FEEDS FOR BEEF CATTLE 497 



have hardened and glazed, but while most of the leaves are still green. 

 This has been clearly shown in trials with fattening steers by Wijson, 

 Kuhlman, and Thompson at the South Dakota Station. 102 At the proper 

 stage of maturity the kernels of dent varieties will be well dented. 



It is usually wise to plant corn for silage somewhat more thickly than 

 that for grain alone. However, there should be enough space for the 

 plants to develop good ears, since grain is needed to furnish the net 

 energy required to make rapid gains. 



In the South Dakota trials and also in a trial by Winchester at the 

 Kansas Station 103 silage from corn which was allowed to stand in the 

 field until it was practically mature and the leaves had largely turned 

 brown was decidedly inferior to silage from corn cut at the dent stage. 

 However, it was a fairly satisfactory feed, and produced better results 

 than would have been secured from dry fodder. If for any reason corn 

 can not be ensiled until it is past the proper stage, care should be taken 

 to add water to ensure the silage keeping. (299-300) 



In districts where choice alfalfa hay is very cheap, compared with 

 other feeds, and corn or other grain is also low in price, the most 

 economical ration may be merely these feeds, without any silage. For 

 example, in 4 trials by Gramlich at the Nebraska Station 104 steers full- 

 fed on shelled corn and alfalfa hay gained 2.42 Ibs. a head daily and 

 required 699 Ibs. corn and 438 Ibs. hay for each 100 Ibs. gain. Others 

 full-fed corn silage in addition gained only 2.12 Ibs. a day and required 

 for 100 Ibs. gain 511 Ibs. corn, 192 Ibs. hay, and 1,520 Ibs. silage. In these 

 trials the silage-fed steers did not reach quite as good a finish as those 

 fed only corn and hay. When linseed meal was added to the ration of 

 silage, hay, and corn to balance it better, the gains were increased 

 slightly, but did not come up to those produced by the home-grown 

 alfalfa hay and corn ration. Considering all factors, corn silage was 

 not worth one-third as much per ton as choice alfalfa hay under these 

 conditions. 



776. Feeding a supplement with full feed of silage. We have seen 

 earlier in this chapter that when fattening cattle are fed corn with 

 clover or alfalfa hay as the only roughage, they eat sufficient of the 

 protein-rich hay to balance their ration fairly well. (733) Hence adding 

 a supplement, such as cottonseed or linseed meal, does not greatly in- 

 crease the gains. However, if the cattle are fed all the corn silage they 

 will eat in addition to corn and legume hay, the silage is so palatable 

 that they will then generally eat but 3 to 6 Ibs. of hay per head daily. 

 The following table, summarizing the results of 7 different trials, shows 

 that this small amount of clover hay is not sufficient to balance the ration 

 properly for 2-year-old steers. 



102 S. D. Buls. 182, 189. 

 103 Kan. Cir. 92. 

 1M Information to the authors. 



