Show e i w wY Y x y o- o oby or r by 1 N f. f In muddy lots los cattle ca cattle use up energy that hat could have gone Into Info extra weight gains gans A concrete paved strip along tide side the feed bunk means more beef from each pound of feed ed Purdue University agricultural researchers report Beef catt cattle e kept out of the mud will gain extra pounds When the cattle have a firm footing they put on more weight than when they have to wade around in muddy yards say animal husbandry research men at Purdue University Dr W. W M. M B Beeson eson and Dr T. T W. W Perry found out that even a small strip of concrete alongside a feed bunk will more than pay for itself in increased beef gains In a research trial using two lots of 14 steers confined for days the average aver- aver ago age gain per steer in the lot with a 16 concrete strip on one side of the feed bunk was 95 pounds compared to only 62 pounds for each steer confined to the unpaved lot Each steer on concrete gained 33 additional pounds The steers in inthe inthe inthe the unpaved lot ate less total feed but each steer required 35 pounds more feed to make a pound of gain Income from this extra beef means that paved strips are arc profitable And by paving a small section of the yard each year you will soon have a complete paved holding area which will lessen chore time and reduce labor Also valuable manure can be saved saved and and more easily handled on a paved yard This and other valuable research information was made available to farmers stockmen and agricultural editors attending attending attending at at- tending Purdue's 1958 CATTLE FEEDERS' FEEDERS DAY A copy of the full research report on the paved versus unpaved strips is available on request to the Portland Cement Association Newhouse Salt Lake City 11 Utah |