The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-11-12

Lot / was fed on corn silage, clover
hay, and oats straw; Lot 2 on shock
corn, clover hay, and oats straw; and
Lot , on corn stover and oats straw
supplemented the latter part Of the
season by clover hay. Corn silage
was figured at 1894 per ton, shock
corr. at $3.50, corn stover, or what
farmers usually call corn fodder, at
1925, shredded slower at the same
price, clover hay at $500, and oats
straw at $50. 1t was not Intended to
make these COWS fat, but to keep them
through the winter GAO days. and in
crease the weight to approximately
equal the weight of the calf when
dropped.
1t is not necessary for us to go into
the details of the experiment, but SIM
ply to give results. The average daily
gain of the lot fed silage, clover hay,
and oats straw was 10Y pounds per
head; II the lot fed shock corn, clover
hay, and oats straw .759 of a pound;
and on the lot fed corn stover and
oats straw supplemented the last two
months with clover hay Al of a pound.
At the end of the period Lots l and 2
were in excellent thrift and spirits,
while Lot 3 was somewhat out of
condition, dull and sluggish.
Lot / had 1866 pounds of silage per
day, 80 pounds of clover hay, and $50
pounds Of straw. Lot 2 had 81 pounds
of shock corn, 3.5 pounds of clover
and 1888 pounds of oats straw. Lot 3
had for the first forty-two days 21.67
pounds of corr stover and for the last
/ -nioht davis IN 81 yntvn1c nf
stOver, 1.56 pounds of clover hay and
$40 pounds of oats straw. 1t required
.95 of an acre to furnish feed for each
cow in the first lot, 1.04 acres for the
second lot, and LA acres for the
third.
The station draws the following
conclusions: Breeding COWS Of the
beef type may be wintered without
grain, provided they are given all the
corn stover and oats straw they will
consume during the early part and
supplemented with a small amount of
clover hay during the latter part.
Cows fed in this way gained SIS
pounds during the test; but this
method is not recommended because
the COWS so fed lacked thrift at the
end of the period.
Before calving the general condition
of the cows in Lot l and 2 receiving
silage and shock corn, respectively,
was about the same; but the silage.
ed COWS showed more thrift than the
cows fed shock corn under like con-
ditions. Figuring the feeds at the
prices mentioned, it costs $1.47 a
month, or $6.S7 for the 140 days, to
maintain the silage-fed COWS, $1.39 a
month to maintain those fed shock
corn, and 1897. cents a month to main
tain those fed corn stover. In other
words. it cost 81 cents more to winter
a cow on silage for 140 days than on
~schocked corn, but the cows fed silage
gained $50 pounds while those fed
shocked corn gained LOG pounds.
We have not gone into the details
as to the comparative cost of keep
ing a dry cow and one sucking calf,
but the station draws the conclusion
that it takes approximately twice az
much feed to maintain a COW when
sucking a calf as it did during preg-
nancy.
The corn plant fed in the form of
silage is more palatable than when
fed in the form of shock corn, which
may be the cause Of its being more
efficient for the maintenance of beef
producing cows.