Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-06-09
Use OF Distilers' Rye
Grains In Stock Feed
Aids Cattlemen
Adoption OF New Fodder RatiOns
For Steers In Feed Lot With
Hogs Will Save Maryland
Farmers Thousands OF Dol
lars Annually, Experiment At
University Shows.

Thousands of dollars lost annually
by Maryland stock raisers can be
changed into a net profit by substitu-
ton of distillers' dried rye grains for
some of the corn which constitutes a
regular part of fodder for steers, and
by adoption of the practice OF sending
hogs into the feed lot with the steers.
These facts are indicated by an expert
ment just concluded which began at
the Experiment Station of the Univer-
sity of Maryland in December and
which was financed, in part, by the
Association of Maryland Distillers and
Allied Industries.
1.-THE experiment had two outstand-
ing results" said Professor Fred H.
Leinbach of the Department of Animal
Husbandry, who directed the tests.
at showed that many farmers in the
State are devoting time and energy
to the growing of steers which they
ultimately sell, although without real
ing it, at net loss. It showed, too,
that the use Of distillers' dried rye
grains in place of part Of the corn
ration greatly reduces this loss, but
that profit results only when hogs
are introduced into the feed lot to
Recover unassimilated grains.
1--WE used ten steers in each Of four
groups in the feeding experiment. The
first group, which was a control
group, received the fodder usually pro-
vided for steers in this State. This
group showed a net loss Of $500 per
steer at slaughter time, which was
Offset; however, by the increased value
Of the pork from the hogs in the feed
lot. The net value of this pork per
steer amounted to $3.50, showing
net profit per steer Of sixteen cents.
"When distillers' dried rye grains
were substituted for part Of the corn,
the net 1dss per steer amounted to only
81 cents, because of savings in the
cost of fodder. The net value Of the
pork produced from the hogs in the
feed lot with the steers was $3.50, low
est among all four groups, but produc-
Ing o net profit per steer Of $1.95,
highest among the four groups. This
IL clear evidence that distillers' dried
grains were better assimilated than
the corn they replaced, and it was
noted, too, that the cattle receiving
the dried rye grains showed higher
degree of finish and were appraised
at the slightly higher valuation Of
three cents per hundredweight."
The other two groups which re-
ceived combination rations - group
three, distillers' dried rye grains and
cane molasses, and group four, dis
tillers' rye slop-showed in the case Of
group three a net profit of $1.46 per
steer, but a net loss Of "a cents per
steer for the fourth group. Since the
net profit on the control group was
sixteen cents per steer, the use of dis
tillers' dried grains showed an in
creased profit per steer of $1.79.
at must be kept in mind" said Pro-
lessor Leinbach, "that these results
are based on the price of fodder by
the University. Some stock men in
this same period may have obtained
better prices and it may be that in
other years they will obtain better
prices, but the experiment was con-
elusive under these terms and will be
conducted next year to check on the
present results"