GRAZING I2*J"DUSTRY OF THE BLTJEGEASS REGION. 7 



The silo is being used more than formerly. (Fig. 7.) The advan- 

 tages of feeding silage over the old methods of dry feeding are that 

 (1) it avoids the necessity of hauling from the cornfields during wet 

 weather, (2) it enables more stock to be kept on the same acreage of 

 corn, (3) it keeps the animals in better condition, and (4) it clears 

 the entire field early for seeding to wheat. It has often been asserted 

 by experienced graziers that cattle fed silage during the winter do not 

 gain as rapidly on grass as those which were dry fed. Whether this 

 opinion is formed from observation of the gains made the first month 

 or two of the grazing period or from final weights in the fall has never 

 been settled. The evidence given by farmers on this point is very 

 contradictory. With the usual methods of feeding, silage-fed steers 



Fig. 6. — Steers like those shown in figure 4 in the condition in which they should appear after a 



season's grazing. 



will weigh more in the spring than they did the previous fall and of 

 course will not make equal gains with the thinner dry-fed cattle when 

 first turned on grass. That more stock can be kept on the same acre- 

 age of corn put in a silo than would be possible were the corn allowed 

 to stand in the shock in the field until used is admitted by practically 

 every grazier who has tried both methods. Some claim that twice 

 as many stock can be kept when a silo is used, but the estimate of 

 most farmers is 1^ times the number kept by dry feeding. This is 

 a very important consideration, especially in the mountain sections, 

 where 'there are sometimes insufficient tillable areas to produce 

 forage to winter the stock which the pastures will carry during the- 

 summer. The silo might obviate the necessity of keeping a blue- 

 grass field ungrazed during the summer for winter feed. (Fig. 8.) 



