Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-04-03
Does siIaee Cause Abortion?

you ucTeWllH MY Opihioh VI e"S
of silage upon animals well advanced
in the period of CESSATION and OF its
use in general as a food for dairy
cows.
Silage has been given the credit
from time to time for causing many
of the ills in the dairy industry, among
them may be mentioned bad favors In
milk and butter, destroying the teeth
of animals, shortening life and more
recently abortion has been added to
the list. II the crop Is not put into
the silo at the proper stage OF matur-
ity or II the silo is not air tight ana
undesirable lamentations take place,
some ill-effects may result. On the
other hand, when a crop is put into
we'll built silo in the right condition,
| believe that silage Is cheap, palat-
able and healthy food for dairy COWS
and that the products resulting from
its use are not inferior. Why is 1t, II
silage Is unhealthful and unwhole'
some, that thousands Of silos are In
use by the best dairymen in America!
Why is it that milk furnished by many
of the best dairymen who are heavy
feeders of silage are unable to supply
the demand from critical customers
who pay high prices for what they
regard as an excellent article? Why
is It that butter from diaries where
silage is properly fed meets with no
objection from customers? Why Is 1t
that some condensed milk factories ac-
cept milk from silage fed cows and
urge their patrons to erect and use
silos? Why is it that COWS fed on
silage for long period OF years re-
main in good health, continue to take
their rations and yield profitable re-
turns? Why is 1t Uf silage causes
abortion) that herds Of forty COWS fed
literally with silage for six months
of the year, even when well advanced
in the period of CESSATION, 60 through
the entire year without case of abor.
ton? My experience in feeding dairy
herd with silage for seven years indi-
Gates that there is no foundation for
objections to the legitimate use of sill
age as a food for dairy animals even
when supplying critical customers
with milk and cream. Further, my
experience has been that when well
preserved silage is fed continuously
for six months of the year (the amount
not exceeding IS pounds per COW
daily in connection with such fine
feeds as will make a properly bal
anced ration the animals will remain
in good health from year to year.
Furthermore, it has been my expert
ence that COWS, even when we'll ad-
vanced in the period of CESSATION, may
be fed good corn silage at the rate OF
20 to rs pounds per day in connection
with other foods without any injurious
effects. 1t is my opinion, therefore,
that good corn silage fed within rea-
sonable limits does not cause abortion.
In fact, | believe that a succulent
food, as corn silage, fed in small guam
titles at the time when animals are
we'll advanced in the period of gesta-
ton, aids in keeping the digestive
system in good condition and has a
beneficial effect upon the general
health of the animal-C. B. Lane,
Asst. In Dairy Husbandry, N. J. Expe.
riment Station.
From the Farmers Review: At the
Dairymen's Convention held at Fond
du Lac, Wisconsin, some weeks ago,
D. W. Howie made the statement that
ensilage was the cause of abortion
where fed to COWS advanced in the
period of CESSATION. am in receipt
of a request to give my experience
along this line. 1t has been my GUS
tom for many years to put all cows
about to freshen on an ensilage diet,
dropping all grain feed. In converse
ton with H. B. Gurler on the same
subject found he was practicing the
same method and like me does not
have any bad results, either abortion
or milk fever. We also use ensilage
for all young heifers right up to the
time they freshen. Do not use grain
before three or four weeks of time Of
their freshening, and then the grain
feed is quite light, never more than
four pounds daily Of some balanced
ration cows in milk get. am In
receipt of many letters each year
from dairymen all over the United
States regarding abortion in their
herds and from the descriptions they
send of how their herds are handled
| have never failed to point out the
cause and in no case have for mo
ment thought ensilage caused 1t (more
likely the lack of it). Mrs. HOWE
(the mother of D. W. at our recent
roundup at Bloomington gave us sew
eral causes for this trouble and every
one of them is just such as find
in all afflicted herds-badly construct
ed stalls, narrow gateways, narrow
stable doors and slippery places about
watering places, rough treatment by
hired help and dogs. must take
enough space to thank F. M. Parsons
of Burlington, Iowa, for championing
my silo plan. All Of the remuneration
| get from my giving to the dairymen
and stockmen this silo plan is in the
way of just such kind words and 1t is
all am asking, and am pleased to