The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-20
HOW TO FEED ALFALFA

The best use | have found for a
small plot of alfalfa is for soiling cat
tie and for feeding horses and poultry
Alfalfa is the best soiling crop known
and those who have an acre or more
1t with ensilage or green corn fodder
II they have 1t, to supplement pas
lures. 1t Is very valuable as hay,
but IL | had only small acreage, ]
would first use II for soiling, wtlted
under hay caps. There is danger IN
feeding green alfalfa without whiting
especially II It is wet. 1t may then
cause bloat. If one has plenty of pas
ture in early summer, II may be well
to cure the first cutting for hay and
use the other two or three for soil.
ing, but however, good the pasture,
II alfalfa Is fed to the cows when on
1t, the flow of milk will be consider.
ably increased. In my experience the
maximum yield is obtained only with
alfalfa. The COW will leave all 9TH
er food for green alfalfa, and the al.
falfa will increase the flow of milk
after all is obtained that is possible
with other foods. This fact has been
learned by breeders of pure bred cat
tie, and they try to grow some alfal-
ia to feed when making official tests.
When pastures are supplemented with
alfalfa, there are generally enough of
the more carbonaceous pasturegrass-
es, as timothy, etc, to well balance
the high protein content of the al.
falfa. When pastures begin to dry
up or are short in late summer there
should be a reserve of corn silage or
green corn stalks to feed with the al
falfa. In. this way, with no cash out
lay for grain, the cows can be kept
up to the maximum flow of milk. This
means that more milk can be oh.
tanned than with the average pasture
which is supplemented with grain.
wish my readers could all see the
value Of alfalfa for all farm animals.
II is as good for sheep and poultry
as for cattle and horses. For poultry
yarded din summer, alfalfa is the best
green food, If cut in short Lengths
and put in Slated boxes. II is far
better than any commercial mixture,
and 1t costs only the knowledge need.
ed to grow it and little work. Better
than anything else, alfalfa will help
the farmer solve his feeding problems
and will enlarge his margins of prof.
its. Besides its feeding value 1t will
build up his soil by filling it with hui
mus, so that he can grow large crops
of corn, etc.
The best food for farm horses in
summer is alfalfa, wilted under hay
caps with only a little grain. The
heavier draft horses with larger stom-
ach capacity II kept on the farm VIII
d. the ordinary work with a liberal
Ceecing of alfalfa and a few pounds
OF srain. When wilted under hay caps
1t contains just the right succulence
for the farm horse, II used moderate.
~, but too much for the driving horse
For the road horse | prefer wilted al.
falfa to ordinary hay, only | would
give less of II and more grain.
should have mentioned one difficulty
IN soiling animals with alfalfa alone
and that is that 1t cannot be cut con
tinuously without Injury. There ia ar
interval of about two weeks with eacl
troo when the alfalfa should be lei
llone TO grow, but this can be bride
ID ever by feeding fine quality Ct
alfa.ia hay. The main trou BE I have
found IN thus feeding the cattle and
forses has been that after they hay,
become accustomed to eating the al
falfa they 40 not want any othe,
r'ughage ana viii rot eat II as lon,
as tooy eypcc' the oltalfa.
Besides knowing the right way tc
feed alfalfa when used in summer
Tor soiling crop, farmers should nm
uersland they will get better result,
from feeding alfalfa hay in winter 4
1t is fed WITH a carbonaceous succu
lent ioughaee, such as a good dual
ity OF corn ensilage, Without ensll
age or other green or succulent food
1t would be a good thing to do to grow
some root crop to feed with the al
L falfa hay. w. Il. JENKINS