T H E A M E R I C A N SOCIETY OF A N I M A L PRODUCTION
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STUDIES ON TIIE RESIDUAL E F F E C T OF THE W I N T E R
F E E D I N G OF CORN SILAGE ON T E E ABILITY OF
STEERS TO GAIN ON PASTURE
By E. S. GOOD
Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station
The central section of Kentucky is blessed with such luxuriant blue
grass pasture that much use is made of it in the growing and finishing of the steer. It is no uncommon practice to feed two-year-old
steers quite liberally during the late winter and early spring months
so as to secure a good gain during that time, then to turn on blue
grass pasture from the first to the middle of May, depending upon the
season, and finish on grass without grain. Such cattle are usually
marketed the latter part of July or early in August. By this method
of handling steers a better market has usually been secured than by
more liberally feeding during the winter months and selling the cattle
fat from the dry lot.
Since the advent of the silo in Kentucky, much difference of opinion
has existed among feeders as to the residual effect of corn silage fed
during the winter months on the functional ability of cattle to make
good gains on pasture during the following summer, as compared with
cattle wintered on a ration containing no silage. This pertains both
to steers that are to be finished on pasture, and to yearlings that are
wintered and run on pasture the following summer to be sold as feeders during the fall.
It was to throw some light on this subject that experiments were begun on J a n u a r y 7, 1914. At that time 11 steers, averaging 1,060
pounds, were put in a dry lot and given for the next 127 days an average daily ration of 11.01 pounds of broken ear corn, 1.51 pounds of
cotton seed meal, 2.92 pounds of cotton seed hulls, 3.10 pounds of
clover hay, and 17.5 pounds Of corn silage. These steers made an
average daily gain of 1.77 pounds. A similar lot of steers, averaging
],040 pounds, i~ed for the same length of time and receiving an average
daily ration of 15.51 pounds of broken ear corn, 1.6 pounds of cotton
seed meal, 4.65 pounds of cotton seed hulls, and 4.09 pounds of clover
hay, made an average daily gain during the time mentioned of 1.61
pounds. On May ]4, 1914, both lots of steers were turned together
on an eighty-acre blue grass pasture oi~ good quality with a running
spring of water. No grain or other feed was allowed. The steers
were weighed every two weeks, individually. The drought experi-
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THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION
enced in Kentucky during the early summer of 1914 resulted in the
drying up of this pasture to quite an extent by the middle of July.
The flies had become very numerous by the middle of June. Both
lots Qf steers were sold on July ]6, 1914.
The final results showed that the steers which had received silage
during the winter gained on the average, 12.3 pounds less per head
on pasture than the lot which did not receive silage during the winter.
Figuring the feeds fed during the winter at the prevailing prices, and
pasture during the sum~ner at the rate of $2.50 per steer per month,
the steers which received silage produced a profit of $5.50 per head,
while the non-silage-fed lot returned a pro_fit of 87 cents per steer. The
difference in profit was due to the cheaper gains secured during the
winter months where silage made up a part.of the ration. The steers
were Purchased at $7.00 per cwt., and sold at $8.16 per cwt. At no time
while the steers were on pasture could any one select by appearances
the steers which had had silage during the winter from those of the
control lot, as is claimed by feeders who are prejudiced against silage.
The steers in both lots were in too good a condition in the spring to
finish with the most profit on grass. Two other lots of cattle fed on
the respective rations given the above cattle during the winter, and
the grain increased so that the steers were made fat and sold from
the dry lot, returned a greater profit than the lots fed less during the
winter and finishing on pasture without grain.
The following year the experiment was repeated, with the exception that the steers were so fed as to secure smaller gains during the
winter months. No grain was given the silage fed lot, with the exception of a small amount of cotton seed meal and what corn was in
the silage. The lot not receiving corn silage was given sufficient corn
to ~.ake the gain about equal to the silage-fed l o t . It was aimed ~o
secure about 1 ~ pounds of gain daily. Ten steers, averaging 1,045
pounds, were put in the dry lot on November 25, 1914, and given for
the next 173 days, or until May 17th, an average daily ration of corn
silage 26.31 pounds; cotton seed meal, ].53 pounds, and cotton seed
hulls, 6.71 pounds. These steers made an average gain of 242 pounds,
or 1.4 pouuds per head daily, at a cost, crediting pork made by hogs
following the steers, of $7.48 per cwt. The lot receiving no silage was
given an average daily ration of broken ear corn, 6.68 pounds; cotton
seed meal, 1.53 pounds; and cotton seed hulls, 16.48 pounds. The
steers gained 240 pounds in the 173 days, or an average daily gain of
1.38 pounds, at a cost, crediting pork, of $11.60 per cwt. T h e prices
for the feeds used were as follows: Corn, 75 cents per bushel; silage,
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION
195
$4.00 per ton ; cotton seed meal, $29.50 per ton ; and cotton seed hulls,
$9.00 per ton.
