Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-02-29
sILAGE IS GOOD STEER FEED

SILAGE is GOOD STEER FEED
The value of silage as feed for beef
cattle was well demonstrated in a Sc
ries of experiments at the Virginia sta
ton conducted by Professors Soule,
Fain and Jarnagin. Forty grade Short
horn steers of fair type and quality
We're used in the test for the purpose
of determining the most economical
methods of finishing beef cattle. After
the preliminary feeding of ten days the
cattle were divided into eight lots of
five steers each. The first four groups
were fed to a finish in stall and the
last four carried through as stockers
and finished on grass. The cattle We're
placed in comfortable quarters and re-
ce1ved water ad libitum and We're al
lowed to exercise out of doors in ia
Vorable weather.
There was enough difference in the
gains obtained in this experiment to
justify Smelling the corn, but it is a
question whether the practice would be
profitable one year with another. The
gains from cornmeal and corn and cob
meal We're practically the same as
lilpSC opldiiSu lEolll Whole GOTH ana
would not justify the expense incident
to grinding the grain.
1t is again noteworthy that though
the cattle consumed approximately
three pounds of cottonseed meal per
head per day the health of the hogs
following them was not affected in any
way.
In order to secure a fair profit from
the stall feeding of beef cattle when no
consideration is taken of the manure
it would be necessary to have a margin
of at least 81 at the prevailing prices
charged for the foodstuffs in this trial.
1t has generally been thought that
silage-fed cattle would shrink badly
when shipped long distances. The ac-
tual loss per individual on the cattle
shipped to Jersey City. was 41.2 pounds,
whereas practical shippers from this
section estimate the average shrinkage
silage for the finishing of beef cattle
AS this lot of cattle dressed out $50
per cent of meat of fine quality, in
which fat and lean were we'll blended
and equal to that from western bull
locks fed on corn, there is no justifica-
ton for the opposition to the use of
siiage for the finishing of beef cattle.
OF the cattle fed as stockers the
group receiving straight silage made
Los pounds of gain per head per day,
the hay group .27 of a pound, the
stover group .0S of pound and the
silage and grain group 1.22 pounds.
When placed on pasture the silage-fed
group made an average gain per head
per day Of 1.91 pounds, the hay-fed
group 2.19 pounds, the stover group
2.S5 and the silage and grain group ]. SIS
pounds.
The average results of both stall
feeding and grazing show that the
silage-fed group made gain of LAB
pounds per head per day, the hay
group Ill pounds, the stover group
1.30 pounds and the silage and grain
group 1.3S pounds.
The silage-fed group made pound
of gain at a cost of 4.2S cents, the hay
fed group at a cost of 6.45 cents, the
stove" group at a cost of 4.23 cents and
the silage and grain group at cost of
4.92 cents. These figures show en-
phatlcally the economy of silage as a
straight ration for stockers when prop
erly made and preserved
1t is apparent from these results that
cattle fed as stockers and fattened on
grass can be handled on a much mar
rover margin than those fed in the
stall. In this experiment a fair profit
was made on margin of 25 cents and
an excellent profit on margin of SO
cents. On margin of 81 the profit
from the stockers was $197.02 as COM
pared with profit Of $26.63 with those
finished in the stall.
The figures for two years correspond
quite closely and show that straight
sllage or silage and grain is the most
economical ration for use with stockers
in the winter. Moreover, that the han
ding of stockers and finishing them on
grass is the most economical practice
to pursue in sections where good graz
ing is available.
The cost of making a pound of gain
was practically twice as much with the
stall-fed cattle as with those handled
as stockers, but the conclusion should
not be drawn from this statement that
stall feeding will never be a profitable
practice.