The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-01-25
S|lAGE IS GOOD
WINTER ROuGHAGE
Particularly Valuable During Sea-
son When Animals Are Idle.
MolDY siLleE s DANGEROUS
eeedl for Horses and Mules Should De
Made From Thoroughly Mature
corn-Fro1en Sllaoe Also
Should % Avoided.

Prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture.)
Good silage properly fed is q splen-
lid feed for horses, particularly dur
ing winter when the horses are Idle.
Silage for horses and mules should be
made from thoroughly mature corn,
properly stored so that 1t will not mold.
In many cases horses have been killed
Nv eating moldy silage, and the care
less person who fed II ut once blamed
the sllage itself, rather than his own
~carelcssness and the mold which real
~ was the cause Of the trouble. Horses
are peculiarly susceptible to the effects
Of molds, and under certain conditions
certain molds grow On silage which are
deadly poisons to both horses anu
mules. M0lds must have air to grow
and therefore silage which is packed
alright and fed out rapidly will not be-
come moldy. If the feeder watches the
silage carefully as the weather warns
up he can soon detect the presence Of
mold. When mold appears, feeding to
horses or mules should stop immedi-
atcly.
Danger % Collie.
It Is also unsafe to feed horses
frozen silage on account of the danger
OF collie. This is practically impos-
sible to avoid In very cold weather.
especially in solid-wall silos. BY TAX
ing the days feed from the unfrozen
center of the silo and chopping away
the frozen silage from the edges and
pillng the frozen pieces in the center
the mass will usually thaw out in time
for the next feed.
The value Of silage for horses Is
greatest as q mean to carry them
through the winter season cheaply or
to supplement pasture during drought.
As the danger Of mold is greater in
summe than in winter, silage should
not be fed to horses In that season UNI
less a large number Of animals are
getting 1T, and the daily consumption
is SO large as to preclude the fOrma-
ton Of mold on the surface.
To cheaper the ration Of brood
mares in winter no feed has more
value than good corn silage. II the
grain goes into the silo with the slower
no additional grain Is needed for brood
mares, hay being the only supplement
tary feed necessary. II there Is little
grain on the corn the silage should be
supplemented with n pound Of old
process linseed-oil meal or ~c0ttonseed
meal daily per 1000 pounds live weight,
sprinkled over the silage.
Starting on silaos.
Horses to be wintered on a silage
and hay ration should be started on
about five pounds Of silage daily per
1000 pounds live weight, the grain and
hay ration being gradually decreased
rs the silage is increased until the ra-
ton Is 20 pounds silage and 10 pounds
Of hay daily per 1000 pounds live
weight. 1t will require about a month
to reach the full feed of s.lage, but the
period may be decreased somewhat,
depending on the judgment and skill
Of the feeder.
Mares fed In this manner will be in
splendid condition for foaling. and, SO
far as the writer's experience goes, the
foals will be fully rs vigorous, with
just as much size and bone, as II the
mares were fed the conventional grain
and hay ration..
Work horses when idle can be win
tered satisfactorily in this manner, but
much silage Is not recommended for
horses at heavy work for the same rea-
son that q driving horse cannot do his
best while on watery grass pasture.