492 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



silage to alfalfa hay doubled the rate of gain. In the former trial each 

 100 Ibs. of sorghum silage saved 85 Ibs. of alfalfa hay, while in the Oregon 

 trials the corn silage was worth even more per 100 Ibs. than alfalfa hay, 

 even tho the silage was rather immature. Commonly silage can be pro- 

 duced from corn or other suitable crops at a much lower cost per ton than 

 alfalfa hay, even in the alfalfa districts of the West. 



769. Hay from other legumes. The statements which have been made 

 concerning the high value for beef cattle of alfalfa and clover hay also 

 apply in general to hay from sweet clover, cowpeas, soybeans, field peas, 

 lespedeza, etc. Cowpea or soybean hay is even richer in protein than is 

 alfalfa, and sweet clover and lespedeza contain nearly as much of this 

 nutrient. In a trial by Cochel at the Kansas Station choice first year 

 sweet clover hay was found fully equal to alfalfa hay. Sweet clover hay 

 was also practically equal to alfalfa hay in a trial by Wilson at the South 

 Dakota Station, 81 tho some difficulty was experienced in getting the 

 steers to eat it until it was run thru a hay cutter. (352) 



Cowpea hay was found fully equal to clover hay in a trial by Waters at 

 the Missouri Station. 92 (357) 



The value of cowpea hay and other legume hays as a source of protein 

 to balance rations low in this nutrient is well shown in 3 trials by Foster 

 and Smith of the New Mexico Station. 93 Steers fed on the average 8.0 

 Ibs. cowpea hay, 8.2 Ibs. ground milo heads and 19.7 Ibs. kafir silage 

 gained 2.4 Ibs. per head daily, while others fed 2.0 Ibs. of cottonseed 

 cake or meal to balance a ration of ground milo heads, kafir silage and dry 

 sorghum fodder or stover gained only 1.8 Ibs. On the latter ration the 

 feed cost of 100 Ibs. gain was one-third more than when cowpea hay was 

 fed. (357) 



770. Grazing legumes planted with corn. In the southern states cow- 

 peas, soybeans, or velvet beans are often grown in the corn field and 

 then fattening cattle are turned in to graze on the crop after most of 

 the corn ears have been gathered. This method not only produces ex- 

 ceedingly cheap gains, but also aids in soil improvement. For example, 

 in a trial at the Arkansas Station 94 5 steers grazed on a 5-acre field of 

 corn and cowpeas, after the corn ears had been harvested, gained 2 Ibs. 

 a head daily for 64 days. The steers were fed in addition a small amount 

 of cotton seed, but only consumed 194 Ibs. for each 100 Ibs. gain. 



771. Fodder and stover from corn and the sorghums When fed as the 



only roughage, fodder or stover from corn or the sorghums is much 

 inferior to corn silage or to legume hay, even tho protein-rich supple- 

 ments are added to balance the ration. 



In a trial by Bohstedt at the Ohio Station 95 corn stover gave poor 

 results compared with corn silage, when fed with shelled corn, mixed 

 hay, and enough linseed meal to balance the ration. With corn stover 

 at $7 a ton and corn silage at $4, the steers fed silage returned $6.14 each 



W S. D. Bui. 160. 83 New Mex. Bui. 108. ^Information to the authors. 



"Mo. Bui. 76. M Ark. Bui. 58. 



