Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-11-13
Cattle Feeding This Fall.

The problem Of securing the larg-
est possible gains from a given
amount of feed this fall is one of
very great importance in view of the
high grain prices that prevail.
Whether heavy or light grain ra-
tions should be fed, or whether corn
should be ground, or fed whole, are
subjects for serious study to the cat
tie feeder.
In 1908 the Iowa experiment sta
ton conducted feeding test with
l50 range steers that averaged l,O2l
pounds in weight at the beginning
Of the test, April l. The steers
were divided into three lots of so
each for the purpose OF determining
whether light medium or heavy
grain ration would give the best re-
suits. The steers were started on
snap corn and were fed this until
May 4, when shelled corn was SUBJ
stituted at the rate Of one pound per
day per head for the snap corn.
They were then fed shelled corn un
til June s, at which time lot l was
receiving l6 pounds; lot 2, 10
pounds, and lot 3, 81 pounds of corn
per day per head. On July 90 Buf-
falo gluten meal was added to the
corn at the rate of one-fifth of a
pound per day per head. This was
gradually increased until each ami
NAL was receiving three pounds
per day. 1t was apparent that lot
l, receiving the light ration, would
not take on a good finish, conse-
quently the Buffalo gluten meal was
substituted by oil meal September
4, and the amount of corn fed was
increased to 20 pounds per head,
For the steers in the other two lots
oil meal was substituted for gluten
meal on September %. There was
no further change in the rations and
the cattle were marketed October 6.
For roughage they were fed wheat
straw, oat straw, sheaf oats and clov-
er hay at different times, all lots be-
ing treated alike in that respect. AT
no time were two kinds of roughage
fed together. On account Of in
creasing the grain ration for lot l,
the average amount of grain fed
daily to the three lots did not differ
so much as was originally planned.
In other words, the cattle consumed
on an average the following num-
Der of pounds of grain and rough
age per head per day: Lot l, grain
II and roughage 1873 pounds; lot 2,
grain 1874 and roughage 1873 pounds
lot 3, grain 20 9 and roughage 1l.3
pounds. AS will be seen from this
there was no difference in the rough
age consumed by lots 1 and 2 and
it was only during the last 60 day
period that lot 3 consumed less
roughage than the other two lots.
The roughage fed during that peri
cd was clover hay. The different
lots made gains at the following
cost per hundred weight: Lot 1,
$500; lot 2, $9.l1; and lot 3,
1921; a showing slightly in favor
of the light ration. However, the
cattle in lot l, sold at $3.50 pei
hundred weight; those in lot 2 al
So 90, and those in lot at $5 20
which made the heavy ration the
most economical from a financial
standpoint.
4 This is summed up by the station
as follows: Though the steers in lo
j, made the most economical gains
they sold for 10 cents less per hun
dred weight than those in lot 3 and
and 30 cents less than those in 10
j, 3. The difference in selling pric,
placed those fed on a heavy grail
, ration first, those fed on a medium
, grain ration second, and those fet
on light grain ration third.
1t cannot be said that even tn
ration designated as Eight" in thi
experiment was particularly light
Compared with rations fed at tn
4 Virginia station last year it was
. rather heavy grain ration. At tha
] station As steers averaging 100
8 pounds per head were fed for a per
: cd of $50 days. The steers wer
n divided into lots of eight each an
s the test was divided into three G
9 day periods. During the first per-
! cd the different lots were fed 6.
d pounds grain per head per da,
# during the second period, 81 pount
g and during the third period II
# pounds, or an average for the thre
e periods of 9.3 pounds Of grail
J The roughage fed, however, ",
d probably better adapted for fattel
y ing purposes than that fed in til
n Iowa experiment referred to.
consisting of corn silage, stover an
mixed hay. During the first coda
period the steers consumed on a
,, average ia pounds corn silage ar
6.5 pounds of stover; during IL
second 60-day period, 90 pount
y corn silage and about AS poun,
II of stover; and during the last
dow y,or;od "a ,,on,6s oo,, I'll,