-LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS' 630.7 IJtGb cop . 2. AGRICULTURE NOTICE: Return or renew all Library Materials! The Minimum Fee for each Lost Book is $50.00. The person charging this material is responsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for discipli- nary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN mi 2 9 L161 O-1096 \ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Agricultural Experiment Station BULLETIN No. 292 SOYBEAN HAY AND SWEET-CLOVER PASTURE FOR GROWING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES - BY J. L. EDMONDS AND C. W. CRAWFORD Illini Lou 185332, one of the fillies in the experiment. This filly weighed 1,580 pounds the spring she was two years old, just a few days before the picture was taken. URBANA, ILLINOIS, JUNE, 1927 SUMMARY The results of this experiment indicate that soybean hay when properly supplemented is a satisfactory roughage for growing draft fillies. In fact, a comparison with previous experiments indicates that it is equal to alfalfa for this purpose. By combining sweet-clover pasture with blue- grass, the fillies had the advantage of a longer pasture sea- son. The sheaf oats, which were fed continuously, served as a balance at all times. They prevented too great a consumption of bean hay in winter and furnished the dry roughage which the fillies seemed to crave while on sweet- clover pasture. The gains made on pasture during the sum- mer were slightly higher than those made the first winter and considerably higher than during the second winter. As weanlings the fillies ate approximately 8 pounds each of sheaf oats and soybean hay and 2.3 pounds of grain a head daily. The second winter their daily consumption was over 9 pounds each of sheaf oats and soybean hay and 3.41 pounds of grain. These amounts produced good gains in height and frame and kept the fillies in thrifty condition. At no time was there a filly off feed. While it is difficult to say just what effect was produced by the small amount of bone meal which was fed daily, it seemed to be beneficial. The feet on these fillies were excep- tional in size and toughness. At the end of the experiment the fillies, in medium con- dition and four of them not yet two years old, averaged 1,484 pounds and stood 15 hands 3.4 inches in height. Good results in growing young draft fillies may be ob- tained by moderate, regular feeding of sheaf oats and a le- gume hay supplemented with a very light feed of crushed oats, bran, and bone meal, judging from the results of this test. Furthermore the value of using sweet-clover pasture along with permanent blue-grass pasture seems to be dem- onstrated. At present prices for the feeds used, growth was cheaply made. SOYBEAN HAY AND SWEET-CLOVER PASTURE FOR GROWING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES By J. L. EDMONDS, Chief in Horse Husbandry, and C. W. CRAWFORD, Associate in Animal Husbandry Farm practices in Illinois have changed considerably in the last decade. Among these changes has been a large increase in the acreage of soybeans and sweet clover. In 1924, the year this experiment started, there were 747,000 acres of soybeans and 240,000 acres sown to sweet clover in this state. These crops yield a large amount of roughage which as yet meets with little demand on the market and which must be fed on the farm where it is grown if its greatest value is to be re- alized. With this increasing amount of roughage to be consumed on the farm and plenty of cheap grain, good horses will continue to be an efficient and cheap source of farm power. If desirable draft horses are to be produced economically, they must be well grown on these farm feeds fed in suitable amounts and properly supplemented. This ex- periment is the fifth of a series planned to test out different home- grown feeds, the production of