, 1920-04-15
SUNFLOWERS EQUAL TO CORN.
In Feeding Value as Silage, According
to Wyoming University Author
ity.-Big Demand for SilOs.

A few weeks & The Sun published
a lengthy article from the Country
Gentleman. which told of the results
of experiments with sunflowers as
silage by stockmen in Montana, and
the great tonnage of good feed per acre
the silo and sunflower combination by
Montana feeders.
Believing that this subject is of in
terest to Platte Valley stockmen. who
are finding range feed scarcer with
each succeeding year. and who must
soon or late come to the silo as a means
for enlarging on their supply of feed
for cattle. we print herewith an article
written by c. \. S~hepardson, connect
ed with the animal husbandry depart
ment of the State University. which
gives the results of experiments along
this line IA little carer home. Mr..
sfepar,fson says:
''The ever increasing scarcity of
range pasture is causing a correspond
ing demand for more farm crops for
feed and Il constantly growing demand
for siloS. This has given rise to study
of the silase crops best suited to our
state.
while it is generally believed that
corr silage surpasSeS all others, there
are some sections where corn cannot
be grown to advantage and we must
use some other crop. For several years
Investigations have been carried on
with Sunflowers and it is found that
sunflower silage offers the best Substi-
tute for corr in our state that we have
been able to find.
"Sunflower Silage has Il composition
rather similar to corn silagc. and re-
cent feeding experiments show it to be
about equal in feeding value to corn.
1t has higher protein content than corn.
having "A nutritive ratio of about 10 as
compared with 1.15 for corn. This is
an important feature in this state,
where in many sections protein feeds
are scarce, and corn silage is not a bal
anced ration in itself
compared with other feeds, sun
flower silage will save about One-half
of the hay required when silage is not
used, and if the seeds are well matured
it will make ii corresponding saving on
grain. 1t has been shown in extensive
feeding experiments that "A ration of
good silage and alfalfa will put on
more economical gains with beef or
mutton than II other ration that we
can use.
"From the standpoint of yield per
acre and of net feed value per pound,
silage is n profitable feed, but it has
n still more important value which is
too often overlooked. In many cases
we have seen stock that were appar-
emily in good flesh but that lacked the
vigorous, healthy appearance that we
should like to see. Breeding ewes on
dry hay often come to lambing time in
good flesh but without sufficient milk
flow TO care for their lambs. Too much
dry feed is also the cause of serious
losses in our herds every winter. Ac-
cording to the deputy state veterinari-
an. II large number of the eases of
hemorrhagic %septicemia can be traced
to the poor condition of the animal due
to n lack of %succulent feeds.
ITO quote one farmer Mt Il recent
farm bureau meeting, 'Sunflwer silage
is blue grass pasture in the winter
This is essentially true. 1t is only
to compare n herd of dry fed
stock with one hat is silage fed to
note the difference. The silage fed
stock will have IA sleek, glossy appear
ance, with plenty of life and vigor and
"A good appetite. while the dry fed
stock, though they may seem in good