Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-10-15
The Food Value of a Combination of
Roughage

HOugnage
d. s.. Smyrna, Ga, writes: We have a
lot of feed or hand that was planted for
silage, but we lest ten of cows. which
only left seven, a too small a number to
our silo with. The feed consists Of
about equal amount Of kafr corn
ghum and velvet beans and about twice as
much corn any of the other crops. What
would be the analysis of this feed if it
was ground up fine? What would have to
he added to 4 TO make it a balanced ra ton
for and mules?
1t would be impossible to give. the APP
proXimate analysis of a mixture of feed
such as you inquire about without MAX
ing a chemical examination thereof 1t
would cost several dollars to do this and
would require considerable time. /
doubt if an approximation of this food
could be made wit hany degree of accu-
racy because of the variance in the per
cent of the different constituents it
contains. 1t would be a simple matter 10
the digeStibility of each one of the crops
entering into the mixture. This, how
ever would not help you materially.
Kaffir corn, including the grain, and
sorghum do not vary greatly in the feed
ing value from corn, including the ear
and stalk. The amount of velvet beans
in the croD is not sufficiently large to
affect it's composition materially.
Our way of estimating and determin-
ing the value of a mixture of this char
acter would be to rate it along with any
first-clasS form of mixed hay which con-
tainS say a fair proportion of clover:
We would regard combination crop
of this kind as worth as much, there
fore. as mixed hay would bring contain
ing say a considerable proportion of
timothy. We cannot see that it would
be to any advantage to grind all this
mixture up in the manner you indicate.
Illuminating animals can grind it up
completely and assimilate it more cheap
ly than machinery. They are organized
to handle long, coarse fodder in this
manner Our idea would be that a crop
Of this character should be turned out
as hay and then fed in that form along
with a suitable amount of other -concen.
trateS. If you have silo available, we
are of the opinion that even with only
a few cows, it would still pay you to
fill it. y combination crop of this char
acter will make better Silage than any
thing else. 1t will be easier to harvest
and cure more satisfactorily in this form
than if you make il into hay. You GER
tainly should not have any great diff
Guilty in obtaining sufficient animals tC
and a little concentrated food, such as
cotton seed meal, you cannot only main
tain your remaining dairy cows in eX-
cellent condition, but can provide a suit
able ration for the maintenance of beef
calves and young stock or such beef
cattle IS you can conveniently gather
~ u the community.
Grasses Adapted to Sandy Loan Soils
A subscriber, Gordan. Ala, writes: I
have piece OF land l gish 10 plant in
pasture. | have Just cut hay off the land.
II is 4 saEiy lcam What grasses would
. make a good Ccmhinat icn pasture that would
furnish grazing all the year around: When
E,uld Ne the best time 10 Pant:
% is very difficult to give you any
..at.sfactory advice in reference to the
"$tohliShment of a pasture without