which fits in with the best methods of farming in Illinois. To date seven lots, including 62 fillies, have been fed. The results of all these tests are summarized in Table 7 on the last page of this bulletin. In the previous experiments alfalfa hay was used for the rough- age. In the present experiment soybean hay was substituted for al- falfa and sweet-clover pasture was used to supplement blue-grass. In order to make a well-balanced and safe ration, sheaf oats were used in combination with these legumes. Altho this feed is produced on nearly all Illinois farms and at one time was used in some sections as a horse feed, it rarely is fed at present in the unthreshed state. A wide use of sheaf oats would have cut feed bills generally in 1926. Rainy weather prevented threshing, the oat shocks were badly damaged by rain, and when finally threshed yielded a very poor quality of straw and oats. Consequently many farmers bought oat straw at $15 a ton or more from a few of their neighbors who were lucky enough to have threshed before the rains. The few who had stored sheaf oats had good, sound feed instead of the poor quality which was generally used. Some thought has always been given to feeding horses a properly balanced grain ration. Not so much can be said, however, of the at- tention paid to making the legume hay rations for farm horses more effective, safer, and cheaper by feeding sheaf oats or oat straw along 487 488 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, MARIE 184819 FASHION 185141 19W] FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES 489 with the legume hay. Such use adds to the value of the oats crop and makes the nutritious legume hay go further. Ten Percheron weanling fillies were used in this trial. Five of them were bred at the University and five were purchased from Illinois breeders. The experiment started December 15, 1924, and ended May 3, 1926, extending over a total of 504 days. WINTER RATION PRINCIPALLY SHEAF OATS AND SOYBEAN HAY The winter ration consisted of equal parts of sheaf oats 1 and soy- bean 2 hay and in addition a very light feed of grain was offered once daily. This consisted of 80 percent crushed oats and 20 percent wheat bran. A small amount of deodorized steamed bone meal was mixed with the grain. The fillies were started on 2 pounds of grain and 2 ounces of bone meal a head daily. This was gradually increased until the end of the experiment, when they were eating daily 3.6 pounds of grain and 2.4 ounces of bone meal. The daily consumption of grain in addition to that in the sheaf oats was held down to approximately % pound per hundredweight thruout the test. The good gains secured on pasture were doubtless due in part to the small amount of grain fed during the previous winter. Somewhat less than a pound of each of the roughages was eaten per hundredweight daily. Both the grain and the roughage, were fed in mangers built along the sides of roomy box stalls. A cover made of rough oak slats and patterned after an ordinary ladder was placed on top of the roughage in the mangers. The "lad- der" settled with the hay or sheaf oats and kept them spread out evenly. This gave each filly an equal chance at the feed and made it impossible for any portion to be thrown out of the manger and wasted. Legs of %-inch pipe about 4 inches long, bolted to the underside of the "ladder," kept it off the bottom of the manger so that the fillies had no trouble in cleaning up everything. The feeding was done in such a way that the manger was usually empty by the next feeding time. Salt and water were before the fillies at all times. Wheat straw was used for bedding. SWEET CLOVER USED FOR SUMMER PASTURE In summer from June 28 to August 24, the fillies ran on four acres of sweet-clover pasture and were fed sheaf oats once daily. Fillies run- ning on succulent sweet clover seem to crave some dry carbonaceous '"Early oats which ran about half straw and half grain were used. 2 The varieties sown were Manchu and Ebony, half and half. However, in the cured hay there were very few Ebony beans. 