Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-02-01
SILAGE IS GOOD
WINTER R0UGHAGE
Particularly Valuable During Sea-
son When Animals Are Idle.
MOLDY SILAGE IS DANGEROUS
Feed for Horses and Mules Should Be
Made From Thoroughly Mature
Corn-Frozen Silage Also
Should Be Avoided.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Good silage properly fed is a splen-
did 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
by eating moldy silage, and the care
less person who fed It at once blamed
the slage itself, rather than his own
carelessness and the mold which real
ly 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 and
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-
ately.
Danger of Collie.
% 1t 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
piling 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 means to carry them
through the winter season cheaply or
to supplement pasture during drought.
AS the danger of mold is greater in
summer than in winter, silage should
not be fed to horses in that season I'M
less a large number of animals are
getting it, 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. If the
no additional grain is needed for brood
mares, hay being the only supplement
tary feed necessary. If there Is little
grain on the corn the silage should be
supplemented with one pound of old
process linseed-oil meal or cottonseed
meal daily per 1000 pounds live weight,
sprinkled over the silage.
..~ Starting on sllage.
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
as 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 month
to reach the full feed of silage, 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 as vigorous, with
just as much size and bone, as If 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 driving horse cannot do his
best while on watery grass pasture.