Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-01-25
SiIOS and SiIage Feeds
Topic By 0. E. Gibson
AGRICULTURAL AGENT GIVES
BRIEF DIRECTIONS SUITABLE
TO THIS REGION

Where farms are in the making and
the number of head of livestock kept
is limited, the winter feed problem is
not one that is easily solved.
The advisabiIity of using siIage in
the winter ration is not questioned
where the cost per ton can be kept
low enough to warrant it's use.
Some of the arguments in favor of
using silage in Upper Wisconsin are.
1. A feed period of at least 24O
days.
2. Availability of comparatively
cheap building material.
3. Possible to keep more livestock
on a given area of land.
4. Less waste in feeding than when
dry fodder is used.
5. Increase the efficiency of other
feeds.
Under the following conditions the
use of silo is not recommended:
l. When the number of head of
livestock is less than eight or ten.
2. When the use of small silo
will compel the owner to buy and
maintain a filling outfit alone.
Nine dairy cows per farm average
of "a northern counties, Villas three
and one-fifth; Barron, IL; Bayfield,,
5; Burnett, 6; Chippewa, 10; Douglas,
s; Polk, 1912; Rusk, z; Sawyer, 4;
Washburn, 6; Ashland, 61a; Clark, 10;
Iron, 4; Lincoln, S1a; Marathon, II;
Oneida, 4; Price, 51a; Taylor, III;
Florence, 6 Forest, 4; Langlade, 8;
Marinette, 8; Oconto, 8; Shawano, IL.
Permanent buildings are not the
rule upon farms that are being made
in upper Wisconsin. Because Of this
and the relatively high cost of con
struction the concrete silo is not re
commended for the average farmer.
The cheapest type of silo under our
conditions is either the homemade
wooden-hoop or the wooden stave silo.
Local mills can saw two by four mater
ial and in many cases tongue and
groove it on level Where these ty-
pes are contemplated get Bulletin No
855 entitled Homemade Silos," put
out by the u. S. Department of Agri
culture, Washington, D. G.
The following figure taken from
Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Department
of Agriculture, show the life of stave
silos:
Cypress IL yf's
Redwood -...........------....-...,, IA yrs.
Douglas Fir .--...-.-..-.--..--... ---- 10 yrs.
Yellow Pine ,,--,-----,,-----..-.-----.-.-- yrs.
White Pine --..-...----.....-.-,.,.,--. 8 yrs.
The above figures are for woods
that are untreated. The applying of
preservative materially lengthens the
life of a wooden silo.
Where corn will produce more food
material per acre than any other
crop which can be grown it is the
best silage crop The best variety to
plant is that which will yield the
largest amount of grain to the acre
because So per cent of the digestible
food materials present III the corn
plant are found in the ears and 81 per
cent in the slower.
Sunflowers are recommended as a
silage crop in those areas where corn
does not mature sufficiently for first
class silager: Sunflowers yield a
greater tonnage per acre (1O-25) but
contain nearly 40 per cent less nutri-
ents per ton than corn silage in which
the ears have reached the dent stage.
Although sunflower silage is readily
eaten it is slightly less palatable than
good corn silage.
When planted too far apart sunflow-
ers develop coarse woody stalk.
This is overcome by drilling the seed
eight inches apart in rows SO inches
apart
The Monmouth Russian or Giant
Russian is the variety which has given
best results.
Oats and Peas is crop used in
localities where it yields a more ac
.ceptabIe tonnage per acre than other
crops. 1t makes an excellent quality
of silage.
Rye, if cut while the grain is in a
stiff dough stage and well packed
makes fair silage. 1t is seldom recon-
mended
The legumes, clovers beans and
peas are not recommended for silage
when they can be cured as hay. Glow
er or pea vine silage has an objection
able odor but is very palatable. 1t does
not pack so we'll and therefore requir-
es greater care in filling.
In general it may be said that
practically any green crop or weed
will make silage with the exception
of cabbage, rape or kale or the root
crops
Crop should be ensiled when the
grain is in a stiff dough or denied
stage and a majority of stem and
leaves are still green.
Semi-dry or frosted corn should al
ways be damped as it enters the siIo