104 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION
cause it uses implements already on every farm. Six Percheron m a r e s at the University of Illinois plowed all this fall
even when the ground was v e r y d r y and hard, t u r n i n g it 8
inches deep with a 14-inch gang plow. There is n(~ doubt
that such an outfit is efficient.
CORN G L U T E N M E A L AS A P R O T E I N S U P P L E M E N T
FOR FATTENING LAMBS
By A. D. WEBER
.University of Nebraska
Each y e a r an increasing amount of corn is used in various
f o r m s as h u m a n food. As is the case with most agricul.tural
commodities, the processing ,and m a n u f a c t u r i n g of corn into
products suitable f o r h u m a n consumption results in numerous
by-products. The economic position of the corn g r o w e r should
be strengthened if a ready sale is found for these by-products.
Gluten meal is the principal corn by-product offered f o r sale
in Nebraska. Since it is a high protein feed, it competes with
linseed meal and cottonseed meal as a protein supplement
f o r f a t t e n i n g lambs. Many farmers, even though they are
vitally interested in the corn crop, hesitate to use corn gluten
meal because they have no knowledge of its value compared
with other standard protein supplements.
Protein SuppIement Not Usually Profitable
There are m a n y lamb feeders in N e b r a s k a who do not add
a protein supplement to a shelled corn and alfalfa hay ration.
This is particularly true in those sections where alfalfa i s
plentiful and relatively cheap. That their j u d g m e n t in this
m a t t e r is sound is substantiated b y the average results of 14
experiments at the N e b r a s k a station, in which 1,114 lambs
were used to determine the advisability of adding linseed meal
to a ration of shelled corn and .alfalfa hay. The lambs averaged 61 pounds into the feed lot and were fed f o r an average
of 76 days. The addition of linseed meal to this standard ration increased the average daily gain f r o m .32 pound to .37
pound, the gains being based on feed lot weight. One ton of
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION 105
linseed meal replaced approximately 40 bushels of shelled corn
and one ton of alfalfa. It is evident, therefore, that the addition of linseed meal to a shelled corn and alfalfa hay ration
will shorten the feeding period about two weeks, but will not
lower feed costs under price conditions that have prevailed
for several years. It is the writer's opinion, based upon appraisals of experimental lambs by commission men and upon
actual sales at public markets,~ that lambs fed linseed meal
will not be enough fatter than lambs fed the standard ration
to j u s t i f y an increase in the selling price per pound, providing that both groups are marketed at the same weight. It
is admitted, however, that radical changes sometimes occur
in the fat lamb market in two weeks' time.
Other experiments at this station indicate that for all practical purposes cottonseed meal and linseed meal are of equal
Value when fed with shelled corn and alfalfa hay to fattening
lambs.
Corn Gluten Meal Equal to Linseed or Cottonseed Meal
The results of one test are available in which linseed meal,
cottonseed meal, and corn gluten meal were compared when
fed alone and in various combinations with shelled corn and
alfalfa hay. The linseed meal and cottonseed meal gave results quite similar to those obtained in previous trials. Although corn gluten meal excelled both linseed meal and cottonseed meal somewhat, the differences are so slight that they
can hardly be considered significant. As a matter of fact,
the results of this one trial indicate that these three protein
supplements have approximately the same value when fed with
shelled corn and alfalfa hay. Furthermore, none of the mixtures of linseed meal, cottonseed meal, and corn gluten meal
showed any particular advantage over any one fed separately
so f a r as rate of gain and economy of gain were coficerned.
The lambs fed a mixture of all three protein supplements were
appraised at a higher figure than any of the other lots at the
conclusion of the experiment. Consequently they showed the
greatest net return per lamb. It is doubtful if lambs fed this
mixture would consistently outsell lambs fed the protein supplements alone and in other combinations. At any r a t e it
would seem that much more data should be available before
such a conclusion is warranted.