Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1874 [PAGE 115]

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Illinois

Industrial

University.

Ill

I t will be seen that all except those fed meal in the shed and No. 4, meal in the barn made a better gain in March and April than during the winter months. At the liiial weighing the weather was warm and cattle carried much more water than in cold weather, and thus would have shrunk more in handling. Those cattle were bought the April previous for $31 per head, and sold April 15, for $5 50 per hundred, and brought $75 95 per head, at the barn. The experiment last winter continued 119 days, from November 17, to March 16, two weeks longer than the first part of the experiment of the previous year. Six steers fed 24 lbs. corn in the ear, in the yard, and clover hay, gained respectively 160, 230, 160, 210, 260 and 240 lbs., an averge of 210 lbs. or 1.76 lbs. per day. This was about the same average gain as the best, or those fed meal in the shed in the lormer experiment. One steer, the 7th of the lot, fed in the barn had 12 lbs. of corn meal, 15 lbs. sugar beets and 10 lbs. cut or chaffed clover hay to February 2. He gained 30 lbs. in this time (11 weeks), the feed was changed to corn in the ear—24 lbs. He made 100 lbs. in the remaining 6 weeks. He did not eat well of the meal and beets but was hearty when fed corn. The 8th steer was fed corn in the ear in the barn, and gained 210 lbs., 1.76 lbs. per day, the same as those fed in the yard averaged. The 9th steer was fed 16 lbs. ear corn and 15 lbs. beets to February 2, then 24 lbs. corn, and gained 180 lbs., 1.51 lbs. per day. The 10th was fed 18 lbs. meal and 10 lbs. clover as before and gained 190 lbs., 1.59 lbs. per day. The four in the barn gained an average of 177Jlbs. The 11th and 12th were fed the same feed of corn in the ear, 24 lbs. and 10 lbs. clover in an open shed and averaged 220 lbs. 1.85 lbs. per day. This was the best average made in the two years. Had the amount fed been guaged by the amount of meal each steer would eat instead, of the amount of corn, the result would have been different. The corn was always eaten, the meal not always. For convenience the following tables are inserted:

FIRST EXPERIMENT 1872 AND 1873. First Part. 1. Cooked meal and stalks 2. " " 3. •' " with carrots . 4. Raw meal and stalks with carrots — 5. Raw meal and stalks 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

13.

Gain in 105 days.

Second part— Gain in 36 days.

75 105 95 30 70 45 65 45 40 15 lbs. " « « " «' " " " " " Corn in yard.

Ear corn and stalks Meal and corn fodder. Sold Corn and fodder

«« "

100 lbs.1 55 " " 130 185 . I n barn—Av125 ( erage 124 lbs. 120 150 150 205 ?In shed—Av170 5 erage 187 lbs

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"

"

60 lbs. 30 " 6^ "