FEEDS FOR THE DAIRY COW 381 



for roughage produced 30 per ct. more milk than with cottonseed hulls 

 as the roughage. 



Just as with alfalfa hay, fair production can be secured when only 

 cowpea hay and corn silage are fed, with no concentrates in addition. 

 For example, in a brief trial by Lane at the New Jersey Station, 83 cows 

 fed only 17 Ibs. cowpea hay and 36 Ibs. corn silage per head daily 

 yielded 23.7 Ibs. milk and 0.92 Ib. fat on the average. When fed 5 Ibs. 

 corn stover and 36 Ibs. corn silage for roughage, with 9 Ibs. of purchased 

 concentrates in addition, 2 Ibs. more milk and 0.13 Ib. more fat were 

 produced per head daily. With cows of good productive capacity it will 

 ordinarily pay to feed a fair concentrate allowance in addition to cow- 

 pea hay and silage, especially when the after effect on the animals of 

 feeding concentrates is considered. 



In a trial by Duggar at the Alabama Station 84 cowpea hay proved a 

 satisfactory substitute for wheat bran when added to a basal ration of 

 9.6 Ibs. cottonseed hulls, and 9.6 Ibs. of a mixture of 2 parts cotton seed 

 and 1 part each of wheat bran and cottonseed meal. This shows that 

 where there is a fair supply of rich concentrates, it is more economical 

 to complete the ration with some protein-rich roughage, like cowpea hay 

 or cowpea silage, rather than by adding more expensive concentrates. 



617. Soybean hay. Soybean hay is becoming of much importance for 

 the feeding of dairy cows in many districts of the country. (358) The 

 hay is slightly higher than alfalfa in protein, but it is coarser, and the 

 stems are often somewhat woody. Therefore there is usually more 

 waste in feeding it than in feeding alfalfa. In a trial at the Indiana 

 Station 85 Caldwell compared soybean hay with alfalfa hay, when fed 

 in addition to corn silage and concentrates. The average daily yield of 

 milk was 19.6 Ibs. and of fat 0.90 Ib. on alfalfa hay, while on soybean 

 hay the yield of milk was 18.4 Ibs. and of fat 0.86 Ib. The average feed 

 cost of 100 Ibs. milk was 8 per ct. higher on soybean hay than on alfalfa 

 hay, with both kinds of hay valued at the same price per ton. This 

 trial shows that while soybean hay is a very good roughage for dairy 

 cows, its value is slightly less per ton than that of alfalfa hay. 



618. Field pea hay. Hay from Canada field peas or from the popular 

 combination of field peas and oats makes good roughage for dairy cat- 

 tle. Field pea hay is even richer in protein than alfalfa hay, and oat 

 and pea hay usually furnishes slightly more digestible crude protein 

 than red clover hay, tho it is not so palatable. (355) 



619. Vetch hay; lespedeza hay. Hairy vetch and common vetch both 

 make palatable hay for dairy cows, even higher than alfalfa hay in 

 digestible crude protein and total digestible nutrients. (359) 



Lespedeza hay, which resembles red clover hay in protein content, 

 is fine-stemmed and leafy. In the South it is a popular hay for dairy 

 cattle. (360) 



"N. J. Bui. 174. M Ala. Bui. 123. Ind. Bui. 203. 



