Studies in Forage Poisoning VI. 119 



herds where ensilage constitutes a part of the ration it is the 

 first feed to arouse suspicion. The disease in question may be 

 associated with other feeds, but the apparently poisonous qual- 

 ity of ensilage as observed on some farms has tended to connect 

 forage poisoning in animals with siloed feed. In some com- 

 munities this has been a drawback to the use of the silo. 



Attempts to deliver suspected ensilage from sporadic out- 

 breaks of forage poisoning occurring in Kentucky to the Ex- 

 periment Station in quantities for feeding tests have not been 

 entirely satisfactory in our experience. Exposure of ensilage 

 to the air is generally followed in a few days by marked 

 changes, i. e., fermentation accompanied by the development of 

 molds, and it is difficult to preserve quantities of this feed 

 without change, for a reasonable period of time, after once be- 

 ing removed from the silo. If the ensilage is markedly altered 

 at the time the feeding tests are conducted, the result con- 

 tributes but little positive evidence. For this reason feeding 

 tests involving ensilage have been conducted more satisfactorily 

 upon the farm where the outbreak occurred, in some instances 

 remote from the University. 



In December, 1916, an outbreak of forage poisoning was 

 reported on the farm of Mr. P. B. Gaines, of Carroll County, 

 Kentucky. Forty head of mules were being fed ear corn, oat 

 hay and ensilage daily in a barn adjacent to the silo. On or 

 about December 16th a number of the mules became ill, mani- 

 festing characteristic symptoms of forage poisoning. It was 

 found upon examination that some of the ear corn was soft 

 and immature ; the oat hay was apparently of good quality, and 

 the bulk of the silage in question was not visibly altered. It 

 was thot by some that the odor of the silage was different 

 from that of silage on other farms. To the writers, however, 

 the silage appeared normal, with the exception of patches of 

 moldy silage about the edges of the silo. No visible growth of 

 mold was found in the ensilage in the center of the silo and the 

 owner advised that the moldy silage had not been fed to the 

 mules. 



All of the feeds had been produced on the farm. The corn 



