128 SILAGE IN. BEEF PRODUCTION. 



has been clearly demonstrated at the Experiment Station as well 

 as upon hundreds of Iowa farms. 



The addition of corn silage to the ration not only decreases very 

 materially the cost of gains, hut usually makes them more rapidly. 

 The steers are finished more quickly and ordinarily sell for a 

 higher price than when clover is used as the roughage. 



Fattening cattle of all ages utilize silage as their roughage 

 ration. It is as good for the calf and yearling as for the two and 

 three year old. All profit from its use. 



Silage is practically one-third to two-fifths as valuable as 

 clover hay for beef production. Silage at $3.20 a ton and clover 

 hay at $7.66 a ton werfe equally efficient in fattening two-year-old 

 steers in 1911-12 in our station test. Ordinarily when clover is 

 selling from $10 to $15 per ton, silage is worth from $3.50 to $6.00. 



That the corn grain which is put into the silo is not wasted 

 our feeding records clearly show. Cattle receiving silage do not 

 eat as much grain as hay fed cattle, the decrease being approxi- 

 mately equal to the amount of corn found in the silage. 



For a short feed, silage is pre-eminently our most abundant 

 and efficient roughage. The gains are not only more rapid than 

 where clover or alfalfa is fed, but are made more cheaply. Fur- 

 thermore, the selling price is markedly enhanced. Actual experi- 

 ment has shown that as compared to clover in a ninety-day feed, 

 silage cattle, rightly fed, will sell from ten to seventy- five cents 

 higher per hundred weight. 



For a long feed silage is quite efficient, producing, as compared 

 to clover, both cheaper gains and a higher quality of finish. 



Protein supplements must be fed with silage in order to make 

 it an efficient fattening food. Cattle cannot be fattened econom- 

 ically on corn and corn silage. It is imperative and absolutely 

 essential that protein concentrates such as cottonseed meal, cold 

 pressed cottonseed cake, linseed oil meal or similar feeds be fed. 



The average daily silage, hay and grain consumption of a two- 

 year-old steer weighing 1,000 pounds at the start, during a five- 

 month full feeding period will approximate: 



Shelled corn, 13 to 16 pounds; 



Cottonseed meal or linseed meal, 2.7 to 3.6 pounds; 



Clover or alfalfa hay, 3 to 5 pounds; 



Corn silage, 22 to 35 pounds. 



With silage as lone roughage the consumption will be about 28 

 to 35 pounds. It requires practically one and three-quarters to 

 two and three-quarters tons of corn silage for a five months' feed 

 for a two-year-old. 



In the absence of any dry roughage such as clover, alfalfa or 

 oat straw, corn silage may be used as theSlone roughage. Some 

 dry corn stover should be utilized if possible. In case of lone 

 silage feeding, however, one had best increase the protein concen- 

 trates slightly. 



