214 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



corn, grown, so thickly as to furnish virtually no nubbins 

 has been found excellent for milk production, and also one 

 of the most economical of foods, owing to the ease with 

 which it may usually be grown and to the relatively large 

 yields obtained. Good corn fodder is fully as valuable ton 

 for ton, if not more so, than good timothy. In trials at the 

 Wisconsin station, one ton of corn stover fed to dairy cows 

 was found to be equal in feeding value to three tons of 

 mixed clover and timothy hay. Fully one-third of the sto- 

 ver was left unconsumed. Cows in milk may be fed about 

 12 pounds of corn fodder per day, and mature cattle that 

 are being wintered a much larger amount. 



For sheep, the value of corn fodder depends largely on 

 the character of the growth. For ordinary feeding the fod- 

 der should be of fine growth, but some feeders prefer corn 

 with full sized ears when sheep are being fattened. In such 

 instances, a large proportion of the fodder is left uncon- 

 sumed. Corn stover is less valuable relatively for feeding 

 sheep than for feeding horses and cattle, and largely because 

 of its coarse character. In the shredded form it has not al- 

 ways proved entirely satisfactory as a food for sheep, as 

 they do not consume it with the same relish as the larger 

 animals. 



For swine, particularly in some of the sweet varieties, 

 corn fodder apart from the grain and in the cured form, is 

 comparatively valueless. The stalks of the sweet sorts may 

 be made to furnish some food, but not nearly so much as 

 sorghum (see p. 216). Green corn fodder will of course 

 be partially consumed by swine. They will also find succu- 

 lence in corn ensilage, but no large amount of food apart 

 from the grain. 



For horses, fodder corn has a high feeding value. 

 When it is grown so thickly that the ears are half the size 

 or less, it makes excellent fodder for young horses in the 

 growing stage, idle horses and brood mares. It may even 

 form half the fodder ration for horses that are worked mod- 

 erately. Even the stover, quite suitable for growing colts 



