UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Agriculture Experiment Station 
 
 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE BENJ - ' DE WHECLER - »•■•'•■«" 
 
 THOMAS FORSYTH HUNT, Dean and Director 
 
 BERKELEY H - E - VAN norman, vice-director and dean 
 
 University Farm School 
 
 CIRCULAR No. 124 
 (January, 1915) 
 
 ALFALFA SILAGE FOR FATTENING STEERS 
 
 BY 
 
 GOKDON II. TEUE, l\ W. WOLL and V. F. DOLCINI 
 
 While many experiments have been conducted with regard to the use 
 of Indian corn silage in feeding fattening steers, but little is known 
 in regard to the value of other silage crops for cattle feeding. Since 
 the first cutting of alfalfa often consists largely of foxtail and other 
 weeds, and in that case makes a poor quality of hay, it seemed desirable 
 to secure some definite information as to the use of this crop for 
 silage purposes. One of the stave silos at the University Farm was 
 accordingly filled with the first cutting of alfalfa from a weedy field, 
 on April 27th to May 3rd, 1914. This field was so foul with weeds 
 that it would have been practically valueless for hay, the foxtail being 
 nearly ripe and the beards already hard. 
 
 A mixed lot of 107 native range steers, mostly three and four 
 year olds, was purchased for the experiment last summer from a 
 foothill ranch near Coyote, California. The better individuals among 
 the steers showed some evidence of Shorthorn, Hereford or Devon 
 blood, but on the whole the steers were rather below the average of 
 California range cattle. They were bought at 6 cents a pound on foot 
 with a 3 per cent shrink, and averaged 963 pounds when weighed at 
 the ranch on the morning of July 6, 1914. After a ten-mile drive to 
 Coyote and twenty-four hours on the cars they weighed, when un- 
 loaded at Davis, an average of 883 pounds. 
 
 For the first two days at the University Farm, the steers received 
 nothing but long alfalfa hay. On the morning of July 10th. they 
 were started on alfalfa silage with which was mixed rolled barley. 
 No hay was fed for the two following days, in order to accustom tie' 
 steers to the silage. On July 12th hay was again fed and the ration 
 from this time on consisted of alfalfa hay, alfalfa silage and rolled 
 barley. Throughout the experiment, the silage and grain were fed 
 rather late in the morning and evening, and though not eaten immedi- 
 ately, practically all was consumed by the next feeding time. The 
 hay was fed separately twice a day in hay racks. 
 
The alfalfa hay fed during the greater part of the experiment was 
 good second-cutting hay, clean and free from weeds. The silage, 
 as stated, was made from the first cutting of alfalfa and contained 
 a large proportion of weeds, principally foxtail. A botanical analysis 
 of a sample of the silage, made by Professor P. B. Kennedy, 
 showed that it was composed of over 55 per cent foxtail. While this 
 may not represent the true percentage of weeds in the entire lot of 
 silage, it is believed we may safely assume that at least one-half of 
 the bulk of the silage consisted of plants other than alfalfa. Many of 
 the loads were quite dry as filled into the silo and considerable water 
 w r as added after each load and also after the silo was filled, in order 
 to improve the quality of the silage. 
 
 The silage as fed out was well made, of a dark brown color and 
 of slightly acidulated, aromatic flavor. That in the lower part of the 
 silo was more moist than that in the upper part and was apparently 
 relished best by the steers. While most of the silage was not taken 
 with particular relish, it was always eaten up clean, with the exception 
 of a few days during the middle of July when a layer of partially 
 spoiled silage was reached, at a point where the filling of the silo had 
 been interrupted for a couple of days. The foxtail heads, which 
 would have caused great trouble in feeding the alfalfa as hay, were 
 eaten before having a chance to dry out. 
 
 The silage was sampled once every week for determinations of 
 moisture and acidity and a complete chemical analysis of the mixed 
 samples was made by Professor M. E. Jaffa, who also made analyses 
 of the other feeds used in the experiment. The chemical composition 
 of these feeds with digestible components calculated on the basis of 
 average digestion coefficients is shown below. 
 
