Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1922-06-14
ENSILAGE UNSAFE FEED
FOR HORSES AND MULES
One Man Lost Is Out of 60 Feeding
Young Mules; All Right for
Cattle.

, As a safe and economic feed 70
cattle, ensilage has few equals and n
superiors. What is said derogator
to ensilage feeding in the following
article has no reference whatsoever
either directly or indirectly, to feed
ing this product to cattle.
That ensilage is an unsafe feed fol
horses and mules has almost weekly
for several months-been brough
forciHy to my official attention by
livestock owners in each of the three
grand divisions of Tennessee These
unfortunate owners have been the in
necent victims of ensilage feeding and
have frantically appealed to the state
department of Agriculture for assist
ance. Our field inspectors have an
swered many of these calls. The in
spector have invariable directed that
the ensilage feeding be discontinued
and in all instances the deaths at
once ceased.
About ten years agO-aS State Vet
erinarian-the writer went on record
as strongly condemning the feeding
of ensilage to horses and mules. In
fact at that time, went so far as to
send out warning to live stock own
ers of Tennessee admonishing them
to avoid feeding ensilage to horses
and mules. At that time we consid-
cred enSilage an unsafe feed for this
class of live Stock. Since then no
facts have been developed that are
in any way calculated to cause me to
reverse the opinion then expressed. In
spite of our former warning, hundreds
of valuable animals have been sacri-
feed each year by owners persisting
in feeding ensilage to horses and mul6i
Self constituted authorities have in
some stances-through the press
and otherwise-wrongly advised the
horse and mule owners. Such So
called authorities have advocated en-
silage feeding to THIS class Of animals
even in spite of the fact that it is a
hazardous procedure. | here recall
one amusing incident even though the
heavily financial losses
by following the advice given. A prom
nent farmer in one of our Middle Ten
nessee counties purchased 90 weanling
mules. A strong enthusiast OF ensiT-
age persuaded him to build and tlll
two silos for the purpose of feeding
these 90 mules through the winter
,heaply and profitably. The owner
followed the advice given by building
two silos and filling them with what
was believed to be first class ensilage.
Soon after the beginning of winter
one silo was opened and the feeding
started Within few days the mules
began to sicken and die in spite OF
a qualified veterinarians efforts to
save them. The state Department of
A Agriculture was appealed to and the
writer visited the farm. At the time
Of my visit I9 mules were already dead
and others desperately sick from
what was then known as Forage Pols
On or Blind Staggers"
The owner was very much disheart- |
ened and discouraged and asked me
for nv best advice. | suggested to !
him that the feeding OF ensllage to /
he remaining mules be discontinued
hat he write the party who persuaded !
aim TO 1ceu tllSlldSS " iiio iiitiiNo' ~
the effect that his advice had been
followed. the two silos had been built
and filled, the 60 mules had been put
on ensilage feed, to date I8 were dead /
and seven others were desperately i'll
with no chance to save them. From
indications the mules would
give out before the ensilage was con-
;umed, and he wanted to know what
his former adviser would
suggest for the balance of the ensil-
age.
We are gratified to know that the
State of Tennessee Department OF
Agriculture is on record as opposed
10 this practice. The disease pro-
1uced by ensilage is Botulism.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are to
arge degree immune to Botulsm. In
,ilage that is known to have killed
many horses and mules has been fed
o cattle without any bad results.-By
George R. White, State Veterinarian.
This article will be followed next
week by one on Botulism. by the
same author.