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Show Extension Service Provides Farm Info ALFALFA VS. ALFALFA SILAGE Cows prefer their alfalfa as hay rather than as silage, according ac-cording to Wallace Sjobom, Iron, County agricultural extension agent. A three-year study at Utah State University, Logan, showed that cows consumed more nutrients, nu-trients, produced more milk and maintained their weight better when fed alfalfa as hay rather than as silage. USU researchers point out tfiat interest in alfalfa silage has been stimulated by the difficulty of curing forage crops for hay where humidity and rainfall are high, also by the development of new harvesting machinery. Farmers In Iron County have read aric'-s In farm Journals and other places recommending this practice of converting hay Into silage. Many of them fail to consider that location, among other factors, may limit the recommendations. rec-ommendations. In the test at Logan, researchers research-ers fed two groups of cows for 133 days. They fed alfalfa silage sil-age as the roughage to 16 animals, ani-mals, alfalfa hay to the other 1. Cows fed' silage produced an average of 25 pounds of milk per day, those fed hay, 29 pounds per day. Moreover, cows on silage lost an average, of 1R5 pounds in the 133 days of the tMt while those on hav lost on ly 7.5 pounds. BANG'S DISEASE Utah may become the first of the Intermountain states to be designated as a modified brucellosis bru-cellosis free area, reports Dr. Don W. Thomas, Utah State Uni-versity Uni-versity extension veterinarian. Wallace SJoblom, Iron County agricultural extension agent, re. ported that In Iron County 1684 head of cattlo In 196 herds were tested from Nov. 1, 1956 to Oct. 31, 1957. Although 32 euspects were found, only two re-actors were discovered during the year. There were 635 calves vaccinat-i ed. It is hoped that all herds can be tested by the first of the year. Altogether, Dr. Thomas said, 14 of Utah's counties have been designated as modified brucellosis-free, lie said the entire state probably can be certified by early next summer. "A number of years ago the Infection percentage among Utah herds was as high as eight per cent for cattle tested. Today It Is about one per cent, Dr. Thomas said. |