A3o— Lancaster Famine, Saturday, July 16,1953 Forages provide lower-cost nutrients in ration DEKALB, 11. Economic studies show forages to be un derpriced relative to feed grains and supplements, considering nutrient content alone. It is recognized that, except for range and pasture, forages present a greater challenge in terms of storage and handling; so the net difference is less. Regardless, as grain and/or supplement prices increase, forages become more attractive to livestock feeders and dairymen. Once in the feedbunk, the worth of an individual forage, whether bay, silage, haylage, cubes, or whatever, depends on its quality. Everybody recognizes forage 'quality when they see it. Or do they? Even experts have trouble defining forage quality. For our purposes, the value of a forage for meat, milk, or wool production depends on nutrient availability per unit of forage consumed and how much of it an animal eats. Every animal has a given requirement for energy to maintain body functions. Any energy remaining after these maintenance requirements are met is used to produce meat, milk, etc. The greater the available energy, the greater the produc tion; up to the capacity of the animal to eat and digest feedstuffs. Animals will eat more of a high quality forage and they’ll derive more energy from every mouthful, but they do have a capacity limit. 4-H’ers Sponsor Fair LEESPORT The Berks family Olympics will occur at 7 County 4-H Fair will take place p.m. Aug. 4,5, and 6at the 4-H Com- Friday’s list includes a fish munity Center Building. rodeo, a talent contest, 4-H Seeing The time for setting up exhibits Eye Puppy demonstrations and a is from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thur- hoedown and modern dance. sday. Some of Thursday’s featured A pig roast will take place from events include a watermelon 8:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, eating and seed spitting contest, Preregistration is necessary, laugh olymipics, a bale throwing < Saturday will feature the Horse contest and a scavenger hunt. 4-H Clubs Round-Up. No cow can eat 100 pounds of bay in a day, no matter how good the quality. High production requires that part of the total energy come from more concentrated nutrient sources the grains. But with a high quality forage, less grain is required to provide the same total energy. The value of that high quality forage, then, lies in its ability to provide more lower-cost nutrients in the total ration. As forage quality declines, animals will eat less and the nutrient contribution will be reduced leading to either a reduction in energy available for production or to increased need for concentrated nutrient sources If production is to be maintained. Alfalfa is the most popular, mechanically harvested, perennial forage crop in the world. Let’s take a look at alfalfa harvest management in relation to quality. Every alfalfa grower, concerned with maximizing return, has to make quality-related harvest decisions. Maximum alfalfa yields generally occur from harvesting near the full bloom stage. Highest quality, however, is achieved at the more immature pre-bud stage. Most growers compromise bet ween highest yield and highest quality and settle on a harvest stage best identified as "first bloom." Unless there is a special need or market for maximum quality or medium to low quality forage, fh»g stage is as near right earliest harvest as the stand will chemical applications that hasten as we can get with alfalfa. be weakened by taking every moisture loss fromi alfalfa stems. By selecting varieties that differ cutting at an early bud stage. allowing pickup and storage a day a few days in the time we take to Weather conditions may cause w two earlier than normal, start htonrninn o ne can spread unavoidable harvest delays, which Engineers are reporting some harvest time and get to more of the have to be accepted as part id any success with a squeezing process crop at near-optimum stage. If forage production program. There which extracts a valuable high large acreages are involved, it are some ways of coping with protein, juice, leaving a very may be necessary to start har- weather. Although not widely used digestible residue which can be vesting a few days early —at early as yet, certain preservatives allow ensiled or dried and utilized as —to mid-bud stage. If you do this, higher moisture hay storage. Also, forage. The process can virtually switch from field to field for the there are some promising eliminate weather damage. Milton Hershey School Farms 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. July 19 youngs Dairymen are challenged to ALKA-CULTURE.and ALKA II are develop feeding systems to capitalize special combinations of buffering on the high genetic ability of today's ingredients plus methionine and dairy cows. These systems include yeast culture. They buffer the rumen the use of high-moisture, fermented and other parts of the digestive tract feeds, high-moisture, high-energy to help maintain a strong appetite grains, and high-energy dry grain and increase fiber digestion to im rations. prove fat test. Regular use of ALKA-CULTURE or ALKA II helps cows reach peak production sooner and helps keep pro duction higher throughout lactation. Your young's representative has all of the details on ALKA-CULTURE and ALKA 11. If you don't know the name of the representative nearest you, write or call young's, inc., P.O. Box 71, Roaring Spring, PA 16673 Phone; (814) 793-3701. These types of rations will pro duce more acid than cows can neutralize naturally. This increased acid production results in a lowering of rumen pH -- acidosis. Without adequate buffering, cows may eat less and use feed less efficiently. As a result, production can suffer. ©1963 young's I Tl ALKA-CULTURE» or ALKA II Over 80 years of service to the dairy and livestock producer. ®. youngfc Livestock Nutritional Services STOP BY OUR BOOTH DURING YOUR VISIT TO FORAGE & DAIRY DAY JULY 19. MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL FARMS it is - - or could become a problem need young's . . .