The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-02-14
Cattle Feeding Experiment.


The following from some careful cat
tie feeding experiments of one Of the
experiment stations will be found very
interesting to cattle feeders:
"In the second trial lot of two
year-old steers on alfalfa and alfalfa
hay made an average daily gain in
1SS days of 1.JS pounds per head. The
gain made by similar lot fed wheat
hay and cured sorghum in addition to
green alfalfa and alfalfa hay was 1.50
pounds per head per day, and by Il
lot fed some rolled barley in addition
to alfalfa fresh and cured. wheat hay,
and cured sorghum 1877 pounds.
"The third test was made with two
lots each containing eleven yearlings
and covered 4S5 days. The lot fed.
principally alfalfa made an average
daily gain Of 1.21 pounds ler day, ana
the lot fed ration of sorghum hay,
wheat hay, etc. in addition to alfalfa
1926 pounds. In the fourth test, which
covered 800 days, four steers FED ai-
falfa as a soiling crop, hay or both,
in the different periods. made an ay-
erage daily gain in the whole test of
one pound per head, as compared with
09S pounds in the case of n lot fed
alfalfa supplemented principally by
sorghum hay. In connection with this
test one lot of four steers was kept on
alfalfa pasturage to compare this meth
cd Of feeding with the data obtained
by the use of alfalfa as a soiling crop
or hay. In 51S days there was an av-
orage daily gain on alfalfa pasturage
of 1.01 pounds per head. From the
data included in the bulletin the con-
clusion was drawn that the comblna.
ton rations containing alfalfa were
about equal in feeding value to ratioIs
of fresh and cured alfalfa.
"In all cases the shrinkaGe when
steers were dressed was taken into
account, and the conclusion was
reached that although the differences
were small. yet this factor was Slightly
greater with the lots fed alfalfa COM
bined with other materials than OH
alfalfa alone.
"Snce alfalfa, where conditions are
favorable for its production, yields the
most abundant and cheapest forage
grown in the Southwest, the high per-
centage of protein may be disregarded,
although theoretically a carbohydrate
feed. such as sorghum or grain hay,
should be fed with it to secure a more
thorough utilization of the protein of
the alfalfa by the animal. In sltua-
tlons where alfalfa can not be produced
to advantage, as with scant water sup
ply and ON excessively alkaline soils.
carbohydrates rations may often be
grown, especially of the sorghum class.
which in combination with alfalfa
gives results about equal TO those from
the all-alfalfa ration. Sorghum rations
alone are undoubtedly inferior TO al
falfa alone and in combination with
alfalfa yield greater gains than when
fed alone.
"The quality of the meat from alfalfa
fed steers appears to be about the
same rs that from animals fed on the
combined ratlons used. Animals fin.
ished with barley yielded meat of dis
tlnctly better quality, but the slight
advance in price obtained did not make
return for the barley fed.
Assuming the approximate average
and representative character of the
forage used, the yields obtained and
the animals employed, the results OF
these experiments indicate that under
Southwestern conditions, where alfalfa
may be fed or pastured all or nearly
all the year, this forage is the most
abundant and the chaapest feed avail
able. giving as good gains of as good
quality as can be economically pro-
duced."-Indana Farmer.
Pineapples Are SO Plentiful In Natal
at certain seasons that they are not
worth carting to market, and are often
given to pigs.