A34«Uno9ter Fannlngy Srtway, StpMmMr 9,1989
Pipeline
(Continued from Pag* A 32)
ensiling annual crops such as com
and grasses, including certain
weeds, especially when grown
under stressed conditions on
nitrogen-rich soils. This year, silo
gasses were even produced by
some alfalfa haylages, probably
because they contained more
weed grasses.
The problem of silo gas is most
severe during the fust few weeks
after filling. It is a gas that can
cause permanent lung damage ~
and death - and needs to be taken
seriously. The effect of silo gas is
cumulative. Once exposed to it,
people have lower tolerance levels
in the future.
Silo gas is yellowish brown in
color and heavier than air. There
fore, it lingers on top of the silage,
floats down silo chutes, accumu
lating at the base of silos, in feed
rooms and in stalls adjacent to silo
rooms. It has a “biting” odor that
cause's people and animals to
cough. If dead birds are found at
the base of silo chutes, suspect the
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presence of gas.
To reduce the risk of exposure
to gasses, aerate feed rooms and
stables well. Before entering a
silo, run the silo blower or a fan,
or wear a respirator.
Protein-Enriched
Corn Silage
If you've been depending on
hay or haylage to meet much of
your protein needs in previous
years, but are coming up short this
year, one way to reduce protein
purchases is to treat com silage at
harvest time with anhydrous
ammonia.
Anhydrous ammonia is a good
and economical source of protein
- if applied and used properly. It
is also a good preservative.
Because of this, it can reduce dry
matter and spoilage losses in the
silo and improve the bunk life of
silage.
On the other hand, anhydrous
ammonia is dangerous to work
with. Therefore, be safety con
scious; wear protective clothing
and have water nearby. Before
treating com silage with anhy
drous ammonia, be sure you are
working with a. nutritionist who
can balance rations well, especial
ly for soluble protein and
►V' * H
carbohydrates.
When comparing feed prices,
consider the cost of tying up
money when you buy protein at
ensUing time, rather than as you '
need it Also remember that the
hay and protein supplements you
may have been feeding probably
contained numerous vitamins and
minerals; anhydrous ammonia
does not; their cost needs to be
considered too.
Anhydrous ammonia has an
affinity for moisture. It attaches
well to sUage that has 60 to 70%
moisture. Below ,60%, losses
increase. The suggested rate of
application is 7 lbs. of anhydrous
ammonia per ton of 65% moist
silage.
Ammonia is also highly soluble
in the rumen, but this is not neces
sarily a problem. Rumen bacteria
need some soluble nitrogen, but
excess accumulations are toxic.
To “capture” and utUize the solu
ble nitrogen that is present in the
rumen, and to help prevent toxic
buildups, rumen bacteria need a
readUy available supply of car
bohydrates - but not too much,
because excess soluble carbohy
drates can cause acidosis. Thus, it
is very important to balance
rations properly, regulating the
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amount of soltlble protein and car
bohydrate in the ration, plus-the
time and order in which cows
should receive them.
During the fermentation pro
cess some plant proteins in feeds
are converted to soluble protein.
When a non-protein-nitrogen
(NPN) additive with a preserva
tive activity, such as anhydrous
ammonia, is added to com silage it
helps to prevent the conversion of
plant protein to soluble protein.
Consequently, the amount of solu
ble protein in ammonia-treated sil
age is not much different than that
of untreated silage.
This is not true of other NPN
additives, such as urea, which do
not possess silage preservative
characteristics. When added to sil
age, they can increase the levels of
soluble protein. For this reason,
many people who use urea prefer
to mix it with the grain. This gives
them more opportunity to control
soluble protein levels in the ration,
because once urea is added to sil
age it is harder to remove from the
ration.
Do not add NPN to silage if it is
present in the grain mix, or if other
forages and feed ingredients are
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high in NPN or soluble protein.
TB and
Johne’s Disease
The recent outbreak of TB and
the presence of Johne’s disease
remind u&of the constant need for
tight biosecurity measures on our
farms. The Tti organism is shed in
the feces, urine and milk, and
through nasal and vaginal dis
charges. Johne’s organisms also
can be spread to calves and heifers
through the feces of older cattle.
As show and sale cattle move
onto and off the farm, be con
cerned about the cleanliness of
transport vehicles and exposed to
other animals. Remember, health
charts are no guarantee that ani
mals are not infected; they merely
indicate that infection is unlikely.
Avoid tracking manure from farm
to farm, and from older cattle to
younger cattle. Have visitors
sanitize their footwear and keep
them out of feed alleys. Move
your breeding charts to a safe
location. Be sure to consult your
veterinarian on these and other
herd health matters.
The Cooperative Extension
Service is an affirmative action,
equal opportunity educational
institution.
The feed bin is the very
heart of any feeding system.
If the bin lets you down, the
system quits.
That’s why we put so
many quality features into
our complete line of feed
bins - which includes 640bt
diameter steel or poly
ethylene (great for H.M.
corn), 6-foot, 7-foot, and
9-foot models. All are avail
able in several capacities -
so you have a wide selection
of bins to fit your needs.
Here are just a few of the
quality features that make
our bins such an outstanding
buy:
• Sturdy Ladder
System
• All Bin Seams Are
Double Caulked
Choice of 16 or 25
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Opening
• All Galvanized
Steel Parts
STORE HOURS:
Mon.-Fri. 7:30-4:30
Open Saturday*
By Appointmant