The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-05-20
coTToNsEED MEAL
FOR BEEF CATTLE


using cottonseed meal, according to
specialists in the United States depart
ment of agriculture. It has a slightly
greater feeding value than linseed oil
meal and the farmer is therefore re-
commended to secure prices on both
and to use the one which happens to-
be the cheaper at the time. During
the past winter cottonseed meal sold
for $24 to $28 ton, while linseed oil
meal cost about $3S ton. Under
such conditions the feeder using cot
tonseed meal had great advantage
over the farmer using linseed oil meal
Cottonseed meal contains from 38
to As per cent protein and it therefore
one of the most concentrated feed
stuffs upon the market. There are in
fact very few vegetable feeds which
have anything like this percentage OF
protein. Its value has perhaps been
more thoroughly appreciated in
Europe than in this country despite
the additional cost of shipping it
abroad. During 1918, for example,
about 100000 tons of the meal were
exported to Europe. Much of what
remained in this country was used as
fertilizer, so that it has been estimat-
ed that American cattle were fed less
than one-half of the total quantity of
meal produced in the country. There
is, however, a growing tendency at the
present time to use the meal as a sup
Elementary feed.
In new publication OF the United
States department of agriculture,
Farmers Bulletin 655, "Cottonseed
Meal for Feeding Beef Cattle" one
pound of cottonseed meal is said to
be usually worth as much as two
pounds of corn for feeding cattle.
There is, however, a distinct limit to
the quantity of the meal that animals
can use economically In the south it
was formerly the custom to feed
steers very heavily on the by-products
of the cottonseed oil mills, IL to Is
pounds of meal day being a not in
frequent ration. Such heavy feeding
frequently caused blindness and
death, while in other cases the steers
after gaining fast in weight for per-
iod of 80 days or more, lost flesh with
equal rapidity and could be with diff
ficulty got back into good condition.
Experiments have shown, however,
that when the ration is kept below
seven pounds a day, steers can be fed
for 100 to 12O days upon it without
showing i'll effects. If silage is given
at the same time, as roughage, the
feeding of cottonseed meal can be pro-
longed beyond this time with safety.
Silage is better roughage. to use with
meal that cottonseed hulls, as expert
ments in several states have shown it
gives larger daily grains and better
finish.
For wintering stocker cattle ra-
ton of corn silage and cottonseed has
proven very economical. Two pounds
of the meal combined with as much
corn silage as the cattle will eat will
give a small gain in weight. Straw
and. other roughages which cannot
otherwise be used advantageously,
may be fed with the silage and COT
tonseed meal. When the cattle are
put on pasture, cottonseed cake,
which is the same as the meal in sub
stance, can be used profitably\ as a
supplementary feed. The cake has
several advantages over the meal for
this purpose, among others the fact
that it is not so readily spoiled by
rain.
Cottonseed meal is also recommend
ed as winter ration for the breeding
herd. About two pounds of the meal
should be given to the breeding cows
per day together with some silage,
slower and other roughage. This will
prove an economical ration and one
which will leave the COWS in good
condition in the spring. The bull also
may be fed from two to three pounds
Of cottonseed meal combined with
some other concentrated feed, but
some authorities hold that it sis not
we'll to continue this feed too long as
it is believed to have injurious effects
upon the breeding powers. Farmers
are also warned to feed cottonseed
meal very sparingly if at all to young
calves. This question has not been,
thoroughly investigated as yet and un-
til more knowledge is at our disposal
specialists consider it advisable to be
on the safe side.
HIGH WAR PRICES ARE
WORRYING HOLLAND
III ~ =