Angus and short-horn feeding experiment.

Abstract

<p>In March 1894 we bought ten head of Aberdeen Angus, and ten head of Short-horn steers, coming two years old that spring. They averaged perhaps, twenty-three months of age when we begun feeding them under exact conditions April 1st of that year. We had in view inquiry into the feeding qualities of the two breeds when selected so that they would be fairly representative animals, as near the same age as possible, and fed as nearly alike as they could be in all respects. We also desired to get further indications with regard to the effect of feeding corn meal on pasture, and its profitableness, and note the effect of changing feed. Six of the Short-horns were purchased from James A. Kelley of Newton, Jasper county, and four head were selected from herds in Story county; the ten head costing four cents a pound live weight. The ten Angus steers were bought from Evans & Son of Mills county, selected from a herd of one hundred head, at a cost of five cents a pound live weight. While these were fairly good cattle, neither lot was as good as we desired. We had difficulty in finding good specimens of both breeds. The Short-horns were fatter than the Angus when they came to the college, as a lot, because half of them had bee:1 more liberally fed on corn during the winter. Both lots were thoroughbreds, or high grades. The experiment will be treated in three periods. The first from April 1st to June 1st; the second period from June 15th to July 16; and the third period, August 1st to February 1st, nine months in all. The fifteen days from June 1st to 15th was the changing period from grain to grass, and the fifteen days from July 16th to August 1st was the changing period from grass back to grain, which periods will be treated separately, as a changing period is always a losing period, if the change is radical.</p>