FEEDING DAIRY CATTLE 245 



tion," roots are often fed to animals on account of their dietetic 

 effect, as appetizers, and because of their favorable influence on the 

 digestion. 



The silo enables dairy farmers to utilize the large supply of 

 feed materials in the corn plant with the least possible loss and 

 expense. For this reason, and because of the advantage of having 

 a palatable, highly nutritious and relished succulent feed conve- 

 niently at hand throughout the season, the silo is now generally 

 regarded as next to a necessity on dairy farms, at least where corn 

 is grown. The whole corn plant, ears and all, is, as a rule, run 

 through a feed cutter, this having been found the most economical 

 method of handling the crop. The corn is harvested when nearly 

 ripe, and cut into one-half to three-fourth inch lengths in filling 

 the silo (p. 156). 



Silage is greatly relished by cows and can be fed in large quanti- 

 ties, if made from nearly-matured corn. Ordinarily, the best re- 

 sults are obtained when not over 30 to 40 pounds of corn silage 

 are fed per head daily, according to the size of the cows, and it is 

 always fed with some dry roughage, either hay or corn fodder. 

 Since the corn plant is rich in carbohydrates, protein feeds like 

 clover hay, wheat bran, or oil meal should always be fed with corn 

 silage or corn fodder. Clover silage, or silage made from alfalfa, 

 grain sorghums, etc., is fed in somewhat smaller quantities than 

 corn silage, the daily allowance being less than 25 to 30 pounds per 

 head. 



Dry Roughage. Hay from the grasses or legumes is a common 

 coarse cow feed in this and other dairy countries. Early-cut hay is 

 more valuable, ton for ton, than late-cut, but the yield obtained will 

 be somewhat lower in the former case. Clover hay, or hay of other 

 legumes, stands first in value as dry roughage for dairy cows (Fig. 

 50). It is preferably fed long. Pure timothy hay is a poor cow 

 feed, especially if late-cut; mixed timothy and clover hay is the 

 more valuable for cows the less timothy it contains. Other kinds 

 of hay that are fed and relished by dairy stock are oat hay, millet 

 hay, sorghum hay, pea hay, etc. Corn stover (cornstalks) and 

 corn fodder are fed whole or are cut or shredded on the best -managed 

 farms after having been shocked in the field (p. 129). 



Straw of the small grains is not often fed to dairy cows in this 

 country, as we have an abundant and cheap supply of roughage in 

 cornstalks. Where a quantity of fine, bright oat straw is available, 

 it may be fed in moderate quantities, not to exceed one-half the 

 weight of total dry roughage fed. 



