Milford chronicle., 1963-07-05

iA4luxA-aCA o. 0oPS - NA@0 ~S~
lmade smaller daily gains than
did the dry-fed pigs.
Dry-fed lot No. / gained an
average Of 1.72 pounds per day.
lLiquid-fed lot No. 2 gained 1.56
pounds. Lot No. required 3.15
pounds of feed per pound gound
gained, and lot No. 2 required
1884 pounds of feed per pound
gained.
While his experiments tend to
offer no strong case for liquid
feeding, Clawson pointed out that
they are not conclusive. He add
ed that tests conducted elsewhere
have tended to support liquid
feeding over dry. These, too,
are hconclusive, however.
Reducing livestock feeding
labor costs Is on the minds Of
many livestock men today. This
Is especially true OF beef cattle
producers. Many of them are
using horizontal silos either the
trench or bunker type. Some have
had success with self-feeding
from horizontal silos.
Success with a horizontal silo
is dependent on the following,
says Tom King, Penn State live
stock specialist:
Location: Locate where It is
convenient to remove silage daily
or for cattle to self-feed. Don't
locate where surface water from
the surrounding area will drain
into the silo. It should be partially
sheltered from prevailing winds,
especially II cattle are SELF
feeding. Sometimes snow drifting
is a problem. The feeding sur
face should be wide enough to
allow about one-fifth of the cat
tie to eat at time.
Floor and Sides: Solid floor
is absolutely necessary. Too
many trench silos become quag-
mire In wet weather. Earth sides
on trench silos can crumble
away. Sooner or later most own
ers construct permanent sides
on their trenches.
Preservation: Proper fermen-
tation makes good silage. Pack
forage Immediately. Silage quail
fly may be determined within a
few hours after ensiling. Running
a tractor In all directions re-
peatedly over the forage isprob-
ably the easiest way to exclude
, the air. Wilted silage has some
advantages over direct-cut sill
age, but excluding air from wilted
silage Is more difficult than with
direct-cut silage. This places
more emphasis on rapid filling
and packing.
Surface Cover and teaching:
Much loss occurs when too much
surface is exposed to the air and
rain and snow leach away
nutrients. USDA researchers
found that silage saved by COW
|ering with some Of the modern
plastic sheetings was about three
times what the tight cover cost.
Covers we're weighted with saw
dust all over and with railroad
ties at the edges.
+f+
Unlimited feeding of all dairy
COWS in a herd is generally not
profitable, U.S.. Department Of
Agriculture scientist said last
week.
II COWS are fed individually ac-
cording to their production, few
might justify extra rations, Nor
man W. Hooven, Jr., Of USDA's
Agricultural Research Service
told the American Dairy Science
Association, during a meeting at
| FuTuue university.
In studies at Beltsville, Md,
Mr.. Hooven and DR.. Ronald D.
Plowman found that group Of
cows on unlimited feed produc-
ed about the same amount Of
milk as a group fed a controlled
amount. But they ate more feed,
gained more weight, and convert
ed feed to milk less efficiently.
The AIRS dairy husbandmen
studied two groups Of cows during
their second lactations. The cows
selected for this test hadproduc-
ed nearly the same amount of milk
during their first lactation when
fed rations that met their re-
quirements for maintenance and
production.
During this test, one group
was fed an unlimited ration of
grain, hay and silage. The other
group was fed similarly at a
rate 10 percent higher than a
standard ration MorriSon's :
that is recommended to meet
the maximum requirements for
lactating cows. The big eaters
produced an average Of 1924
pounds of 4 percent milk Qat
corrected), compared with 49,
232 pounds averaged by the con-
troll group.
Mr.. Hooven reported that pro-
duction of the cows on unlimited
feed varied considerably. Some
produced more, some about the
same, and some less than cows
on controlled feed.
. Tho f<N,,~ ,slI;..,, IT f.atnilinS.