The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-23
KANSAS NEWS.
The Experimenting Station at
Manhattan
Tries Wheat Straw For Cattle
With Success.
KEEPS STOCK NICELY.
The Experimenting Was Start
cd August /.
KEEPS STOCK NICELY.
Dry Cows, Young Heifers and
Calves Were Used.

Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kan.
Sept. 23.-Ou account of the probable
scarcity OF feed during the fan ana
winter of 1902. the Kansas experiment
station undertook an experiment IN
feeding wheat straw and adding
enough ground wheat to secure 8 main
tenance ration. Three dry cows aver
aging /. 226 pounds live weight, two z
vear-old heifers averaging 1859 pounds
and three calves averaging $40 pounds,
were selected for this test The expert
ment began August /, when the agsre-
gate weight of the eight mead a111oulAe-
ed to 1927 pounds
As the COWS came from good sorghum
pasture and the heifers and calves from
good prairie pasture they dld not reIlsn
the wheat straw for the first rev DAYS
and only consumed about ten pounus
daily per head. The cattle We're 1ed
four pounds of ground wheat daily per
head throughout this experiment 6E
dampening the straw and sprinkling the
grain on and through 1t, considerably
more straw was consumed, the average
for 81 days being 1914 pounds dairy per
head
At the close of the first week every
animal in the experiment lost IN weight
the average being 81 pounds per heau;
During the second week they regalneo
a considerable portion of this loss. Al
the close Of the experiment, September
J. the three COWS weighed an average
Of /, Up pounds, a loss OF "a POUNDS per
head for the 81 days under experiment,
the heifers averaged 1,067 poundS,a gam
of pounds per head, and the calves
averaged 523 pounds,a gain Of IL pounds
The total weight of the lot at the
close of the experiment was TN
pounds, a loss of 10 pounds for the iot
or 10 pounds per head, small item
when one considers that it all came in
the first week of the experiment me
total feed consumed by the lot was 4,zSz
pounds Of wheat straw and 992 POUNDS
Of ground wheat. The straw was haul
ed about eight miles and did not con-
tain any chaff or refuse wheat When
the cattle have access to straw stack
thew get considerable chan and more
or less shriveled or waste wheat blown
over with the chaff. Under these con-
ditions cattle would not need as mucn
wheat as given above
This experiment indicates the posi-
bilities in wintering cattle. When wheat
straw, doubtless the poorest roughage
on the farm, can maintain an animal
with a small outlay for ground wheat
IL ought to encourage a farmer to mold
his cattle. Straw is abundant. espec-
iSllv 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 %
cents per bushel the feed cost Of keep
ing a L 600 pound COW on a maintenance
ration need not exceed $1-25 per month
sllppose the straw costs IS per ton, the
feed cost would be only $3.50 per head
per month, or 81. 80 more than it usual
Nv costs in years when feed is plentiful.
Most every farm produces rough feed
considerably better than wheat straw
Prairie hay. corn fodder. Kaffir corn
fodder, sorghum fodder or hay can be
fed either alone or in combination with
each other and the amount of grain re-
uuired for the maintenance reduced
cd r,1O nT.
little or no grain need be fed.
The present low prices of stock cat
tie, with every prospect Of high prices
in the spring and the cheapness 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.