GRASS SILAGE 13 



reaches completion in a month or six weeks. With legume silages especially, it 

 is of even greater importance than with corn that the diameter of the silo be so 

 adjusted to the size of the herd that the entire surface layer of silage is removed 

 each day. 



The usual method of feeding is the same as for corn silage, substituting the 

 grass silage pound for pound. Where the silage consists entirely of alfalfa or 

 other legumes, it may be necessary to feed smaller amounts until the animals 

 become accustomed to the somewhat richer feed. From one half to two thirds 

 the amount usually fed in the case of corn silage is suggested, with a gradual 

 increase to full feed if circumstances warrant it. 



Palatability 



Legume silage seems to be fully as palatable as corn silage to milking cows. 

 The grass silages fed at the State College have not been eaten as readily as corn 

 silage, but have always been cleaned up before the next feed, except in those 

 occasional instances when lumps or flakes of moldy material escaped notice and 

 were fed out. Young cattle ate the grass silage as readily as they did corn silage. 



Experience here has led to the belief that it is not advisable to substitute grass 

 silage entirely for dry hay. Animals fed on silage and grain only for several weeks 

 seemed to be as greedy for dry roughage as they usually are for silage or other 

 succulent feed when they have been restricted for some time to dry feed only. 



It has also been observed in the State College herd that when grass silage 

 and dry hay are both fed, the animals clean up their allowance of both much 

 better if hay is fed at one end of the day and silage at the other, than if the allow- 

 ances of each are halved and fed together. Figure 5 shows some of the State 

 College cows sampling their morning feed of alfalfa silage. 



Feeding Experiments 



During the winter of 1937-38, extensive trials of the value of this type of 

 silage for milk production were conducted in the State College herd. During the 

 first half of the winter (November, December, and January) it was compared 

 with corn silage, sixteen cows being divided into two groups and fed grass silage 

 and corn silage alternately for five-week periods. During the second half of the 

 season (February, March, and April) the grass silage was compared with dry 

 hay, using the same number of cows for the same length of time as in the first 

 half. Both kinds of silage were fed in identical amounts, the total for each group 

 of cows being the same. The grass silage and dry hay were fed in the ratio of 

 3:1. Other feeds and general care were identical for both groups throughout. 



Milk Yields 



Results are expressed on the basis of average daily yield of milk per cow, cor- 

 rected to 4 percent fat, and show: 



On corn silage 21 . 56 pounds 



On grass silage 21.57 pounds 



On dry hay 27.09 pounds 



On grass silage 2 7 . 92 pounds 



The grass silage was equal to corn silage and somewhat superior to dry hay for 

 milk production. 