 Chemical Composition of Feeding Stuffs, in per cent 
 
 Alfalfa Alfalfa 
 
 silage hay Barley 
 
 Moisture 76.00 15.87 12.36 
 
 Protein 3.40 11.32 10.37 
 
 Fat 34 1.30 1.80 
 
 Fiber 5.56 28.63 6.26 
 
 Nitrogen -free extract 11.72 35.85 66.61 
 
 Ash 2.98 7.03 2.60 
 
 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 
 Volatile acids 40 
 
 Fixed acids .01 
 
 Digestible protein 1.29 8.38 7.27 
 
 Digestible carbohydrates and fat 8.28 40.17 68.20 
 
 Nutritive ratio 1:6.4 1:4.9 1:9.4 
 
The feeding test was started on July 20th when the steers had 
 recovered their normal fill. The experiment progressed without im- 
 portant incidents, except that one steer, which was found tubercular 
 at slaughtering' time, went off feed and failed to gain in weight. The 
 steers on the whole showed a marked improvement in condition 
 throughout the experiment, and with the exception noted all were in 
 fair condition when sold, although but few could have been classed as 
 finished for market. To one who watched the steers closely from day 
 to day, it seemed that now and then a steer that had been doing 
 especially well would stop gaining. The apparent explanation of 
 this was revealed by an examination of the carcasses after slaughter, 
 when it was found that there were accumulations of foxtail in the 
 mouths of practically all the steers. This condition suggests that 
 had the experiment continued much longer, trouble might have de- 
 veloped as in the case of foxtail hay, and emphasizes the necessity for 
 cutting the alfalfa for silage before the foxtail beards become hard. 
 From August 21st on, only one-half feed of silage was fed, the amount 
 of barley being increased by two pounds. The trial brought to a 
 close on September 3rd, when the silage was fed out. 
 
 The following statement shows the main results of the trial : 
 
 Weight of steers July 6 at shipping point 963 lbs. 
 
 Weight of steers July 8 off cars at Davis '. 883 lbs. 
 
 Weight of steers July 20 at University Farm 971.2 lbs. 
 
 Weight of steers Sept. 3, selling weight 1041.08 lbs. 
 
 Average daily gain per head 1.53 lbs. 
 
 Hay Silage Barley 
 
 Average daily ration per head 10.6 lbs. 20.2 lbs. 8.4 lbs. 
 
 Feed per lb. gain for the period of 46 days 6.9 lbs. 13.1 lbs. 5.4 lbs. 
 
 The composition of this ration on the basis of the chemical analyses 
 made was as follows : 
 
 Dry matter 21.13 lbs. 
 
 Digestible protein 1.76 lbs. 
 
 Digestible carbohydrates and fat 11.66 lbs. 
 
 Nutritive ratio 1:6.6 lbs. 
 
 FINANCIAL STATEMENT 
 
 The steers were sold on September 3rd, at 7 cents a pound with a 
 3 per cent shrink. In the following financial statement of the feeding 
 trial, the item of feed eaten includes all the feed which the steers 
 received from the time they were bought until they were sold. The 
 
prices of feeds given were those prevailing in this locality during the 
 past summer, except that of silage which was assumed to cover the cost 
 of production only, since weedy alfalfa like that used in the making 
 of this silage has practically no value for feeding as hay and the 
 silage itself has no established market value. 
 
 Initial cost of steers, 103,099 lbs. at 6c $0,185.94 
 
 Freight from Coyote to Davis (4 cars at $33.04 per car) 132.16 
 
 Sanding cars 2.00 
 
 Commission for buying 107 head at 50c. per head 53.50 
 
 Interest on $6,373.60 at 8 per cent 84.98 
 
 Refund on account one tubercular steer 47.60 
 
 Feed eaten: 31.4 tons hay at $4.00 $125.60 
 
 23.24 tons barley at $18.50 429.94 
 
 58.32 tons silage at $1.25 72.90 
 
 628.44 
 
 Labor, approximately one-half time of one man 50.00 
 
 Horse and wagon 15.00 
 
 Total cost $7,199.62 
 
 Selling price, 108,126 lbs. at 7c 7,568.82 
 
 Net profit on entire lot $369.20 
 
 Charging against the steers only the cost of feed and labor and 
 interest on the money invested, as would be done by a man feeding 
 his own cattle, the profit would come to $556.86. Charging alfalfa 
 hay at its normal market value of $6 a ton in the stack and barley at 
 $21 a ton, there would still be a profit of $436.06 from the feeding 
 operation. 
 
 This trial shows that silage may be made from weedy alfalfa which 
 would make but inferior hay, that such silage will be eaten without 
 waste, and that it can be used as a supplementary feed for fattening 
 steers on alfalfa hay and barley.