The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-10-25
Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculturel

ment OF Agriculture)
Silage is splendid winter feed par
hcularly adapted for dairy cows. In
many sections silage has come to be
the dairy farms main reliance for
substitute for fresh grass. While the
real food and nutritive value of silage
Is not great, about three-f0urths of it's
total weight being water, it Is succu-
lent and paiatable. 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 containing large amount Of
water in the form of natural plant
juices, 1t 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
~ troubled with digestive disturbances,
the coat is noticeably sleek and soft,
and the skin is pliable. No rough feed
Is more palatnble than good corn silage,
which is Of great Importance In feed
ing dairy cattle as it induces large
consumption and stimulates the secre-
ton of digestive juices.
Feeding Leguminous 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 body weight.
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 30 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
roughage they will clean up with grain
In proportion to butterfat produced.
The hay will ordinarily range between
8 and II pounds per cow per day when
fed in connection with silage. For HOl-
stems / pound of concentrates for each
a pounds of milk produced will prove
about right. For Jerseys 1 pound for
each pounds Of MIX or less will come
nearer meeting the requirements. The
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 a 1,300-pound COW yielding 40
pounds Of milk testing 3.5 per cent:
Pounds.
Silage 40
Glover. cowpea, or alfalfa hay ............10
Grain mixture Observation-Disclosures. 10
For the same cow yielding 20
pounds of 3.5 per cent milk:
Pounds.
SiIage
Glover. cowpea. or alfalfa hay ............ 5
For 900-pound cow yielding 30
pounds Of per cent milk:
Pounds.
Glover. cowpea, or alfalfa hay ...........10
Grain mixture ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. III
For the same cow yielding 10 pounds
of per cent milk:
Pounds.
Glover. cowpea, or alfalfa hay ........... 8
Grain mixture ,.......................... b
A good grain mixture to be used in a
ration which includes silage and some
sort of leguminous hay is composed
Of:
Parts
Corn chop .........................-
Wheat bran Observation-Disclosures.
Linseed oil meal or cottonseed meal......1
In case the hay used Is not of this
kind some of the corn chop may be re-
placed by 'linseed or cottonseed meal.
In many instances brewers dried
or :lns or crushed oats may be profita-
bly, substituted for the bran, and often
times gluten products can be used to
advantage in place of bran or oil meals.
Time to Feed.
The time to feed silage is directly
after milking or at least several hours
before milking. II fed Immediately be-