508 



Silage for Dairy Cows. 



[Sept., 



The Silage Crop. — The crop grown for ensilage consisted 

 of a mixture of tares, oats and beans, in the proportion of 

 3 bushels of tares, J bushel of oats, and J- bushel of beans per 

 acre. The mixture was not a very suitable one as there were 

 not enough beans and oats to hold up the tares. Consequently 

 the crop was difficult to harvest and a rather large proportion 

 was left in the field. (This year the proportion of beans and 

 oats has been increased and better results are looked for.) 



Approximately 5 tons per acre of silage were taken from the 

 silo, which was of the wooden stave pattern. An analysis of 

 the silage gave the following percentage results^ : — 



Moisture 70-84 



Oil 



Crude albuminoids 

 Carbohydrates 



Fibre 



Ash 



1-43 

 4-86 

 10-46 

 9-32 

 3-09 



100-00 



A herd of 30 dairy cows is kept on the farm. For the purpose 

 of the experiment eleven cows were selected and divided into 

 two lots — Lot A consisting of six cows and Lot B of five cows. 

 The average number of days since calving to December 6th, 

 when the experiment began, were for Lot A 91 days and for 

 Lot B 81 days. 



Experimental Rations and their Feeding Value. — The 



following experimental rations were drawn up : — 



Mangold Ration. Silage Ration. 



50 lb. Mangolds. 50 lb. Silage. 



10 lb. Meadow hay. 10 lb. Hay. 



18 lb. Oat straw chaff. 4 lb. Dried ale grains. 



4 lb. Dried ale grains. 3 lb. Concentrates. 



5 lb. Concentrates. 



The concentrates consisted of a mixture of decorticated cotton 

 cake and bean meal in the proportion of 3 to 2. 



The rations contained the following amounts of dry matter 

 and digestible constituents (lb.) : — 



Digestible Constituents. 



Dry 



Carho- 

 hydrates 

 & Fibre. 

 18-6 

 12-7 



Prod,uction 

 Starch 

 equiv. 

 15-5 

 13-5 



Matter. Protein. Fat. 

 Mangold Ration ... 38-5 2-50 '77 



Silage Ration ... 29-9 2-46 -89 



The mangold ration as set out is the ration normally fed, 



* We are indebted to Mr. F. Knowles, of the Institute of Agriculture, for 

 these figures. 



