SILAGE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 5, 15 May 1913, Page 477

SILAGE.

ITS - VALUE BEING APPRECIATED.

W. DIBBLE.

Silage has conclusively proved its value in the ration of the dairy cow, and there are not wanting evidences that it will yet come to be regarded as of equal value for all classes of farm stock. In some countries where more intensive feeding of dairy herds is in vogue than is the case in New Zealand silage is coming to be looked upon as the staple fodder, and this not only for winter feeding, but in the summer months. Made from the proper materials it' is a complete' milk - producing ration, possessing that succulence and : bulk demanded by the deep - milking dairy cow. While' this is so in other countries it is surely reasonable to suppose that silage will ’ prove equally ; valuable in New Zealand, especially in view of the .increasing need of making better use of our lands. Practical experience in both the North and the South. Islands has proved that silage is all that its advocates claim for it.' In addition to providing an ideal milk-forming food, it is an effective insurance against adverse conditions, and thereby eliminates from dairy-farming that great element , of uncertainty in a country where . stall feeding is not practised ' and where dairy cattle are quite subject to a variable climate, unexpectedly, harsh. in some winters and' too often of a droughty nature in the latter part of : the summer —in other words, a climate of occasional extremes, even if the extremes are not so intense as in some less - favoured lands. With these unexpected unfavourable conditions silage is an unexcelled fodder, for if not required at any particular time of the year it can be kept for the ' period when pastures fail and other food is scarce. Even' the contention that it is more costly to secure than special green crops loses its force when the great ■ advantage of silage 'in being always there waiting for an emergency is considered. However, I contend that the cost of preparation :is too often exaggerated. True, under some circumstances it is expensive, but means can generally be found to minimize the cost, > especially ' where the spirit of co-operation prevails in a community and ' where labour-saving devices are properly utilized.

During the past season I witnessed a demonstration of ensilagemaking, where the cost was certainly not more than in haymaking,

except under the unusual circumstances where ideal weather prevails for the desired period- without a break. The green materialmeadowgrass —was conveyed in sledges to the stack, where it was elevated by means of a simple derrick. •

Compared with hay, silage presents several distinct advantages. In the. first place,, the farmer is quite independent of weatherconditions ; then, his labour and .time are economized, as there is no delay, whatever-the weather; and the material-is cut and stacked, at once, so that the field is unoccupied for a minimum space of time. Is all this saving of time and land of no advantage ?

' Such' ideal succulent and nutritious materials for., silage as maize and peas, oats and tares, or lucerne, are certainly much . more .desirable for stock-feeding than dry hay, in which little nourishment often remains. Silage, indeed, is now on its trial in this country as a substitute for turnips' as a cattle-feed: At certain periods of the year it will certainly prove more suitable for milking-stock than swede . turnip A quite apart from its high nutritive value, as ' there will not be any unpleasant flavour imparted to the milka defect in dairying districts where roots are used, a defect which is being emphasized with the extension of cheesemaking.

I- would again emphasize the fact that while silage can be made from practically anything grown on the farm, from weeds to lucerne, it should be remembered that the better the original matter the better the resulting silage. - Now that it has been proved that lucerne can be grown successfully in this country, and this under extreme conditions of • soil' and environment, an ideal combination to feed with silage is presented. Good lucerne hay balances the silage, and thereby provides a ration suitable ' for any period of the year. In the winter and spring the lucerne hay can dominate the silage, and in the drier months of the year the’ silage can dominate the lucerne. In itself lucerne is an admirable material for silage, although when in its most succulent form, as at the,first cutting, it requires to be interlayered with some dry ■ material, such as oaten straw. In fact, in the spring, when, all plants, are at their most succulent stage and wet weather often prevails when cutting and stacking are in progress, it is advisable to use some dry matter in order that the temperature of the stack may be quickly raised arid the work may thereby proceed without interruption. It may be explained that, when 6 ft. to 8 ft. of material are stacked, no further stacking should take place till the temperature has risen to 130° Fahr. If the material is very succulent' and a moist atmosphere prevails it is difficult to secure this desired heat, and the use of a ' little dry . material mixed with the green stuff ■is the only alternative. If the required temperature, or the necessary heat, is attained at the first layer, no

further dry material need be employed, except with the first cutting of lucerne, when a 6 in. layer of straw is advisable between every 2 ft. . layer of the green lucerne. ■

■ The experience of the past season in New Zealand has definitely proved that silage is as valuable for stock-feeding, especially for dairy cows, as it is in such countries as America, where its value is properly appreciated. One South Island dairy-farmer writes to this effect: “I am satisfied with the increased production of my milk . and cream as a result of ensilage this year. My cows have milked during the past winter equally as well as when feeding on summer pastures ; in fact, they usually gain in quality and quantity when fed on first•class silage. Besides the cost of the ration being reduced, there is also a reduction in the cost of producing a given amount of butterfat.” ‘ .

This is also the invariable experience in America. It is well illustrated in the case of two herds whose records were obtained from one of the co-operative cow-testing associations. These herds were chosen for comparison because the average butter-fat production was more equal than that of any other herds in the association. One herd 'was fed on silage, and the other was not. The' cost of hay and grain and the cost to produce 1 lb. of butter-fat were all lower in the case of the silage-fed cows than with those not so fed. . There was 2|d. difference in the cost of producing 1 lb. of butter-fat between the silage-fed herd and the herd not fed silage. . This is a most important item in estimating ' the returns from a fairly larger herd. In another test, where 248 cows, representing eighteen herds, were fed silage, while 125 cows, representing seven herds, were not fed silageregardless of breed, age, or period of lactation—the silage-fed cows produced on an average 5-9 per cent, more milk and 7-8 per-cent, more butter-fat. At one of the agricultural high-school demonstration farms 24,858 lb. of green-fodder maize, converted into silage and fed with a uniform daily allowance of hay and grain, produced 11 per cent, more milk. than when the. same amount, of green-fodder maize was dried and fed with the same daily ration of hay and grain. . Also, 24,440 lb. of silage was obtained from 29,800 lb. of green fodder, and was fed with 1,648 Ib. of hay and 2,8841 b. of grain; while 7,330 Ib. of field-cured fodder maize was obtained from 29,800 lb. of green fodder, and was fed with 1,567 lb. of hay and 2,743 lb. of grain. The silage ration yielded 5 per cent, more milk and 6 per cent, more butter-fat.

In some parts of the Auckland District dairy-farmers at the present time are experiencing great difficulty in maintaining a normal yield from their herds, owing to a severe spell of dry weather. Had they provided silage when feed was abundant—-invariably in New Zealand

there are seasons of the year when the farmer has feed going .to . waste - —they . would now be independent of the adverse weather-conditions, while they would at the same time be able to maintain their cattle in excellent condition. With, silage there is no need for the dairyfarmer to be ever short of feed for his stock. Not only should he have sufficient silage for the immediate season, but .he should have a reserve stack always on hand in view of any unexpected failure of pastures or of adverse weather-conditions.’ .

The advantages of silage feeding may be summed up thus : It keeps young stock, growing, while it enables the cow to produce milk and butter-Tat more economically ;, it increases, the production of milk and butter-fat; more stock can be kept on a given: area ; and it is the most economical scheme of supplying feed < for . milch-cows during the summer months. A supply should always be kept oh hand,’as it is the most valuable asset the farmer can possess.