Purdue University
Agricultural Experiment Station
Lafayette, Indiana
Mimeo. A.H. 75 April, 1952 (5M)
PASTURE AND FATTENING GAINS OF STEERS WINTERED ON CORN COBS
Department of Animal Husbandry T. W. Perry and W. M. Beeson
Maximum utilization of roughages to reduce the cost of beef production is becoming a more common practice among cattle feeders in Indiana. Winter gains on roughages vary according to the type of roughage fed and how the roughages are supplemented. With a roughage feeding program, steers come through the winter in a thrifty growing condition but usually lacking in finish. At the beginning of the spring pasture season, such steers normally are turned out to graze under one of two systems of management.
In system A, they may receive nothing but minerals during the pasture season and then are fattened out in dry lot at the end of the pasture season. In system B, they may be given a full feed of grain and supplement and minerals on pasture. A comparison of these two methods of handling steers on pasture following a wintering ration of corn cobs and Purdue Cattle Supplement A—or slight modifications thereof— is reported here.
Wintering Phase. 1950-1951 (175 days) (Group A and B)
Ninety-eight Hereford short yearling steers were wintered at the Purdue Cattle Experimental feeding barn on corn cobs, free choice) and Purdue Cattle Supplement A— oh a modification thereof—as outlined in Mimeograph A.H. 58, August, 1951.
Pasturing Phase.
Gfroup A (May 2-Sept. 5, 1951. 126 days)
Forty-nine of the ninety-eight steers which had been wintered on corn cobs and Supplement were turned out on a renovated bluegrass pasture which had been seeded with Ladino clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil, at the Miller-Purdue farm, Upland, Indiana). One steer died of bloat on the twenty-eighth day on pasture.
The hteers had free access to a mineral mixture composed of two parts steamed bone meal to one part trace mineralized salt with plain salt available in another box. On September 5, after 126 days on pasture, these forty-eight steers were returned tq the Purdue Livestock Experimental Farm to be fattened for market.
Group A Fattening Phase (Sept* 5—December 8, 1951.	94 days)
On September 5a the forty-eight steers in Group A were transferred to the Purdue Livestock Experimental farm to be fattened for market, From September 5 to September 29 (24 days), the steers were on bluegrass pasture and received an average of 1.37 lb. of Purdue Cattle Supplement A. Free choice minerals were available at all times.
From September 30 to October 21 (22 days), corn was added to the ration; each steer consumed an average of 9.3 lb. corn and 3*5 lb. Purdue Cattle Supplement A during this period.
Starting October 22 and continuing to the end of the trial—December 8 (46 days), corn silage was added to the fattening ration and the steers were confined in dry lot. During this period, each steer consumed an average of 11.0 lb. corn, 30.2 lb. corn silage and 3.5 lb. Purdue Cattle Supplement A. Silage was made from 70 bushel com which yielded 13 tons of green material per acre. Each 100 pounds of silage contained 15 lb. corn grain. Group A steers which were fattened