BULLETIN OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS SEPTEMBER , 1915 EXTENSION SERVICE BULLETIN B 9 ,‘__& ‘i E EREATIONS FSé ATTENING CATTLE imple Direction: for Fattening Cattle in Texas for Market. ooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Agricultural and Me- chanical College 0t Texas and U. S. Department 0t Agriculture Cooperating. BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL I Rations for Fattening Cattle- (By John Q, Burns, Head of Animal Husbandry Department, A. and M. College 05 T9135) That Texas cattlemen are rapidly taking up the practice of finishing their 93F“? for the market themselves, instead of shipping them to the corn belt to be finished by Others and they are realizing the importance of gPOWiIIE feedstuffs and marketing them in the form of beef and of utilizing the manure for the 91'0- duction of more feedstuffs with which to pro- duce more beef are clearly evidenced by the vast number of inquiries for information along - these lines that are ‘being received by the Texas A and M. College and Experiment Sta- tion 1n this new era of beef production silage, composed chiefly of Indian corn, kafir; maize, feterita and sorghum, 15 plaYmg a mos important part and will contlnue to do so more and more as time goes on. Fed in connection -\ with it are cotton seed meal and cake, the a grain of kafir, milo maize, or fetefita, 501115" ‘ ~kctuitrlnes of Indian corn. and often drY roughage’ Uh ~._ “mum hav, cotton seed hulls, 311d Oat straw. These are chiefly the feeds that are to make Texas noted for its finished cattle, as it has long been noted for its feeders. This is the fourth year of experiment feed- ing by the Texas Experiment Station in which silage has been fed in different combinations and compared with other feeds for fattening cattle. Among other things, our results show that it requires, on the average. one and two- thirds tons of silage to equal one ton of cotton seed hulls in feeding value. Therefore, if cot- ton seed hulls is availa-ble at $5.00 a ton, one cannot afford to pay over $3.00 a ton for silage, or if hulls is available at $7.00 a ton, one can- not afford to pay over $4.20 a ton for silage, expenses of hauling being equal, of course. These results should not be surprising when we consider that silage contains, on the aver- age, about 74 per cent water, and cotton seed hulls only about 11 per cent water. On the other hand, a given amount of dry matter in Q silage is considerably higher in feeding value 3 than the same amount of dry matter in cot, seed hulls. This Station has made no ta directly comparing in feeding value the rious kinds of silage above mentioned but te I at the Kansas Station in feeding beef cat give first Dlace to kafir silage, second place sorghum silage and third place to corn sila Though the differences reported are small, may safely conclude that silage made from t, “wgiumsv and especially kafir and the aw "PE “Infl- is practically equal in feeding ‘~81 t0 Silage made from Indian corn. Sumac 5 iilium (red i-OD) i8 strongly recommended =' forge Crop for Texas on account of its he iage yielding qualities and wide range . adaptability. , ' h Th3 most profitable ration that we have u 9°11 ¢0mposed of cotton seed meal -.\ 81 REE- Though this ration is not perfectly b anced for fattening, it is good and has m-o the most economical on account of its relati cheapness. Taking a bunch of range bred year-old steers weighing 750 to 800 pounds w]; they are put on feed, they may be started i’ 2 1-2 pounds of meal and about 36 pounds 511586 Der head daily. The silage may h? ' - j’ re creased at the rate of 4 n:- = i‘ ' . that by the fourth or fifth day the cattle sho , be receiving as much of it as they "will cl‘ up. The cotton seed meal should be gradua increased after the second or third day, so t by the fortieth day it is 5 pounds per h daily. It is well to continue it thus until abo the seventieth or eightieth day and then gra ally increase it to 6 pounds for the remaind of the feeding period. The amount of incr = for any one day should hardly exceed 1-4 pou and probably an increase of 1-8 pound is bett During the first month the steers will probab eat 56 to 58 pounds of silage per head daily, b after the meal has reached 6 pounds they w usually drop back to about 50 pounds of sil ; It is very important, of course, that the m and silage be thoroughly mixed together wh fed. If one has dry forage, such as sorghu hay, prairie hay, kafir stover, or oat straw be disposed of, or if silage used as the on roughage is likely to run short, then such forage may be substituted for one-fourth to on _¢~--. 