Missouri Sheep Breeders' and Feeders' Association. 477 



silage replaced one hundred fifty-five pounds of hay and nine 

 pounds of corn in the feed required to' make 100 pounds of gain. 

 This resulted in a slight saving in cost of gains. 



We have studied this matter a little farther by trying the 

 effect of adding corn silage to a ration of corn, cottonseed meal 

 and clover hay. The reason for feeding cottonseed meal was 

 that in our many trials with cattle we have found that corn 

 silage replaced the clover hay in the ration to such an extent 

 that it was found necessary to add protein to the ration in a 

 concentrated form. We have been using cottonseed meal as 

 our source of concentrated protein for both cattle and sheep. 

 The effect of adding corn silage twice daily to a ration of shelled 

 corn, cottonseed meal and clover hay is shown in Table III. 



TABLE III.— SHELLED CORN, COTTONSEED MEAL, CLOVER HAY VS. 

 SHELLED CORN, COTTONSEED MEAL, CLOVER HAY AND CORN 



SILAGE. 



Ration. 



Shelled corn, 

 cottonseed 



meal, 

 clover hay. 



Shelled corn, 

 cottonseed 



meal, 

 clover hay, 

 corn silage. 



Initial weight 



Final weight 



Gain per lamb 



Daily gain per lamb 



Daily feed eaten: 



Grain 



Hay 



Silage 



Feed per pound gain: 



Grain 



Hay 



Silage 



Cost per 100 pounds gain: 



Corn, 40 cents per bushel. 



Corn, 50 cents per bushel. 



Corn, 60 cents per bushel. 



Pounds. 



59.3 



84.0 



24.7 



.353 



1.24 

 1.44 



3.52 

 4.08 



$4.98 

 5.49 

 6.01 



Poiinds. 



59.4 



83.8 



24.4 



.349 



1.22 



.73 



1.36 



3.50 

 2.08 

 3.91 



$4.65 

 5.17 

 5.69 



Clover hay, $10.00 per ton; corn silage, $3.50 per ton. 



The addition of silage to the ration did not add to the rate 

 of gain. In one trial out of three the silage added to the rate 

 of gain, but in the other trials the faster gain was made when 

 no silage was fed. The appetites of the lambs were good at 

 all times. In one trial the lambs receiving no silage consumed 

 more grain, but in the other trials the total grain consumption 

 was the same in both lots. In feed per pound gain there was 

 little difference between the two lots except that 3.91 pounds 