490 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, ILLINI CLEO 185333 ILLINI ALICE 185331 FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES 491 IRENE 184780 SYBIL 185223 492 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, s a H B 6 CD < PH O H Q P O 2 t i & O % a 73 I OC CO CO 1C CO "S s O I W S f 0} 5 COI> GO OS O5 i-ir^GOO5O5O5Oo S5 O O O H M s O O n I 03 2 54i IS I" ^ p o .fa ^o H G 1987] FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES 493 roughage and it was found that the straw in sheaf oats "filled the bill." The light feed of grain was continued also in order to insure the con- sumption of the bone meal. The sweet-clover pasture was a fresh seeding and on account of a very backward spring was quite slow in getting started. From May 4 to June 23 the fillies were on blue-grass pasture. From June 23 to June 28 they were on blue-grass and sweet clover which contained a sprinkling of alfalfa plants. They were returned to the blue-grass on August 24, and ran there until December 21. The blue-grass pasture consisted of eight acres. AMOUNTS OF FEED CONSUMED During the first winter the weanling fillies ate an average of 8.05 pounds of sheaf oats, 8.29 pounds of soybean hay, and 2.3 pounds of grain a head daily. While on pasture they consumed an average of 2.91 pounds of grain and 11.97 pounds of sheaf oats daily. The second winter their daily average was 9.44 pounds of sheaf oats, 9.27 pounds of soybean hay, and 3.41 pounds of grain. The detailed data concerning jthe feeds consumed aside from pas- ture are given in Table 1. The total amounts eaten by the ten fillies were as follows: 4? First winter Summer Second Total 140 days 161 days winter 504 days 203 days Oats 80.7bu. 117. bu. 173. bu. 370. 7 bu. Bran 645.5lbs. 935.61bs. 1384. 2 Ibs. 2965. 3 Ibs. Sheaf oats 5 .64 tons 9 .63 tons 9 .58 tons 24 .85 tons Soybean hay 5.81 tons 9. 40 tons 15.21 tons Bone meal 197. 5 Ibs. 241. 5 Ibs. 304. 5 Ibs. 743. 5 Ibs. All roughage not eaten was weighed back and the amount de- ducted from the amount fed. The refuse contained a considerable pro- portion of stems of coarse weeds. More was refused the first winter than the second, showing that weanlings should not be asked to con- sume too much coarse roughage. It is probable that more grain and less roughage the first winter would have been somewhat more satis- factory. During the first winter the fillies left 3.5 percent of the sheaf oats and 3.7 percent of the soybean hay. During the summer they left 2 percent of the sheaf oats. During the second winter they refused .4 percent of the sheaf oats and 2.6 percent of the bean hay. For the entire period the amounts weighed back represented 1.7 percent of the sheaf oats and 3 percent of the soybean hay. The close- ness with which the fillies ate the coarser parts of their soybean hay was surprising. The coarse stems were more palatable than one would have supposed from examining them. 494 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, TABLE 2. AGES, HEIGHTS, AND WEIGHTS OF FILLIES AT BEGINNING AND END OF TEST Name Age Dec. 15, 1924 ' - Height Weight Dec. 15, 1924 Gain Final weight Dec. 15, 1924 May 3, 1926 Dec. 14, 1925 May 3, 1926 1. Marie days 217 267 232 280 233 265 251 220 198 191 hands in. 13 3% 14 1 14 14 VA 14 y* 14 2 14 14 % 13 VA 13 % hands in. 15 3J4 16 K 15 3 16 16 16 % 15 3^ 15 3 1 A 15 2M 15 1 1 A /6s. 825 850 785 910 890 990 875 845 705 610 Ibs. 560 530 610 465 585 450 575 515 525 oof) Ibs. 645 660 725 640 700 545 705 630 635 670 H*. 1470 1510 1510 1550 1590 1535 1580 1475 1340 1280 2. Sybil 3 Fashion 4. Illini Alice .... 5. Illini Cleo 6. Irene 7. Illini Lou 8 Fanny 9. Illini Averne . . 