4 of the silage in the ration, but otherwise, e seems to be no advantage in using it. re seems to be nothing that cattle relish more than they do silage, and after be- ing accustomed to it they should not eprived o! it and changed to dry feed en-‘ ly, it the best results are to be obtained. ' one has in addition to cotton seed meal silage some grain, such as katir, milo ze or feterita for feeding, a much better bal- ed ration can be formed and one w.th which = possible to obtain heavier gains and a bet- finish than with only cotton seed meal and ge. Using this ration and taking steers ilar to those described, they may be started 2 1-2 pounds of cotton seed meal, 3 pounds grain, and about 36 pounds of silage per d daily. After three or four days, the con- ntrates should be increased gradually so that e tortieth day the steers are eating 3 1-2 unds of meal and 12 pounds of grain. Though ey _will eat about 45 pounds of silage for a after the first three or four days, they ill gradually eat less, of course, as the con- ntrates are increased, so that by the fortieth __’ the amount of silage will be about 36 nun“ "‘ ' _:¢<1-da.il_v_.\_ 1‘ us tulle ‘ration should . ue until the seventie or elghtleth day d then be increased gradually to 4 pounds of tton seed meal and 16 pounds of grain fQl‘ e remainder °f the Period. With the increase concentrates the silage will gradually drop ck to about 25 pounds per head daily. The in 511M115 be ground, whether it be threshed in the head, for the best results. and the e81. grain and silage should be thoroughly ixed together when fed. The increases in ain should not exceed one pound per head r any ‘me daY- I! d1‘? TOIIBhage is also fed, e ration would then be about as follows: -‘ F011!‘ Bounds cotton seed meal, 16 pqundg ound maize, kafir or teteritaf18 pounds gi- e- 3 t0 5 Pounds dry forage. In “sing this ratmn it i5 imDOPtant to have gs follow the cattle it possible, as this will sun in cmmiderable Kain. It is best to use 0M3 Weigillg from 100 to 125 pounds at the - _-= rt and it should be possible to run, at, leggg, e 971°“ t0 every two steers, though until the 5 than the same amount oi! dry matter in cot ~ ‘ seed hulls. Thi Station has made no te directly comparing in feeding value the rious kinds of silage above mentioned, but te at the Kansas Station in feeding bee! cat give first place to kafir silage, second place sorghum silage and third place to corn sila Though the differences reported are small, may safely conclude that silage made from sorghums, and especially katir and the aw sorghums, is practically equal in feeding val to silage made from Indian corn. Sumac s ghum (red top) is strongly recommended 1: silage crop for Texas on account oi.’ its he foliage yielding qualities and wide range adaptability. ' The most profitable ration that we have ~ has been composed of cotton seed meal u silage. Though this ration is not perfectly b anced for fattening, it is good and has nro the most economical on account of its relati cheapness. Taking a bunch of range bred year-old steers weighing 750 to 800 pounds wh they are put on teed, they may ~be started 2 1-2 pounds o! meal and about 36 pounds ‘ 811888 Der head daily. The silage may‘?! J creased _at the ra o fli- " '"‘" a“ u.“ by the flin or ildh any the with 811° be receiving as much 0t it as they will cl up. The cotton seed meal should be 878-593’ increased after the second or third day, so t, by the fortieth day it is 5 Nun“ P" ‘I daily. It is well to continue 1t thus until 8B0 the seventieth or eightieth day and then S" ally increase it to 6 P0111159 m!‘ “'9 rflnamd ot the feeding period. The amount ot incr 1 tor any one day should hardly exceed 1-4 pou and probably an increase of 1-8 pound is bett During the first month the steers will Dfobfib eat 66 to 58 pounds ot silage per head daily. b after the meal has reached 5 110M159 31°F w usually drop back to about 50 pounds ct sil ; 1t 15 very important, of course, that the m and silage be thoroughly mixed together ma. It one has dry turase. such 18 8°18“ b119, Prairie hay. katir stover, or oat straw , be disposed of, or it silage used as the on roughage is likely to run short, then such - forage may be substituted tor one-fourth to on 4 f’; f" a 0t‘ the silage in the ration, but otherwise, e seems to be no advantage in using it. re seems to be nothing that cattle relish more than they do ‘silage, and after be- ing accustomed to it they should not eprived ot it and changed to dry feed en: ly, if the best results are to be obtained. ' one has in addition to cotton seed meal silage some grain, such as kafir, milo ze or feterita for feeding, a much better bal- ed ration can be formed and one w.th which = possible to obtain heavier gains and a bet- finish than with only cotton seed meal and ge. Using this ration and taking steers ilar to those described, they may be started 2 1-2 pounds of cotton seed meal, 3 pounds grain, and about 36 pounds 0t silage per - -= daily. After three or four days, the con- , ntrates should be increased gradually so that “1- tortieth day the steers are eating 3 1-2 ' unds of meal and 12 pounds 0t grain. Though I. ey _will eat about 45 pounds of silage for a bile after the first three or four days, they ill gradually eat less, of course, as the con- "trates are increased, so that by the fortieth _ A I the amount of silage will be about 36 ' llnOu -.