The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-01-24
SILAGE IS GOOD
WINTER ROUGHAGE
Particularly Valuable During Sea-
son When Animals Are Idle.
MOLDY SlLAeE IS DANGEROUS
Feed for Horses and Mules Should Be
Made From Thoroughly Mature
corn-Froxen silage Also
Should Be Avoided.

Prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture.)
Good sllage properly fed is a SPLEEN
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 1t at once blamed
the silage 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 n
mules. Moids must have air to grow
and therefore silagc which Is packed
alright and fed out rapidly will not be-
come moldy. II the feeder watches the
silage carefully as the wea her warns
I'D he can soon detect the presence OF
mold. When mold appears, feeding to
horses or mules should stop immedi-
ately.
Danger Of Collie.
It Is also unsafe to feed horses
frozen silage OF account OF the danger
of collie. This Is practically impos-
sible to avoid I'm very cold weather,
especially In solid-wall silos. BY TAXI
ing the days feed from the u~nfrozen
center of the silo and chopping away
the frozen sllage 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 q NEAR to carry then
through the winter season cheaply OF
to supplement pasture during drought
As the danger of mold is greater II
summer than In winter, silage should
rot be fed to horses In that season un
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 broo'
mares In winter no feed has NOR
value than good corn silage. II tn
grain goes into the silo with the stove
) no additional grain Is needed for broo'
/ mares, hay being the only supplement
tary feed necessary. II there Is littl,
grain on the corn the silage should b
supplemented with n pound Of old
process linseed-oil meal or ~cottonsee'
meal daily per 1000 pounds live weight
sprinkled over the silage.
Starting on siIaoe.
Horses to be wintercd on q Stag
and hay ration should be started o.
about five pounds Of silage daily pc
1000 pounds live weight, the grain AM
hay ration being gradually decreases
Us the siiuge is increased until the RI
tlon Is 20 pounds silage and 10 pound
Of hay daily per 1000 pounds liv
weight. It will require about a mont
to reach the full feed Of silage, but tn
period may be decreased somewhat
depending on the judgment and skill
OF the feeder.
Mares fed In this name will be II
splendid condition for foaling, and, 8
far as the writer's experience goes, til
foals will be fully as vigorous, Wit
just as much size and bone. as IL tn
mares were fed the conventional grail
and hay ration.
Work horses when idle can be wir
tered satisfactorily in this manner, bu
much silage Is not recommended 70
horses at heavy work for the same rel
son that a driving horse cannot do hi
best while on watery grass pasture.