136 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Before discussing this table let us take up the work of the next year, 

 as reported on page 126 of the Eighteenth Report of the Ontario Agricul- 

 tural College. In this experiment, group 1 was fed all the ensilage 

 the steers would eat clean, with approximately ten pounds of meal per 

 day per animal. Group 2 had thirty pounds of silage per animal per 

 day, the same amount of meal as in group 1, and all the cut hay they 

 would consume. The steers in group 3 were fed each 45 pounds of sliced 

 roots per day, the same amount of meal as near as may be, and all the 

 cut hay they would consume. Here are the results: 



Weight at commencement 



Weight at close 



Gain per animal 



Average daily gain 



Group 1. 

 Pounds. 



1,298 



1,581 



283 



1.89 



Group 2. 

 Pounds. 



1,399 



1,601 



202 



1.35 



Group 3. 

 Pounds. 



1,364 



1,007 



243 



1.62 



It is to be recorded that one of the steers fed silage died before the 

 proper conclusion of the experiment, and that another was off his feed. 

 Prof. Shaw concludes ''that from the behavior of the animals fed ensil- 

 age and meal we do not consider this ration a perfectly safe one for 

 finishing live stock in beef making, as, out of the six animals fed upon it, 

 two died, and three were occasionally off their feed." He shows, how- 

 ever, that the average daily cost of the ration was less with silage than 

 with roots, hay and grain, and that the average daily gain was greater. 



Turning now to the practical experience of cattle feeders, we find that 

 Mr. Gilbert has had unvarying success with silage as a principal factor 

 in the ration of fattening steers. He is, moreover, feeding steers in 

 sufficient numbers to show that where the silage is properly handled it i» 

 not inimical to the health of the animal. 



He has demonstrated, farther, that there is a profit to be made under 

 present conditions from feeding silage to steers. He finds no cheaper 

 M-ay of handling the corn crop to convert it into beef than to store it in 

 the silo, where the major part of its food value is preserved, and from 

 which storehouse it is easily and economically fed. 



Mr. Gilbert is not the only one in Michigan who is finding it to his 

 financial advantage to feed silage to steers. The method is in use about 

 Port Huron with equally good results. I am led to believe, therefore, as 

 an observer, that the day is not far distant when steer feeding in Michi- 

 gan will be very largely increased, and that the silo will play an im- 

 portant part in the feeding of the steers. 



