The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-04-21
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experiment. station undertook 70 deter
mine the erect on horses Of ration
containing silage. Eight animals WIRE
ehosen-six mules and two horses.
-Four Of the animals were giyon hay,
corn and silage. the remainder hay ana
corn alone. The experiment lasted
something over six weeks. In Z bulls-
tin giving the results Of the test the
following statements are made:
In certain portions Of the state
where cultivated grasses make but IN
Indifferent growth. hay substitutes are
eagerly sought, and thu system Of
pulling fodder from corn d In vogue.
inis makes 4 good rough food for
horses. but 10 too costly to gather and
the supply is often limited. Various
fodder plants have from time to time
oeen tried. but not with complete sat-
'staction; cow-peas being dimcult to
gather and cure; crimson clover unsafe
as . horse food ION account Of the
rough avn or beard on the head), etc.:
ana tor these reasons corn silags has
oeen used to a limited extent We
nave had many inquiries as to its At
ness Tor such use. all concluding their
questions by stating that they had
used 1t with bad effect on their AMI
mails. While we could state that silage
was often used as horse food. and
"nlle we had used limited quantity
IN that manner, yet. as we wished to
make accurate statement of facts. we
began feeding eight work animals (six
mules and two horses) with silage, let
ting 1t to certain extent take the
place OF corn. We used small amount
OF silage for these animals for some
weeks previous to the dates mentioned
IN the table, the amount consumed the
first week 1t was weighed being more
than 1t might be wise to start with II
tney were entirely unused to It. By
this we mean that for some days when
beginning to feed silage it is of the
utmost Importance to feed very small
amount at first, and increase grad
ually, as the animal appetite and con-
d1tion OF bowels may indicate. We are
inclined to think that the whole trouble
OF the parties making inquiries came
from feeding too freely at first, or posi-
slbly, too, from not realizing that all
good silage contains a large amount
OF corn; If this is not taken into con-
slderation and large ration of corn
is given beside. it might prove danger
Gus, or at least give serious bowel
trouble. The animals we fed were in
good health from first to last, were ex-i
amined from time to time by vet
Urinary surgeon and found to be in!
normal condition.
After preliminary period Of feeding
previous to the beginning Of record
of weights, the animals given silage
were allowed all they would eat, though
this proved to be not as much as ISL
readily devoured by cattle Of the same
weight. This was considered an in-l
dication that horses would eat (after
becoming accustomed to it) no more
than they could easily assimilate.
The weights at the end of each weet
showed that there was no falling of in
flesh; and this though all the animals
were constantly at work, except during
stormy weather. They all made gains
in weight, but those fed silage, corn|
and hay, and the others fed corn andl
hay alone, gained about equally. AS al
whole, it appeared from the results oil
the experiment that silage would make
good roughage for horses when used
in connection with hay or stover and
grain. but that the animal should be-
come accustomed to the food by de-
grees, and that this is as important asl
when changing from old to new corn
or from hay to grass.