Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-02-01
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture

Hlduy SectlOnS Sllage mas come TO De
the dairy farms main reliance for
cows, for it is the best and cheapest
substitute for fresh grass. While the
real food and nutritive value of silage
is not great, about three-fourths of its
total weight being water, it is succu- !
lent and palatable 1t contains large |
amount of carbohydrates in proportion |
to the protein and will give best re- |
suits when fed with some other feed |
richer in dry matter and in protein. |
AS feed contaiping large amount of |
water in the form of natural plant |
juices, it is easily digested and serves |
the useful purpose of keeping the
whole system of the animal in good
condition. A silage-fed animal is rare
ly troubled with digestive disturbances,
the coat is nOticeably sleek and soft,
and the skin is pliable. No rough feed
is more palatable than good corn silage,
which is of great importance in feed
ing dairy cattle as it induces a large
consumption and stimulates the secre-
ton of digestive juices.
Feeding Leauminous Hay.
LeguminOus hay such as clover, COW
peas or alfalfa should be fed in combi-
nation with silage. These will tend to
correct the deficiencies of the silage in
dry matter, protein and mineral con-
stituents. A ration of silage and, say,
alfalfa hay alone is satisfactory, how
ever, only. for COWS which are dry or
giving only small amount,of milk and
for heifers and bulls. Cows in full
milk require some concentrated feed
In addition to hay and silage, as they
cannot consume enough of these feeds
to keep up large flow of milk and
maintain bodyweight.
Amount to Feed.
The amount Of silage to feed a COW
will depend upon the capacity of the
animal to consume feed. She should
be fed as much as she will clean up
without waste when consuming it
with her hay and grain. Raise or low
| er the amount until the proper guam
| tity is ascertained. Generally speaking,
good COW should be fed just short of
| the limit of her appetite. If she re-
fuses any of her feed it should be re-
| duced at once. The small breeds will
| eat % or 80 pounds per day; the large
| breeds 40 or more; and the medium
sized ones amounts varying between.
| Rations.
Ironclad directions for feeding COWS
cannot be given. In general, however,
they should be supplied with all the
| nbor will oil with in
in proportion to butterfat produced.
| The hay will ordinarily range between
5 and 12 pounds per COW per day when
fed in connection with silage. For Hol-
stems 1 pound Of concentrates for each
4 pounds of milk produced will prove
about right. For Jerseys 1 pound for
each pounds of milk or less will come
grain for other breeds will vary be-
tween these two according to the quail
ity of milk produced. A good rule is
to feed seven times as much grain as
there is butterfat produced.
The following rations have been
found satisfactory:
For 1,300-pound COW yielding &C
pounds of milk testing 3.5 per cent:
Pounds
Clover, cowpea, or alfalfa hay il
Grain mixture .............................. II
For the same COW yielding y
pounds of 3.5 per cent milk:
Pounds
Glover, cowpea, or alfalfa hay ............
Grain mixture .....--...-...-..--..-...-
For 90O-pound COW yielding 81
pounds of per cent milk:
Pounds
Sllage e..-.--.-.....-.-..... IS
Clover. cowpea, or alfalfa hay ........... i
. Grain mixture OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. L
For the same COW yielding Is pound:
of per cent milk:
. Pounds
{ Silage 8
Glover, cowpea, or alfalfa hay
Grain mixture OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
, good grain mixture to be used in ;
ration which includes silage and som
of:
Parts
Corn chop
Wheat bran ...--.......-...-.---..----
i | Linseed oil meal or cottonseed meal. .....
s In case the hay used is not of thi
Y kind some of the corn chop may be re
/ placed by linseed Or cottonseed meal
j In many instances brewers drie
q grains or crushed oats may be profita
+ bly, substituted for the bran, and Otter
= times gluten products can be used t
}. advantage in.pIace of bran or oil meals
S Time to Feed.
| TI'l,n limo food ci1o iS dirantl
O after milking or at least several hour
a before milking. If fed Immediately be
t fore milking the silage odors may pas
e through the cows body into the mill
d Besides. the milk may receive som
e taintS directly from the stable air. 0
J. the other hand, if feeding is done sui
l. sequent to milking, the volatile silag
e Odors will have been thrown off befor
d the next milking hour. Silage is usua
ly fed twice day.
Many objections have been made
the feeding of silage, some condenSe
J. les even refusing to let their patron
e. use il. These objections are becomin
If less common, since milk from cows fe
n silage in a proper manner is in no wa
n impaired; furthermore there is not
~~~~~~~-~~~>~E~~~~>~~ ~~-~~~N~N~~~~~~~~~~
IF Eider-Ducks.
h. Eider-GuckS are numerous ever
where in Norway. Being the pr
10 ducers of the valuable elderdown,
as staple article of trade in Norway, th'
st are vigorously protected by law, al
N are in consequence so tame as
" many places to approximate to dome
r. tic fowl. The birds are regard
80 | with for from friendly ewes bV Il