Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-05-06
Utilization of Roughages.

| Utilization of Roughages.
| The study of feeding methods and re
suits is something that the live stOcl
farmer Is always engaged in, If he is tn
right kind of farmer. he is Away
looking for new information, and ever.
little while some Of our Investigators ar
discovering new facts that will assis
the live stock farmer in determining
how most profitably to feed. Mind / d.
not say that these Investigators deter
mine for the farmer how hs shall feed
They only dig up new information tha
will aid him in determining how h,
shall feed with the material which he
has on hand.
A recent bulletin of the Indiana sta
ton contains the significant statemeu
that lone of the greatest losses on ths
form is due to the lack of proper utiliza
tion of roughage incidental to grain pro
ductiOp."
There are produced upon the farm
large quantities of rough feeds that do
not bring, on the market, prices to justi-
| fy the removal of such quantities Ol
plant food as of necessity accompanies
the sale of such products. Therefore,
one of the greatest problems to be solved
in successful farm management is the
disposal of the roughage produced on
the farm in such way as to secure the
feeding value and at the same time con-
serve the plant food therein contained.
1t is explained that 1t is impossible to
produce grain without also producing
large amounts of rOughsge. Since cattle
are pre-eminently the most satisfactory
animals to consume large quantities OF
roughsge, the solution of the roughage
problem lies largely with this class Of
stock, and with it rests the real value OF
the roughage grown on the farm. Cattle
feeding is coming more and more to be
considered as a means of marketing
grain, conserving soil fertility, and com.
pleteiy utilizing the roughage produced
on the farm rather than means OF COM
mercial speculation.
J,H. Skinner and his associates, of the
Indiana station, have for several years
been investigating "the most efficient
methods of feeding the crops produced
on the farm, and especially the utiliza.
ton of the various kinds OF roughage."
Tney have experimental particularly
with corn silage and clover hay as rough
age.
pretty we'll recognized and understood,
but the use and value of the cornstslk is
neither understood nor appreciated. 1t
has long been known that the stalks con.
tain a very large percentage Of the food
nutrients of the corn plant. When har-
vested to preserve the grain only, the
stalks, either standing or as corn stover,
while containing the food nutrients,
have them locked in such q way with
woody fiber that they are not readily
available for animals. The woody parts
are not only unpalatable, but, when
eaten, require 80 much energy In di-
gestion that large part of their value IL
lost. When harvested, by putting the
entire plant into the silo the plant passes
through process Of fermentation that
leaves tho hard parts of the stalk soft
and palatable, and the general effect OF
summer grass is secured in winter by
feeding the corn silage. When fed In
the form of silsge, the entire corn plant
is consumed.
In the experiments at the Indiana sta
tiou it was found that corn silsge was q
more economical and more profitable
roughage than clover hay alone for fat
tepipg cattle. Addition of silage to a
ration of shelled corn, cottonseed meal
and clover hay decreased the consump-
ton of shelled corn In amounts closely
approximating the grain content OF the
silage in the ration. Addition OF s'iage
to a ration of shelled corn, cottonseed
meal, and clover hay Increased the rate
and decreased the cost of gain and finish.
ed the cattle equally we'll. Silage added
10 ration of shelled corn, cOttonseed
meal, and clover hay increased the prof.
its per steer in amounts closely corre-
spending to the saving In cost OK gains.
The substitution of corn silage for
clover hay with grain rations of corn and
cottonseed meal did not affect the rate OF
gain, but did greatly reduce the cost of
gain. Corn silsgs alone as roughage,
with grain ration of shelled corn and
cottonseed meal, gave slightly less
finish than clover hay alone as roughage,
but the cost of gains was enough less to
return much larger profit where silage
was the only roughage fed. The more
nearly corn silsge replaced the clover
hay in the ration, the cheaper the gain,
but the entire elimination Of clover hay
from the ration was accompanied by
slightly less finish on the cattle.
Under prevailing marke; conditions
the larger the proportion of corn silage
in the roughags, in the early part of the
fat,ening period, the cheaper were the
gains. To induce sufficient grain con-
sumption to insure satisfactory gains, it
was necessary to limit the amount Of
silage fed during the latter part of the
feeding period. Corn silage In the ra-
tion produced relatively more rapid i'm
proyement in the condition of the cattle
during the early part Of the fattening
period than did clover hay alone as
roughage. The consumption OF frozen
silage secured the cattle.
The results in general indicate very
strongly that the more nearly the clover
bay is replaced by corn silage, the great
or is the reduction In the cost OF making
gains, but that for the latter half of the
fattening period the roughage must be
limited to such amounts that enough
grain will be eaten TO return satisfactory
gains. Otherwise, there will be a lack
of finish on the cattle that will partially
or entirely overcome the advantage de-
rived from the more economical gains.
With these precautions 1t appears
that the substitution of silage in part for
clover is an economical method of utiliz
inc rouyhage on the farm.-U. s. Farm.