CORN SILAGE 49 



means there should be a relationship between the exposed 

 surface of the silage and the amount of feed used daily. 

 Practically all silos are now made round, because the round 

 silo has more volume for the same amount of building 

 material, more uniform pressure throughout, and there are 

 no corners in which it is difficult to pack the silage. 



How to Calculate the Capacity of a Silo. — A silo that is 

 twice the diameter of another requires only twice the 

 building material, but holds four times the amount of 

 silage for each foot in height, and one that has three times 

 the diameter, has nine times the capacity. In arranging 

 the silo, it is a good rule to allow 35 or 40 pounds of silage 

 daily per cow. In a silo 30 feet deep, each cubic foot of 

 silage weighs about 40 pounds, and the average square foot 

 of surface 2 inches thick about 7 pounds. It will then 

 take about 6 square feet of surface 2 inches thick to supply 

 one cow for one day. To supply a herd of 30 cows, it 

 will take 30 X 6 square feet or 180 square feet, which will 

 be furnished by a silo with a diameter of 15 feet. The 

 silo 30 feet deep and 15 feet in diameter will supply silage 

 for a period of 180 days for a herd of 30 cows, if each 

 animal is fed 40 pounds of silage daily. 



Feeding Silage. — As a feed for the dairy cow in the corn 

 belt silage is practically indispensable. It may be fed to 

 young calves, but it must be remembered that corn silage 

 is a feed low in protein and mineral matter and high in 

 crude fiber. For calves it must be supplemented with feeds 

 higher in protein. Silage may be fed to horses in limited 

 amounts, but it is too watery to furnish a large proportion 

 of the ration of working horses. Only the best quality of 

 silage, free from molds, should ever be given to the horse. 

 Sheep do well when silage forms part of the ration. 



T. AND L. ANIM.4L HUSB. — 4 



