The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-04-19
STEERS FATTENED ON
SILAGE WITHOUT CORN

The University of Missouri College
of Agriculture recently closed the
third series of experiments on feed
ing beef cattle which have been con-
Quoted during the last three years.
The experiments just closed were con-
Quoted with a view of adjusting meth
DDS OF finishing beef cattle to war
conditions. AS it will be seen from
the following data, the cattle which
received no corn other than that con-
tanned in the silage made the cheap
est gains. The last test xtended ov-
era period of 100 days in which five
lots of two-year-old steers were fed.
| The cattle used in the test were grade
shorthorn and Hereford steers which
we're purchased in December on the
Kansas City market at cost of S11.15
! per hundred pounds. The cost of
these steers in the feed lot at the be-
ginning of the test, was $l1.35 per
| hundred pounds.
Each of the five groups received all
the corn silage and clover hay they
could eat. The first lot received a
! full feed Of shelled corn and linseed
oil cake in the proportion of six
pounds of corn to one pound of lin
eed cake. The second lot received
the same amount Of linseed cahe as
| the first, but only half as much shelled
corn. The third lot received the same
amount of linseed cake as the first and
! second lots, but was fed corn during
the last 40 days only. The fourth and
| fifth lots received no corn other than
that contained in the silage. The
fourth lot received the same amount
of linseed cake as was fed to the first
three lots, which averaged PIT pounds
per steer daily. The fifth lot received
an average of A pounds linseed cake.
The largest average daily gain, sos
pounds per head, was obtained in the
first lot, which received full feed of
corn throughout the feeding period.
The gains in live weight made by the
fourth and fifth lots, which received
no corn other than that in the silage,
are considered satisfactory for fatten-
ing cattle. Crediting the gain on the
hogs following the cattle to the steers,
the cost of gain was least in the fourth
and fifth lots. Figuring corn at $1.50
per bushel, con silage at $3.50 per
ton, linseed oil cake at $50 per ton
and clover hay at 500 per ton, the to-
tai cost of feed was more than twice
as much in the first lot, which re-
ceived full feed of corn, as it was
in the fourth lot, which received no
corn other than that contained in the
silage. The price received on the
market was $14.40 per 100 pounds
for the first and second lots, $14.10
for the third, fourth and fifth lots.
After deducting all expense and cred
iting the gain in live weight on the
hogs to the cattle at $3.50 per hun
dred, the profit per steer was: first
lot 1927, second lot $10.89, third lot
$15.47, fourth lot $1504, and fifth lot
| $14.02.
The largest profits were obtaind
from the fourth and fifth lots, which
received no corn other than that con-
tanned in silage. Judging by this
trial, the larger amount of linseed
cake fed to the fifth lot was not just
, flied. The profits per steer in the first
three lots decreased as the amount OF
, corn increased. This leads to the con-
clusion that the feeding of corn to
-year-old fattening cattle in add.
. | JluIl 10 COFH SlldSe, llllSeeu OIL CAKE
, and clover hay is not justified on the
basis of the present market. There
was no distinct difference in the
shrinkage in shipment which could be
attributed to the different rations fed
There was practically no difference il
the percentage of dressed beef OBJ
tanned from the various lots of cattle
An inspection of the beef after the an.
; imals had been slaughtered disclosed
the fact that the product produced by
the heavy feeding of silage without
the addition of corn, was fully qua
to the corn-fed beef. Two prominent
. packing house experts rated the fourth
lot as the best of the five.
This is the third of series of tests
conducted by the Missouri Expert.
ment Station on the extensive use OF
corn silage for fattening beef steers
The results confirm those obtained in
the previous tests, which are reported
. in Bulletin $50 of the Missouri Sta
ton.
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