Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-10-12
FEED COTTONSEED
MEAL TO BEEF CATTLE

TINS country THIS year, specialists IN |
the Department believe that the farmer |
has a better chance to make money by
feeding beef cattle than for some time
past. The feeding value of cottonseed
meal has been recognized by agricul- /
tural authorities for some time and
large quantities of it are exported an
nually to Europe where the farmers,
especially those in Denmark, are also
aware of its usefulness. 1t now seems
likely that the price of cottonseed meal
will continue to be considerably lower
than in recent years and the American
farmer should therefore utilize it to
advantage to make cheap gains.
Two causes combine to lower the
rice of cottonseed by-products. In the
first place the cotton crop in the South
this pear is good, and in the next the
foreign markets rave been seriously
interfered with by the European wa.
1t is estimated that this year 10000 900
bales of cotton will be produced in the
United States. This should yield g.
$4,000 tons of seed. All of this, of
course, will not be crushed but if last
years proportions hold good again
about 100000 tons of cottonseed meal
will be available. Last year approx
cately 100000 tons were sent abroad.
Under present conditions it is not prob
able that anything like this quantity
will be exported this year, and, as the
cotton crop is larger than before. it is
safe to assume that the quantity OF
cottonseed meal on the home market
will be 100000 tons more than last
year. This situation has already re-
Ellted in substantial drop in the price
of cottonseed by-products. Cottonseed
meal can now be bought in the South
at price ranging from $22 to $24 per
ton instead of $27 to $31 demanded last
year. An even greater decrease has
taken place in the price of cottonseed
hulls, which are now selling at from
$3.50 to $3.50 a ton instead of 81 to SO
ton.
At these prices cottonseed meal is
approximately SIS per ton cheaper
than linseed meal, and in addition it's
feeding value is a trife higher. 1t
seems, therefore, that the cattle feeder
all over the country should utilize cot
tcnseed meal to a far greater extent
than he has done in the past.
This meal is very rich in protein, and
lit is usually considered that its feed
ing value is at least twice that of corn.
In other words one pound of cotton
seed meal is equal to two pounds of
corn for feeding cattle A small por-
ton of cottonseed meal has an even
greater relative value where the ration
would otherwise be composed of feeds
high on carbohydrates, such as corn,
corn slower and timothy hay. This is
extremely important to cattle feeders
throughout the corn belt and other
states where much corn is fed. In In
diana for example, it was found that
the addition of one pound of cotton
seed meal to ration of corn and clover
hay resulted in a saving of 1877 pounds
of corn and 1.41 pounds of clover hay.
This means that if corn was worth 20
cents a bushel and clover hay SIS a
ton, each ton of cottonseed meal fed the
cattle saved the farmer $3.50 worth of
ether feed. With cottonseed meal at
1924 ton this is net saving of s31 40
"a saving we'll worth while.
AS mater of fact cottonseed meal
has been the principal concentrate fed
tc cattle in the South for years. In ex-
periments conducted by the Bureau of
Animal Industry it was found that iwth
this as the only concentrated feed
gains could be made on steers very
economically. $50 pounds of meal Of
ten produced as much as 100 pounds of
gain. When FED judiciously six pounds
of cottonseed meal a day for a period
of 100 to 100 days does not prove harm
full to mature steers. If the steers are