-2-


Table 1. Summary of weight changes of Hereford cattle from July 28, 1959
 to March 22, 1960, at CQblier Cattle Company.

 Cobalt No cobalt
 bullet bullet
Number of animals 29 32
Ave. initial weight (lbs.) 814 833
Ave. final weight (Ibs.) 779 761
Ave. weight loss (lbs.) 35 72

 The cattle in this experiment were run under range conditions and at
the conclusion of the experiment it was possible to weigh only 61 of the
original 91 head. Based on the average initial and final weight of these
61 animals, the animals not receiving the bullet had an average weight
loss of 72 pounds, as compared to 35 for the treated animals. It was not
possible to determine the effect of treatment on the progeny of the cows.
Neither was it possible to determine if the weight advantage continued during
the following spring and summer period.

 Experiment 133-b

 The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the cobalt pellet in
the Belle Glade area. It was conducted at the Everglades Experiment Sta-
tion, with the cobalt treatment being administered in addition to all other
management practices.

 Seventy-six yearling steers, of predominately Brahman x Angus breeding,
were divided into two equal groups. All animals were treated twice for liver
flukes and intestinal and stomach worms prior to being placed on e:q-:e'iment.
The animals were allotted to treatment at random, within weight groups, with
each of the treated animals receiving one cobalt bullet, identical to the
ones used in Experiment 133-a. These animals were fed through the winter
on a roughage study, after which they were placed in a feeding experiment.
Each animal received an average of 0.1 of a pound of a complete mineral
mixture daily, when on the roughage test and when being fed. If the animals
were not fed they were provided the same mineral free choice. This mineral
contained 0.03 percent of cobalt. The results of this experiment are pre-
sented in table two.

Table 2. Summary of average weight changes of steers at Everglades Station,
 from 11-23-59 to 8-17-60.

 Cobalt No cobalt
 bullet bullet
Number of animals 38 38
Ave. initial weight (Ibs.) 508 528
Ave. final weight (lbs.) 802 838
Ave. weight gain (Ibs.) 294 310

 There was no weight gain advantage obtained by the administration of
the cobalt bullet to the yearling steers at the Experiment Station.