Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station Lafayette, Indiana
A. H. 80 (5M) April 25, 1952
CORN COBS, POP CORN COBS, COTTONSEED HULLS AND GRASS SILAGE AS ROUGHAGES FOR GROWING STEERS
T. W. Perry and W. M. Beeson, Animal Husbandry Dept.
Research on the re-evaluation of roughages during the past three years has shown that many common farm grown roughages, when properly supplemented, may be used for growing beef calves and yearlings. Although growth rates have varied with the various roughages fed, calves and yearlings have been grown on ground corn cobs, soybean straw, oat straw, corn silage or grass silage when each rough-age was supplemented with Purdue Cattle Supplement A at the rate of 3.5 lb. per steer daily. Since this supplement has worked well with the roughages already tested, additional roughages which are available to the farmer were re-evaluated in this experiment.
In experiments in progress at the present time one lot of steers has been fed ground corn cobs and Purdue Cattle Supplement A and this ration was compared to ground pop corn cobs, cottonseed hulls or grass silage when each of these roughages was supplemented with Supplement A.
In these experiments, three modifications of the Purdue supplement have been studied. Fish solubles has been incorporated into the supplement for one lot of steers. In two other lots of steers 20 percent and 40 percent of the protein equivalent, respectively, has been met by an ammoniated product. Ammonia is an inorganic form of nitrogen from which ruminant animals can manufacture protein.
Source of Experimental Cattle
One hundred fifty-one yearling Hereford steers were purchased from Wyoming and arrived at Purdue on October 20, 1951. The average purchased price was $38. 75 per hundred pounds.
The steers were placed in dry lot upon arrival at Purdue and were given mixed clover-timothy hay, free choice, and a simple mineral mixture of two parts steamed bone meal to one part salt with cobalt, and salt free choice in another box.
After ten days’ rest, the steers were ear-tagged and hot branded for means of individual identification.
Feeds Used
Ground corn cobs. Corn cobs were ground through a hammer mill using a 1/2 or 5/ 8 inch screen. These cobs were delivered in ton loads from the Lafayette Cooperative Elevator Company as needed for feeding cattle.