FEEDS FOR THE DAIRY COW 277 



rather than injured. Like other feeds, silage may be abused. Only 

 that which is well made should be used, and this should be fed directly 

 after milking and be eaten up clean at each feeding, none being left 

 scattered on the floor of the stable. The air of the stable should be 

 kept pure and wholesome by proper ventilation. Under such con- 

 ditions no one need fear ill effects from feeding silage to dairy cows, 

 for when so fed even the milk condensing factories no longer object 

 to its use. The daily allowance of silage usually ranges from 20 to 

 40 lbs. per 1,000 lbs. live weight. A common rule is to feed cows 

 3 lbs. of silage and 1 lb. of dry roughage per 100 lbs. live weight. 



In 9 trials at various stations in which corn silage was compared 

 with corn fodder, on the average 7.4 lbs. more milk was produced from 

 each 100 lbs. of dry matter in the rations containing silage than in 

 those containing fodder corn. Since silage is no more digestible than 

 dry fodder, its superiority must be largely due to the fact that while 

 good-quality silage is eaten with little or no waste, a considerable 

 part of the com fodder is usually left uneaten. Another reason is 

 that cows getting the succulent, palatable silage consume a heavier 

 ration than those fed the dry fodder and hence have a larger amount 

 of nutrients available for milk production after the maintenance 

 requirements of the body have been met. 



Trials at the ]\Iaine and Vermont Stations ^* show that 280 to 350 

 lbs. of corn silage is worth rather more than 100 lbs. of mixed hay. 

 At the Utah Station ^^ 310 to 320 lbs. of corn silage replaced 100 

 lbs. of alfalfa hay when fed in rations containing ample protein. 



Silage other than corn. — Silage from the grain sorghums and the 

 sweet sorghums, cut at the proper stage of maturity, is but little 

 inferior to that from corn. These crops are of great importance to 

 the dairymen of the southwestern states. Clover and alfalfa are 

 sometimes ensiled, tho there is far less certainty of securing good 

 silage from them than from corn or the sorghums. Such combina- 

 tions as field peas with oats, soybeans or cowpeas with corn or the 

 sorghums, and vetch with oats, wheat, or barley, make satisfactory 

 silage, rich in protein. 



Roots. — Tho roots are excellent for dairy cows, they are little used 

 in this country because corn silage furnishes much cheaper succulence. 

 Tho nearly 90 per ct. of the dry matter in roots is digestible and only 

 66 per ct. of that in corn silage, in actual feeding trials the dry matter 

 of silage has proven fully as valuable as that in roots. Since corn 

 silage contains more dry matter than roots, it is worth considerably 

 more per ton. Sugar beets and mangels are the roots most commonly 



14 Jordan, Maine Rpt. 1889; Hills, Vt. Rpt. 1901. 



15 Carroll, information to the authors. 