10. Illini Alma... . Average of 10 head 235.4 14 #o 15 3% 828.5 537 655.5 1484 Illini Alice, Illini Cleo, Illini Lou, Illini Averne, and Illini Alma were bred by the University; Marie and Irene by E. L. Krepps, Farmer City; Sybil by J. H. Serven & Son, Prairie City; Fashion by Wm. Freitag, Minier; and Fanny, by Wm. J. Vint & Son, Kinsman. TABLE 3. AVERAGE WEIGHTS, HEIGHTS, AND GAINS OF THE FILLIES BY TWENTY-EIGHT DAY PERIODS Period: 28 days Average weight 1 during period Average daily gain in weight Average gain in height during period Dec: 15, 1924-Initial weight and height Ibs. (828.5) /6s. inches (56.05) Dec. 15, 1924- Jan. 11, 1925 853 2.18 .78 Jan. 12-Feb. 8 895 .68 .65 Feb. 9-Mar. 8 922 1.50 .78 Mar. 9-Apr. 5 965 1.43 .45 Apr. 6-May 3 1 007 1.50 May 4 May 31 1 056 3.02 1.15 June 1 June 28 ... ... 1 126 .30 .55 June 29-July 26 1 150 2.43 -.85 July 27- Aug. 23 1 208 .64 1.18 Aug: 24-Sept. 20 1 237 1.36 .80 Sept. 21-Oct. 18 1 264 1.70 .35 Oct. 19-Nov. 15 1 320 1.52 .55 Nov. 16-Dec. 13 1 347 .93 -1.15 Dec. 14-Jan. 10, 1926 1 370 .41 1.38 Jan. 11-Feb. 7 1 377 .27 .05 Feb. 8-Mar. 7 1 398 1.25 .08 Mar. 8-Apr. 4 1 429 1.02 .52 Apr. 5 May 2 1 461 1.29 .10 May 3, 1926-Final weight and height 1 484 63.40 Average weight for total time: Dec. 15, 1924-May 2, 1926, 504 days. 1 188 1.30 7.35 'Calculated from weekly weights. 2 This recorded loss of over an inch, coupled with the gain shown for the next 28 days, is probably due to the trim- ming of the feet of the fillies and to differences in the taking of the measure- ments. 19371 FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES FILLIES MADE GOOD DEVELOPMENT 495 The development made by these fillies was very satisfactory. The purpose in feeding was not to make maximum gains but to grow the fillies out well, keeping them sound in their joints if possible and in thrifty growing condition. They made a good growth and have con- tinued to develop well since the close of the experiment. Several of them should mature into ton mares. A good idea of the kind of growth made can be obtained from the accompanying pictures, which were taken soon after the experiment ended. The weights and heights taken at various intervals are given in Tables 2 and 3. The fillies did especially well on pasture. By combining sweet clover and blue-grass, the length of the pasture season was consider- ably increased. The amount of development which fillies make on pasture depends to some extent on the way they are fed the previous winter. If they are kept growing on moderate rations, their develop- ment will be much greater the following summer, than if they are wintered in high condition. On account of the amount of exercise taken on pasture, by no means all of this development is evident on weigh days, but this exercise is as necessary for maintaining soundness as feed is for growth. The feeding of bone meal appeared to be beneficial. With one ex- r ception, the fillies grew plenty of bone and their feet were large and ILLINI AVERNE 185334 496 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, tough. There was no difficulty in getting them to eat the deodorized feeding bone meal when it was mixed with crushed oats and bran. TABLE 4. WEIGHTS AND HEIGHTS OF THE FILLIES AT ONE AND Two YEARS OF AGE Name Weight at 1 year Weight at 2 years Gain in weight during 2d year Height at 1 year Height at 2 years Gain in height during 2d year 1. Marie Ibs. 1 070 Ibs. 1 490 Ibs. 420 hands in. 14 3Vi hands in. 15 3 1 A in. 1 A 2. Sybil 985 1 440 455 14 3% 16 Vi 4% 3. Fashion 975 1 490 515 14 2 1 A 16 Y 5% 4. Illini Alice 1 025 1 465 440 14 3M 15 3J^ 3M 5. Illini Cleo 1 130 1 610 480 14 3^| 16 Wi 6. Irene 1 110 1 480 370 15 % 16 1 4^ 7. Illini Lou 1 030 1 540 510 14 3 l /i 15 2M 3^ 8 Fanny 980 1 480 500 14 324 16 \i 4H 9. Illini Averne .... 