20 
BULLETIN 1045, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
COMPOSITION AND DIGESTIBILITY. 
The composition of sunflower silage, as shown by chemical analyses, 
compares very favorably with that of corn and the sorghums. While 
somewhat lower in carbohydrates or nitrogen- free extract than the 
corn and sorghums, it is, on the other hand, higher in fat and protein. 
The analyses made at different places are presented in Table 2. 
Table 2. — Comparison of the composition of sunfloicer, corn, and sorghum silage. 
Kind of silage. 
Num- 
ber of 
sam- 
ples. 
Constituents ("per cent). 
Water, 
Ash. 
Crude 
pro- 
tein. 
Crude 
fiber. 
Nitro- 
gen- 
free 
extract 
Ether 
extract 
Authority. 
Sunflower. 
Do.... 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do 
Do 
Average (weighted). 
78.6 
78.5 
67.8 
76.2 
82.3 
1.6 
2.4 
3.4 
2.3 
3.0 
2.5 
2.2 
2.1 
2.4 
4.3 
■1.9 
1.9 
3.1 
1.7 
5.8 
6.6 
7.5 
4.8 
10.4 
9.8 
16.6 
11.0 
7.3 
14.6 
10.0 
0.5 ! Mont. Bui. 131, p. 14.a 
1.1 Jour. Agr. Res., v. 18, p. 
327. 
1. 3 M.J. Blish, for silage from 
Ardmore, S. Dak. 
1.2 W. Va.Circ.32, p. 3. 
.7 U. S. Dept. Agr., Bu. 
Chemistry. 
.9 U. S. Dept. Agr., Anim. 
Bus. Div.b 
1.8 Wash. Bui. 158, p. 11. 
14 77. 8 
2.2 
6.3 
10.4 
Corn 
Corn stover. 
Sorehum — 
730 
6 
16 
70.9 
80.7 
77.6 
1.4 
1.8 
1.7 
2.4 
1.8 
1.5 
6.9 
17.5 
.9 
1 Farmers' Bulletin 
1240 
5.6 
9.5 
.6 
\ "Feeding Farm 
Ani- 
7.1 
11.0 
1.1 
| mals." 
a The silage used in these analyses was made from sunflowers harvested when only 5 per cent of the 
plants were in bloom and therefore without mature seeds. 
b This analysis was made by Dr. M. J. Blish,of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The 
sunflowers were grown in 1920 by the Animal Husbandry Division on their sheep ranch near Dubois, 
Idaho. 
The percentage of digestible nutrients in sunflower silage has been 
determined by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and the 
results are given fully in Bulletin 134 of that station (10) . The silage 
used in these experiments was made from sunflowers cut when only 
5 per cent of the plants were in bloom. This explains the low per- 
centage of fat (ether extract) shown by the Montana analyses in 
Table 2. The coefficients of digestibility as determined for this silage 
were as follows : Crude protein, 59.88 ; crude fiber, 42.33 ; nitrogen- 
free extract, 69.75 ; and ether extract, 70.63 per cent. 
Table 3 shows that the silage made from sunflowers is not equal 
in digestible nutrients to that made from corn. The amount of diges- 
tible crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract combined is higher in 
corn silage than it is in sunflower silage, but this difference is partly 
balanced by the higher percentage of digestible fat in the sunflower 
silage. 