Both lots were turned together on an 80-acre blue grass pasture,
with an ever-running spring of water, on May 17, 1915. No grain or
other feed was allowed. During the first two weeks on pasture, the
lot of steers which had received silage during the winter shrank 34
pounds per head, while the control lot, or the lot which did not receive
silage during the winter, shrank 84 pounds per head. At the end of
the first month after being on pasture, the silage-fed lot had gained
22 pounds per head, while the control lot still weighed 30 pounds less
per steer than they did when they were turned on pasture. From
then on until the steers were sold, August 21, 1915, quite rapid gains
were secured with both lots of cattle, for during the next 66 days the
lot which received silage during the winter gained 108 pounds her
head, and the control lot, 101 pounds per head. The flies during this
time annoyed the steers exceedingly. The g~tin made on pasture by
the silage lot was 130 pounds per head, while that of the control lot
was 74 pounds. These steers were on pasture 96 days. When sold,
the silage lot weighed on the average 1,415 pounds per head, and the
control lot, ],359 pounds. Both lots of steers were sold at a profit, the
lot receiving silage during the winter giving the greater net returns.
The third year's test was conducted with yearling instead of twoyear-olds, the object being to winter the yearlings with a moderate
gain, pasture them the following summer, and sell them as feeders or
finish them in the fall. On December 3, ]915, ten yearlings of good
quality, averaging 665 pounds, were tlirned in the dry lot and, for the
following 161 days, given an average daily ration of cotton seed meal,
1.35 pounds; corn silage, 25.93 pounds; clover hay, 4 pounds; and oat
straw, 5.06 pounds. W i t h t h i s ration the yearlings made an average
daily gain of 1.31 pounds, at a cost of $8.60 per cwt. of gain. The
control lot of 10 yearlings, not receiving silage, was given during the
same time an average daily ration of shelled corn, 5.2 pounds; cotton
seed meal, ].35 pounds; clover hay, 4.64 pounds; and oat straw, 6.4
pounds, making on this ration an average daily gain of .97 pound, at
a cost, crediting pork, of $13.93 per cwt.
Both lots of steers were turned together and run on a seventy-acre
blue grass pasture, May 11, ]916. No grain or other feed was allowed
on pasture. At the end of the first two weeks after being turned on
pasture, the silage lot had shrunk 20 pounds per steer, while the control lot had made a gain of 10 pounds per steer. At the end of the
first month on pasture, the silage-fed lot had just regained its shrink,
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THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION
while the control lot had gained 41 pounds per head. At the end of
the sixth week, the silage lot had gained 42.4 pounds per head, and
the non-silage lot 70 pounds per head. On October 24, 1916, 165 days
after having been turned on pasture, the silage lot had gained 212
pounds per steer, and the control lot 245 pounds per steer. It must
be kept in mind, however, that the silage lot had made somewhat
better gains during the winter, though we had endeavored to have
both lots gain the same, the difference being 68 pounds per steer.
This being the case, the smaller gain made on pasture was due in part
to this lot being in better condition when it went on pasture, as well
as the seemingly residual effect of the silage. Judging from appearances, it might be said that at no time while these steers were on
pasture could the steers which had received silage during the winter
be distinguished from those of the control lot. On October 20, 1916,
the silage lot averaged 1,095 pounds, and the control lot 1,082 pounds.
These steers will be finished in the dry lot on the respective rations
fed last winter. The average gain made per head by the steers from
the beginning of the experiment, December 3, 1915, to October 24,
.]916, was 430 pounds per head for the silage lot, and 412 pounds for
the control lot. The gains, so far, bave been put on at 95 cents-per
hundredweight less (considering winter and summer gains) with the
silage lot than with the control lot.
To make a brief summary of these three years' tests, we may say
Chat the first year's results showed that the steers which received corn
silage during the winter gained 12.3 pounds less on pasture than the
tot of steers making practically the same gains during the winter on
d r y feeds. In the second year's results, the steers which received
silage during the winter months gained 56 pounds more per.head on
pasture during the summer than the lot of steers making practically
the same gains during the winter on a ration containing no silage.
The results of the third year's test shows that in winteying yearling
steers so as to secure a moderate gain during that time, the lot which
received silage in the ration during the winter gained ~3 pounds less
on pasture the following summer than the control lot. However,
taking into consideration both winter and summer gains, the lot receiving silage during the winter made 18 pounds more gain per steer
than the control lot. These experiments will be continued, but to
date the indication is that where steers are given a ration containing
corn silage during the winter they will gain as well, or about as well
on pasture the following summer as will steers making similar gains
during the winter on a ration containing no silage, and, at the same
time, the cost of production is materially reduced.