SILAGE 293 



of clover hay. Corn silage, when properly supplemented, 

 is a more profitable roughage than clover or alfalfa hay. 

 However, the addition of a small amount of dry roughage, 

 such as clover or alfalfa hay or oat straw, to a ration of 

 silage, corn, and cottonseed or linseed meal usually makes 

 the gains more economical. When fed Avith silage, corn 

 should be shelled, as the cob adds too much indigestible 

 roughage to the ration. 



For Sheep. — Corn silage is used by many sheepmen for 

 all classes of sheep. On the other hand, many sheepmen 

 have no use for it. Especial care should be taken not to 

 feed sour, moldy, or frozen silage to sheep. Unlike the feed- 

 ing of silage to cattle, sheep should be started in on a small 

 quantity of silage (about one-half pound) and the amount 

 gradually increased. Corn silage up to three or four pounds 

 daily with clover or alfalfa hay makes a good winter ration 

 for the breeding ewe up until lambing • time, when some 

 concentrates should be fed. Up to two or three pounds 

 daily, it may be used profitably in the ration of fattening 

 lambs and sheep. A ration of corn, corn silage, and clover or 

 alfalfa hay is usually conducive to good gains. If only a 

 small amount of the legume hay is used, protein should be 

 added in the form of linseed meal or cottonseed meal. Oat 

 straw and silage seem to make a very good roughage for 

 fattening wethers. It should be noted that sheep are very 

 susceptible to spoiled silage and great care should be exer- 

 cised in feeding silage to sheep in warm weather when decom- 

 position is likely to take place. 



Horses. — Silage may be successfully fed to horses if the 

 proper precautions are taken in its use. It is of utmost 

 importance that silage fed to horses should be free from mold, 



