344 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



On the average, the lambs fed silage ate 0.6 lb. less hay and 0.1 

 lb. less corn daily, yet gained slightly more than those fed clover 

 hay and shelled corn. Adding silage to a ration of clover hay and 

 corn does not, however, always result in increased gain, for in 4 

 of these trials the lambs fed no silage made the larger gains. Its 

 advantage lies rather in the saving of corn and hay required for 

 100 lbs. of gain. In these trials 100 lbs. of corn silage saved 8.0 

 lbs. of corn and 44.0 lbs. of clover hay. With corn at a cent a 

 pound and clover hay at $10.00 per ton, the silage fed had a value 

 of $6.00 per ton, or nearly twice the cost of production on most 

 farms. Besides cheapening the gains, in these trials the addition 

 of silage to the ration usually resulted in higher finish and con- 

 sequently in a greater selling price. Corn silage of good quality is 

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

 market. 



Hints on feeding silage.— Trials at the Indiana Station" show 

 that lambs fed corn silage as the sole roughage make considerably 

 smaller gains than where they are fed legume hay in addition, and 

 more care is required to prevent their going "off feed." In still 

 other trials ^° it was found best to allow the lambs all the silage 

 they will eat, both morning and night, with free access to legume 

 hay, rather than limiting the amount of silage fed. 



It has already been shown in this chapter that adding a protein- 

 rich concentrate, such as cottonseed or linseed meal, to the already 

 well-balanced ration of corn and legume hay is not ordinarily profit- 

 able. When corn silage is added to a ration of corn and legume hay, 

 all being fed in unlimited allowance, the lambs will eat less of the 

 protein-rich hay, the ration thus becoming somewhat unbalanced. 

 In trials at the Indiana Station " feeding 1 part of cottonseed meal 

 to 7 parts of shelled corn increased the daily gains 0.02 lb. and 

 slightly decreased the amount of feed required for 100 lbs. gain. 

 Feeding more cottonseed meal than this did not increase the gains. 

 In some cases more profit was made when no cottonseed meal was 

 fed, owing to the fact that it was considerably higher in price than 

 corn. Whether to add a protein-rich concentrate to a ration of corn, 

 corn silage, and legume hay must be determined by each feeder for 

 himself, after taking into consideration the prices of feeds, the value 

 of the manure, and the time the animals should be ready for the 

 market. 



9 Skinner and King, Ind. Buls. 168, 179. 



10 Coffey, 111. Sta., information to the authors; Skinner and King, Ind. Bui. 

 168. 



11 Skinner and King, Ind. Buls. 162, 168, 179; information to the authors. 