___ ' .—¢d..da1]_v. us the ration should Jltillue until the seven e or e sin day d then be increased gradually to 4 poundg of tton seed meal and 16 pounds oi grain [o1- ' 6 remainder of the period. With the increase i ioncentrates the silage will gradually drop i t° about 25 DOunds per head daily. The ' n ahmlld be ground, whether it be threshed v in the head, for the best results and the fala grain and silage should be thoroughly 19 wgether when fed. The increases in ain should not exceed one pound per hegd r any one day. If fir)’ roughage is also ted, i? ration would then be about as follows: Our pounds cotton seed meal, 16 poundg ‘mud maize, kafir or teteritaf18 poundg 3i- e- 3 w 5 pounds dry forage. In using this ration it is important, to have 8s follow the cattle it possible, as this will Sfllt 1n considerable gain. It is best to use oats weiging from 100 to 125 pounds at the _- rthand it should be possible to run, at least, F‘ 8 °at t0 every two steers, though 1mm the 5 .1 steers have gotten well upon grain, it will advisable to supply the shoats with a littledd- ditional teed. 4 '__ Ordinarily it requires at least 150 daygttq put two-year-old steers in condition for prime beet. Those that are above the average in. -- flesh when started on feed may be finished m a shorter period, possibly 120 days. _ Though this i5 Primarily a discussion of ri- tions, there are other things that are of great importance in obtaining the best results ‘in i!" cattle feeding. Too much emphasis can hardly _l i be placed 0n regularity as to time of feeding. Salt should ‘be kept so that cattle may have free, access to it, and the same may be said of a pug-Q, water Supply. Fattening cattle do not suffer materially from the cold, but they do better if the!’ ha“? 9- dTY Dlace to lie down. Feeding Value of the Grain Sorghums. Numerous tests have been made bv -' x“ rado. Kansas. ()k|$lhnvv\-“ - - ---~---~ 5193711119!“- Stations to determine the feeding value U’ the grain sorghums particularly, kafir and milo maize, in comparison with Indian corn. In two tests at the Texas Station equally as good results were obtained from kafir and milo maize, pound for pound, as from Indian corn. At the other stations the feeding value of these grains varied from 7 per cent to 12 per cent be- low that of Indian corn. If we take into con sideration the results of all tests we can con- servatively say that the feeding value of katir and maize, on the average, is within 10 per cent of that of Indian corn. No feeding tests have been made with fete- rita. Its chemical composition, however, would indicate it to be fully equal to kafir and maize. and probably somewhat superior, since it ls richer in protein. Kafir, maize and feterita can be used in live stock feeding for every purpose for which In- dian corn can ~be used. In other words, they can take the place of Indian corn in any ra- ‘I 6 ‘a tion in which the latter has a place, though, 0t course, to obtain equal results in the case of such substitution, the proper allowance would have to be made to cover the difference in feed values. It should therefore be merely a. matter of relative prices as to whether one should feed the grain sorghums or Indian corn. In the preparation of kafir, maize and tete- rlta for feeding, they should be rather finely ground for cattle, hogs and horses, in order to obtain the best results. For sheep, grinding does not appear to be necessary or profitable. It these grains are not ground tor ca t‘-.e, hogs "and horses, they should be ted in the head, in order that they will be eaten more slowiy and be more thoroughly masticated. Even in teed- lng the heads, however, grinding is an advan- tage. The Animal Husbandry Depa:tn1ent of the A. and M. College has been using ground -maize, kafir or feterita in the place of corn altogether during the past year for horses, cat- tle‘ sheep and hogs, and that we are well plea ed with the results we have obtained is . ‘iguifigr-Eifhe fact tlEt we expect to continue an uam _ we can obtain can tne same them int a lower pfircqe than age feeding value in Indian corn. Peffllfltage Composition of Indian Corn and the Grain Sorghums. "‘ I = >'< 3 "=1 a .= ‘g 1.3 #- 31 E 1-’ ‘I 8 3 ‘J5 f; ‘6 == .3 3 g 5 < ‘5 r > in in o-l g, ‘ ' E "< i $ O- 0 E "7: Q —> l " C0111 . . . . . . 10.6 1.5 10.3 2.2 13.4 5. Katir . . . . . .11.22 1.65 10.84 2.46 70.33 3. Milo Maize 9. 2.3 10.7 ‘ 3. 72.2 2.8 Feterita . 10.83 1.64 2.04 69.66 ass 12.95 Eightee‘ é , I '" _ " steer. weighing 1, 4 pounds, f 4_ x as feeds by the Ani ' of the A. and M. Coll g f rations, will furnJs-‘T? Texas raised feedstu (