COARSE FEEDS. OR ROUGHAGE 



111 



nature and the convenience of handling, it is well adapted 

 to all the seasons over nio.st of the United States. 



The corn crop is usually harvested when the kernels are 

 turning into the glaze. It then is run through a forage cut- 

 ter and cut into pieces about half an inch long. In this con- 

 dition it is spread about in the silo and allowed to settle. 

 As usually made, it contains about 1 per cent of digestible 

 protein and 18 per cent total digestible nutrients. The dry 

 matter in silage is worth no more than that in corn fodder, 

 chemically considered; but cattle especially seem to respond 

 to this feed with increase of milk flow and a better condition 



Figure 25. — A cement silo on a dairy farm. Photograph from The Farmer. 



of body than when on dry fodder. Many feeding experi- 

 ments have shown that corn silage is most desirable for dairy 

 cows, and in recent years it has grown greatly in favor as a 

 feed for beef production. It is well suited to sheep. Horses 

 will do well on it when fed with moderation. For hogs, 

 however, silage is too bulky and unsatisfactory and is rarely 

 fed to them, and then with little benefit in most cases. In 

 general, hay and some grain should be fed with silage. For 

 cattle, from 25 to 35 pounds a day is a common ration, while 

 for sheep from 3 to 4 pounds daily are ample. 



