IS ENSILAGE A SUCCESS? 



153 



1881. So when the trial began, Feb. 1, 1883, they were 

 respectively 9 months (Swiss) and 14 months (Jersey) old. 

 They had been fed previously during the winter rather a 

 poor quality of hay, and to each 1^ pounds wheat bran and 

 I pound cotton-seed meal daily, 2 pounds grain food and hay 

 ad lib. They weighed Nov. 1, 1882, the Swiss 372 pounds, 

 the Jersey 540 pounds. They weighed Feb. 1, 1883, Swiss 

 415 pounds, Jersey 600 pounds. It required over two 

 weeks to change their diet to ensilage alone and get them to 

 regularly eating it. This was accomplished so they began 

 recorded ensilage rations on Feb. 17. They then weighed, 

 the Swiss 412 pounds, the Jersey 575 pounds. Forty days 

 feeding of ensilage alone then followed, the rations being, 

 for the Swiss 36 pounds per day, for the Jersey 46 pounds. 

 They sometimes rejected a portion, which was also weighed 

 and removed. The next result shows an average consump- 

 tion of 34 pounds 3 ounces for the Swiss, and 43 pounds 8 

 ounces for the Jersey. 



We have substantially maintenance rations for these ani- 

 mals fixed, but not growing rations, say 34| and 43^ pounds 

 respectively, and costing less than ten cents per day for the 

 two. Although offered water twice daily, neither animal 

 tasted it for forty days and more. 



( K.) No records are at hand giving definite results of 

 feeding ensila2;c to horses and mules. I have in mind some 

 cases of injury to horses from injudicious use of this class of 

 food. The small stomach of the horse is well known, and 

 he is so sensitive to flatulency that bulky and fermented food 

 must plainly be used with the greatest care. Ensilage has 

 been so used for work horses, without injurious eflects, and 

 reports have been puljlished of its more liberal use with 

 brood mares and colts. Mules have been kept almost 



