Tennessee roughage experiments with dairy cattle

The use of roughages for feeding dairy cattle has undergone several changes, Native pastures were supplemented with grass hays very early. The high yields and high protein contents of legume hays have led, more recently, to their frequent although not general use in place of grass hays. Silages had their start in the early days–when hay quality was probably poorer than today. General use of legume hays and improvements in harvesting have removed most of the advantage in feeding value which silages once may have possessed. The development of pasture crops and systems, particularly in the South, has recalled attention to the original, and still best source of roughage for dairy cows, namely pastures.

Several factors make study of roughages for dairy cattle in the South especially desirable. The climate, the soils and topography, the growth of dairying, the need for more dairy products in the Southern diet and the present war emergency are all factors. These will be discussed briefly with especial reference to the State of Tennessee.