FEEDS FOR SHEEP 



clover hay. From this, one can readily compute the value of corn silage 

 with shelled corn and clover hay at local prices. For example, with 

 corn at 56 cents a bushel and clover hay at $14 a ton, corn silage would 

 have a value of $7.95 per ton, which is much more than the cost of pro- 

 duction on most farms. (410) Besides lowering the cost of the gains 

 in these trials, the addition of silage to the ration usually resulted in 

 higher finish and consequently in a greater selling price. (296, 411) 



The value of corn silage for fattening lambs is further shown by the 

 results of 6 trials at the Nebraska, Kansas, and Indiana Stations 68 in 

 each of which one lot of lambs was fed shelled corn and alfalfa hay, 

 while good- quality corn silage was added to the ration of another lot. 

 The lambs fed corn silage in addition to corn and alfalfa hay gained on 

 the average 0.346 Ib. per head daily, which was a trifle less than where 

 no silage was fed. Tho the silage did not increase the rate of gain in 

 these trials, 1 ton of silage saved 82 Ibs. corn and 665 Ibs. alfalfa hay. 

 With shelled corn at 56 cents a bushel and alfalfa hay at $15 a ton, this 

 would give corn silage a value of $5.83, a high value, tho somewhat lower 

 than obtained in the trials previously reviewed where corn silage was 

 added to corn and clover hay. 



It is shown in the next chapter that corn silage of good quality is 

 as valuable for the breeding flock as for sheep being fattened for mar- 

 ket. (884) The numerous instances in which sheep of all classes have 

 died from eating moldy or decayed silage point out that greater care is 

 necessary in feeding silage to sheep than to cattle. As sour silage is apt 

 to cause colic and scouring, silage for sheep should be made from well- 

 matured corn. 



868. Adding a supplement to silage, corn, and legume hay. It has pre- 

 viously been shown that adding a nitrogenous concentrate, such as 

 linseed or cottonseed meal, to an already well-balanced ration of corn 

 and legume hay is not ordinarily profitable. (858) However, when 

 lambs are full fed on silage in addition to corn and legume hay, they will 

 not eat enough of the hay to balance the ration. Adding a supplement 

 will then materially increase the gains. 



Skinner and King 69 conducted trials during 5 successive years at the 

 Indiana Station with 60-lb. lambs to determine whether it would be 

 profitable to add a nitrogenous concentrate (cottonseed meal) to a 

 ration of shelled corn, corn silage, and clover hay. The results of these 

 trials are averaged in the following table. In each trial one lot of 

 lambs was fed a mixture of 1 part cottonseed meal and 7 parts shelled 

 corn with corn silage and clover hay, while another was fed no cotton- 

 seed meal : 



^Gramlich and Savin, Nebr. Stations, 4 trials, Bui. 173 and information to the 

 authors; Paterson and Winchester, Kan. Station, 1 trial, Cir. 88; Skinner and 

 King, Ind. Station, 1 trial, Bui. 202. 



Tnd. Buls. 162, 168, 179, and 184. 



