Mimeo No. A. H. 46	April 21, 1950
Dept. of Animal Husbandry
EFFECT OF HORMONES ON THE GROVJTH AND FATTENING OF YEARLING STEERS (Preliminary Report - Experiment Not Completed)
F. N. Andrews, W. M. Beeson and F D. Johnson
Department of Animal Husbandry Purdue University Lafayette, Indiana
Studies at Purdue during the past 10 years have shown that the administration of grtain hormones by injection or in the feed may increase growth and fattening and improve arcass quality in cattle, swine, sheep and chickens „
In a previous study (Mimeoe ACH. 37) beef heifers injected with stilbestrol (a ©ale-like hormone) pellets gained more rapidly and required less feed per pound of gain tan did normal control or sprayed heifers* The male hormone (testosterone), thyroprotein id thiouracil were of no benefit in the heifers.
On November 16, 1949s four groups of 10 yearling steers each were started on a litening ration composed of corn-and-cob meal, cottonseed meal, molasses feed, clover-aothy hay, bonemeal and salt* Che group was treated by placing a total of 60 milligrams fstilbestrol pellets beneath the skin in the neck region, a second group received 120 iUigrams of stilbestrol pellets0 One group was injected with 180 milligrams of testos-erone pellets on November 16 and with 75 milligrams of testosterone on February 20, 1950.
The results are summarized in Table 1,
Summary
Since this experiment is still in progress, final conclusions cannot be drawn« At I* end of 140 days the steers receiving either 60 or 120 milligrams of stilbestrol had lined 40 and 63 pounds more per steer respectively than the controls and required less eedper pound of gain than the controls* These results are similar to those obtained ^ beef heifers o
Testosterone did not improve growth rate or feed efficiency in either the steers or
-fers „