THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 135 



The silage fed cattle, without a single exception, returned greater profit 

 than where clover was fed as the lone roughage. By using silage, the 

 gains were cheapened and the profit per steer increased. 



Where both clover and silage were allowed as compared to ciither clovtr 

 or silage alone, the steers being put upon a full feed in forty days, the 

 advantagfs are slightly in favor of the clover-silage combination. Inas- 

 much as it is fundamentally important that we grow legumes such as 

 clover or alfalfa upon the farm, we are glad indeed, that the figures show 

 that both the clover and silage can be used to advantage when fed in com- 

 bination. Alfalfa should give slightly better results than clover, because 

 of its higher protein content and better average quality. In the absence 

 of a legume hay, experience has taught us that some oat straw may be 

 utilized to advantage. Steers getting a full feed of silage, however, will 

 consume very little dry roughage, be it a legume or other roughage. 



The co.st of silage as figured in our 1911-1912 test was $3.20 a ton. We 

 are all interested in silage costs, and how we shall figure them. The above 

 summary of cost shows our method of figuring, basing the silage value as 

 nearly as possible upon its market worth, and using the elevator market 

 price of corn as a basis. 



These costs of course allow the growler a profit on his field corn if the 

 market permits. Fertility hauled from the farm in the corn grain and 

 cobs (if these are sold) is not credited. According to the above compu- 

 tation, based upon actual figures, with corn worth 40 cents at the market, 

 we find that silage costs $2.63 a ton. With every cent increase in the 

 price of corn, the silage goes up 5 cents a ton. With corn at 50 cents a 

 bushel, silage is worth $3.13. 



How much silage shall we feed, and how shall we distribute it during 

 the feeding period? Our experience clearly shows that steers getting silage 

 should be given a very heavy feed from the very beginning of the fatten- 

 ing period. To induce the consumption of a maximum amount of silage 

 early in the feeding game, the corn can be somewhat limited. We com- 

 pared different methods of feeding silage, as shown in the table presented, 

 one lot being put on a full feed of grain the first forty days, the other two 

 in ninety days. The first lot w^as allowed all the corn and silage they 

 would eat, according to appetite, throughout the entire period. They 

 made a little more rapid gain than the other lots, but a smaller profit, 

 namely, $22.03 per steer. Where silage was pushed heavily the first ninety 

 days, and both silage and corn allowed according to appetite the last sixty 

 days, the profits w^ere $22.45. The last lot put on a full feed of grain in 

 ninety days, the corn being heavily pushed and the silage limited, showed a 

 still greater profit, or $23.46; this in spite of the increased cost of corn, 

 which mounted from 50 to 51 cents the first two months to 57 and 65 

 .cents, respectively, the last two months. If the corn had continued at the 

 same average price as during the first three months of the feeding period, 

 or 52 cents, the lots fed heavily on silage and light on corn early in the 

 period, and heavy on corn and light on silage at the finish, would have 

 clearly out-classed the ordinary method of full feeding both silage and 

 corn from the beginning. 



