. Under these conditions cattle
would not need as much wheat as given
above.
in wintering cattle. When wheat straw,
doubtless the poorest roughage on the farm.
can maintain an animal with a small outlay
Tor ground wheat, il ought to encourage a
farmer to hold his cattle, Straw is abun-
dant, especially in the western part of the
State: In many places it is being burned
in order TO get rid of it. Where straw can
be had for the hauling and wheat at 90
cents per bushel the feed cost or keeping a
l,Oo-pound COW on q maintenance ration
need not exceed $1.25 per month. Suppose
the straw costs s. per ton, the feed cost
would be only $3.50 per head per month, or
$50 more than ii usually costs I'm years
when feed is plentiful. Most every farm
PRODUCES rough feed considerably better
than wheat straw. Prairie hay, corn fod-
der. Kaffir-corn fodder, sorghum fodder or
hay can be fed either alone or in combina-
grain required for maintenance reduced.
Where red clover or alfalfa is available
little or no grain need be fed.
The present low prices of stock cattle,
with every prospect of high prices in the
spring, and the c~heapness with which the
cattle can be wintered, as shown by the
above experiment, should induce farmers
to hold their cattle, even though they could
be sold at fair prices.