10. Illini Alma 1 010 935 1 400 1 310 390 375 14 2% 14 % 16 1 15 2^ 6J4 5% Average 1 025 1 470 445 14 3.18 15 3.93 4% SUGGESTIONS FOR STORING SHEAF OATS. In storing sheaf oats in the mow of the horse barn some precautions should be taken to keep out rats and mice, which not only may eat the grain but also render unpalatable a considerable amount in addition. Scattering hydrated lime over the successive layers of sheaves as they were put in the mow, during several years experience at the University, has almost eliminated the damage from this source. One year the hydrated lime was weighed and it was found that 250 pounds had been scattered thru 34 tons of sheaf oats. In feeding, much of the lime is shaken off and the palatability of the feed does not seem to be injured in the least. Hay or straw should not be piled against the sides of the pile or stack of stored sheaf oats. 1987] FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES 497 FANNY 182767 ILLINI ALMA 185335 498 BULLETIN No. 292 [June, CO C '3 O a 1 o co g d 3 -c P O o I-H 1 1 | PQ S CM os i-H co" CO >J O CO c 03 a 'fi .a ^ O 02 S >>J5 ~*^ PQ 05 2 consu 02 CM OS t I 5 "d *S W3 IO~ d 03 03 S -g 1-1 o, PH 02 03 '$ 1 o O3 S "g Q P 's CO i; O 5j G Q a r **< co rH B 1. S H O <*< CO OS 00 OlO l-H CD ^ ^ >> ^ ^ ^ ^ pb ^ ^ ^ ^ O 00 iO o ^o;oS n <* 00 O ^* co oo fS 03 co co X oc oo 10 _S t^ oo o CO T-l i-Ht> .Q 10 os os .S O OS t^ O l-H ~ OS OS fi os T-H ^ I-H O TH w T OIOQO t^COCNiO c? T-H IO CO 00 OS CM CO M r^^C^S OS CM CM - J? (N CM i-i JS l^ CM i-H _g CMCO CO CO CM CM 03 n^a C^l CD ^. OS oo ^ CO PC CO ^^ 03 g -d i-H a a o o 3 fl^ ^* 02 02 g c 03 w o 00 I'l |'3 I'l I'S " M "S t. 03 T3 o O, C S.C a. c a c "^ .2.2 S. fl c .2.2 a c fig .2.2 a W fS t8 MQ 8.8 1 ill I G.) I o S^-?^ S-^^-d fi ^ ^-o ^^"^-rt a I'l^ij 03-2^ 03 . ."1 niii |'I1J 1 O vrl JU b h y aj el aj O O O n W w w Cj 03 03 03 03 > > > ^^^^ &^<< flj > > > 1927} FEEDING PUREBRED DRAFT FILLIES 499 TABLE 6. COSTS OF FEEDS PER HEAD ASSUMING VARIOUS PRICES Scale of prices A B c D E Oats per bushel $ 40 $ 40 $ 35 $ 32 $ 60 Bran per ton 26.00 26 00 26 00 24 00 40 00 Soybean hay per ton 10 00 14 00 11 00 12 00 18 00 Sheaf oats per ton 10 00 14 00 10 00 12 00 18 00 Deodorized bone meal per cwt. Pasture per acre 1.50 10.00 1.50 10.00 1.50 10.00 1.50 10.00 1.50 12.00 First Winter: December 15, 1924, to May 3, 1925: 140 days Crushed oats and bran $ 4.07 $ 4 07 $ 3 66 $ 3 35 $ 6.13 Soybean hay and sheaf oats. . . Bone meal 11.45 30 16.03 30 12.03 30 13.74 30 20.61 30 Total $15.82 $20 40 $15 99 $17 39 $27.04 Cost per day .11 .15 .11 .12 .19 Cost per pound gain .08 .10 .08 .08 .13 Summer: May 4, 1925, to October 11, 1925: 161 days Crushed oats and bran $ 5.89 $ 5.89 $ 5.31 $ 4.87 $ 8.89 Sheaf oats 9.63 13.48 9.63 11.55 17.33 Bone meal .36 .36 .36 .36 .36 Pasture 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 14.40 / Total $27.88 $31.73 $27.30 $28.78 $40.98 Cost per day .17 .20 .17 .18 .25 Cost per pound gain .11 .12 .11 .11 .16 Second Winter: October 12, 1925, to May 2, 1926: 203 days Crushed oats and bran $ 8.72 $ 8.72 $ 7.85 $ 7.20 $13.15 Soybean hay and sheaf oats. . . Bone meal ; . 18.98 .46 26.57 .46 19.92 .46 22.78 .46 34.16 .46 Total $28 . 16 $35.75 $28.23 $30.44 $47.77 Cost per day .14 .18 .14 .15 .23 Cost per pound gain .14 .18 .14 .15 .24 Entire Period: 504 days Crushed oats and bran $18.68 $18.68 $16.82 $15.42 $28.17 Soybean hay and sheaf oats. . . Bone meal 40.06 1.12 56.08 1.12 41.58 1.12 48.07 1.12 72.10 1.12 Pasture 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 14.40 Total $71.86 $87.88 $71.52 $76.61 $115.79 Cost per day .14 .17 .14 .15 .23 Cost per pound gain .11 .13 .11 .12 .18 500 BULLETIN No. 292 fei* ^i c o 5 O g,C d ( p 5 O O B fi O' 2 S I i S H o co ! COOt^f-H o t^ lO * CD . cooo O CO - O U, "S " o JaS ti iinitm^-p^4 Jllilrfill "5 O < UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA