NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
December, 1956] O. P. AGARWALA AND D. SUNDARESAN 189
of piglings in Group A 1 and B 1 were 108.2 lb. and 111.4 lb. respectively. At the
end of 19th week and at the end of the study their total group weights were
858.0,822.4 and 962.0, 988.0 lb. respectively.
A summary of the findings comparing the economics of two groups in each study
is given in Table III.
TABLE III
The economics of high protein feed for pigs
Average initial weight/pig
Average final weight/pig
Average daily gain/pig in weight
Average daily feed intake/pig
Average feed intake per lb. of gain
Average cost per lb. of gain in weight
Average sale price per pig at the end of
study if slaughtered and sold retail at
Rs. 0.625/lb.
Average actual feeding cost per pig from
weaning to end of study
Surplus or deficit over feed cost
Net return per 100 rupees of feed expense
Summer study
Group A
Lb.
19.4
169.6
0.8
3.0
3.66
Rs.
0.513
106.0
77.0
29.0
37.7
Group B
Lb.
18.6
143.0
0.6
2.6
3.78
Rs.
0.438
89.4
54.5
34.9
64.5
Winter study
Group A 1
Lb.
18.0
192.6
1.0
3.6
4.61
Rs.
0.618
120.4
93.6
26.8
28.6
Group B 1
Lb.
18.6
197.6
1.0
3.8
4.54
Rs.
0.526
123.5
82.3
41.2
50.0
It can be noted from the Table III that while there is almost no difference in
feed intake to produce a unit weight of flesh between groups in each study, due to
low cost of high protein ration, there is considerable difference in cost in favour of
high protein ration to produce a unit weight of flesh. Though this was a preli-
minary study with a small number of pigs and spread for a duration of one year
only, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that pigs can be raised economically
by substituting a higher per cent of groundnut cake in the concentrate mixture.
In this study the carcass quality of the pigs fed different rations was not studied.
The casual observation indicated that the low-protein-ration pigs had a
thicker fat layer. However, customers normally prefer more muscle and less fat
in pork products, and it would seem that high protein rations would produce meat
that has greater demand.
Following the method of Snedecor [1947] weekly weight of Group A and A 1
were compared statistically with the groups B and B 1 respectively.
The results of statistical analysis are given in Table IV. The summer study
indicated that the pigs fed a higher maize content ration were significantly heavier
at the end of the study than the pigs fed a higher groundnut-cake-content ration.
However, for the winter study the pigs fed a higher groundnut cake-ration were
significantly heavier at the end of the study than the pigs of the other group. The
reverse effect in summer and winter seems unexplainable. It is possible that
season has its effect on assimilation of high protein ration. However, further evidence
is needed to confirm or contradict such a proposition.
190
CHEAPER PROTEIN FEED FOR PIGS
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
TABLE IV
Average weekly weights per pig fed different concentrate mixture
Summer study
Average weekly weights per pig in lb. (Total pigs in each group 3)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Group A
19.4
21.6
23.8
27.0
29.6
32.2
38.6
42.6
46.4
52.4
58.0
64.6
72.8
79.4
89.0
Group B
18.6
20.6
24.2
25.2
29.2
32.6
36.6
42.6
46.6
48.2
54.4
57.0
64.0
71.6
82.0
Difference A—B
0.8
1.0
—0.4
1.8
0.4
—0.4
—2.0
0
—0.2
4.2
3.6
7.6
8.8
7.6
7.0
Winter study
Average weekly weights per pig in lb. (Total pigs in each
group: 6 till 19th week, thereafter 5
Group A 1
18.0
20.0
17.4
28.0
31.4
36.2
42.4
50.4
55.6
61.0
67.8
79.6
82.0
95.0
101.0
Group B 1
18.6
22.8
18.2
31.8
41.8
43.4
48.0
56.8
63.6
69.8
73.2
87.2
91.2
105.0
106.8
Difference A 1 —B 1
—0.6
—2.8
—0.8
—3.8
—10.4
—7.2
—5.6
—6.4
—8.0
—8.8
—5.4
—7.6
—9.2
—10.0
—5.8
December, 1956] O. P. AGARWALA AND D. SUNDARESAN 191
TABLE IV—contd.
Average weekly weights per pig fed different concentrate mixture
Summer study
Average weekly weights per pig in lb. (Total pigs in each group 3)
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Group A
99.0
105.6
120.6
121.4
130.6
137.4
144.0
153.4
151.6
160.8
186.0
169.6
Group B
85.8
87.2
101.4
100.0
108.6
114.6
121.4
125.4
124.6
132.0
136.6
143.0
Difference A—B
13.2
18.4
19.2
21.4
22.0
22.8
22.6
28.0
27.0
28.8
29.4
26.6
Winter study
Average weekly weights per pig in lb. (Total pigs in each
group: 6 till 19th week, thereafter 5)
Group A 1
105.0
104.2
121.2
127.0
143.0
151.2
155.0
162.2
186.0
173.6
186.4
192.6
Group B 1
105.2
119.8
125.4
125.6
137.0
157.6
158.4
171.8
173.6
180.6
192.8
197.6
Difference A 1 —B 1
—0.2
—15.6
—4.2
+1.4
+ 6.0
—6.4
—3.4
—9.6
—7.6
—7.0
—6.4
—5.0
Mean difference
=
11.82
t
=
13.39**
** Significant at 0.01 per cent level.
Mean difference = —5.20
t = 7.428**
THE USE OF DATE PRODUCTS IN THE RATION OF THE
LACTATING DAIRY COW AND THE WATER BUFFALO
By KHALID T. ALI, N. C. FINE, MAHOMMAD FARAJ, and N. H. SARSAM'
Animal Husbandry Division, Abu-Ghraib Experiment Station, Iraq
(Received for publication on March 22, 1956)
I RAQ is the largest date producer in the world having an annual production of
about 350,000 metric tons. Much of this production is not suitable for
human consumption and thus large quantities of dates are sold well below the
prices of certain concentrates used normally for livestock feed. Although dates and
date pits have been fed to cattle, sheep, and horses from very ancient times, there
appears to be very little published information on the use of these products as
livestock feeds. Ali, Sarsam, and McLeroy [1954] found that macerated dates
(dates from which the pits have been removed) and date pits, soaked or ground,
were not eaten by sheep in quantities enough to make fattening possible.
In later work with fattening sheep, the feeds produced excellent results when
mixed with ground barley and sesame-seed-oil meal in such proportions that the
dates or date pits constituted about 34 per cent of concentrate mixture. Even
higher proportions gave good results on small scale trials.
In this article a series of trials which were carried out to obtain information
on the value of macerated dates and ground date pits in the concentrate mixtures
fed to the lactating dairy cow and buffalo has been reported.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Trials with the dairy cow
Three trials were carried out with dairy cows. In first two trials two concen-
trate mixtures containing 25 per cent and 50 per cent macerated dates were tested.
In the third trial the concentrate mixture contained 40 per cent macerated dates
and 25 per cent ground date pits, making a total of 65 per cent date products.
The mixtures fed, together with the chemical composition of the different ingredients,
are shown in Table I.
The design used was the reversal or switchback experiment involving two groups
of five cows each. Rations were exchanged at the end of 30-day periods. Five-
day transition periods were used just before the first 30-day period and each time
a switch was made. Milk samples for butter-fat tests were taken during the transi-
tion period and at or near the middle of the 30-day period. The concentrate
allowance of each cow was taken from the grain feeding tables of Morrison [1954].
The amount of concentrates fed in the three trials ranged from 3.3 lb. per day for
the lower producing cows up to 14 lb. per day (for a short period) for one of the
highest producing cows. The roughage was green alfalfa soilage fed at the approxi-
mate rate of 9 lb. per 100 lb. of liveweight.
31 AR/56
193
9
194
THE
USE
OF
DATE
PRODUCTS
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
TABLE I
Composition of feeds
Feed
Barley
Date pits
Macerated dates
Oats
Sesame oil meal
Wheat bran
Wheat screenings
Whole cottonseed
Barley—47 per cent
Sesame meal—18 per cent
Wheat bran—10 per cent
Oats—25 per cent
Non-date mixture :
Macerated dates—25 per cent
Sesame meal—25 per cent
Wheat bran—15 per cent
Barley—20 per cent
Oats—15 per cent
25 per cent date feed :
Macerated dates—50 per cent
Sesame meal—35 per cent
Wheat bran—5 per cent
Oats—10 per cent
50 per cent date feed :
Macerated dates—40 per cent
Date pits—25 per cent
Sesame meal—20 per cent
Barley—15 per cent
65 per cent date products feed
No. of
analyses
2
2
1
2
2
3
2
+
..
..
..
..
Dry
matter
(Per cent)
90.4
91.1
79.5
89.0
92.3
93.6
90.7
92.7
90.7
88.5
85.6
86.6
Crude
protein
(Per cent)
9.0
6.0
2.6
9.9
37.0
13.7
10.8
23.1
14.7
15.2
15.9
11.3
Crude
fat
(Per cent)
1.0
7.2
0.5
2.6
6.8
3.8
1.4
22.9
2.7
3.1
3.1
3.5
Crude
fibre
(Per cent)
5.0
14.7
3.4
7.2
5.4
9.3
2.8
16.9
6.1
5.7
4.8
6.9
N-free
extract
(Per cent)
72.4
60.1
70.8
65.0
27.7
61.4
73.5
26.3
61.4
58.1
54.7
59.7
Ash
(Per cent)
3.0
3.1
2*2
4.4
15.4
5.3
2.1
3.5
5.8
6.5
7.2
5.2
+ Morrison, Feeds and Feeding, 1954, XXI ed.
December, 1956] KHALID T. ALI ET AL.
195
Macerated dates were prepared by putting whole dates through a special
macerating machine which removes the pits. Date pits were ground to a medium
degree of fineness in a burr mill. The feed ingredients were mixed in a Hobart
mixer which has a kneading type of mixing action. The machine is not a necessity
for mixing dates with other feeds. The mixing can be done with hand labour
by first placing macerated dates on a smooth clean surface, pouring the other in-
gredients over the dates, and then cutting and working them all together with a
spade. The dates break up into small lumps and will no longer stick together.
Whole dates may be mixed with other feeds in the same manner as the macerated
dates.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In all three trials with milking cows (Tables II, III and IV) the concentrate
mixtures containing dates or dates and date pits were eaten very readily. There
were no cases of tympany. The maximum amount of macerated dates fed per day
was to cow No. 1 in the third trial. This cow received as much as 14 lb. of con-
centrates, 40 per cent of which (5.6 lb.) was macerated dates. At the same time
she also ate 3.5 lb. of ground date pits in the 14 lb. of concentrates, making a total
of 9.1 lb. of date products.
TABLE II
Four per cent fat-corrected milk produced by two groups of cows (in lbs.)
(First trial 25 per cent macerated dates)
Group
I
II
Cow
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
30-day periods
25 per cent
dates
a
698.7
796.8
753.1
922.3
820.4
No dates
817.7
706.1
801.3
682.7
996.7
No dates
b
712.3
737.2
769.6
898.8
741.5
25 per cent
dates
697.7
751.0
832.7
692.7
902.3
25 per cent
dates
c
632.6
573.6
774.9
842.3
725.4
No dates
684.5
698.7
517.9
579.1
609.9
Comparison
a —2b+c
—93.3
—104.0
—11.2
—33.0
62.8
Sum —178.7
106.8
— 97.2
—346.2
—123.6
—198.0
Sum —658.2
Difference in favour of dates,—178.7 — (—658.2)=479.5
196
THE
USE
OF
DATE
PRODUCTS
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
In the second trial three cows (Nos. 1, 4 and 10) were sick for a part of the time
and, therefore, their records are not suitable for statistical analysis. Two
of the cows had mastitis, one case being the result of an external injury to the
udder. The third cow (No. 1, Table III) had a sickness during the second 30-
day period the cause of which was not known. She seemed to have completely
recovered in the third period.
In the first trial, in which a concentrate mixture containing 25 per cent mace-
rated dates was tested, the difference in favour of the macerated dates was not statis-
tically significant according to the method of analysis described by Snedecor [1946].
While no attempt was made to analyse statistically the data of the second trial,
it appears that the mixture containing 50 per cent macerated dates also turned out
satisfactorily from the standpoint of production of milk. It should be noted that
both the 25 per cent and the 50 per cent macerated date feeds (Table I) showed a
slightly higher protein content than the regular herd concentrate mixture. This
happened because the feed analyses of Table I were not complete at the time these
mixtures were made up for the feeding trials. The proportions of the ingredients
TABLE III
Four per cent fat-corrected milk produced by two groups of cows (in lb.)
(Second trial 50 per cent macerated dates)
Group
I
II
Cow
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
30-day periods
50 per cent
a
591.5
934.8
706.6
443.7
(mastitis)
609.9
No dates
588.3
605.4
551.4
656.4
747.5
No dates
b
415.6
(sick)
871.8
628.8
500.6
454.5
50 per cent
dates
633.8
584.5
510.5
596.4
787.7
50 per cent
c
628.6
1,073.2
662.5
524.4
505.0
No dates
685.4
491.9
591.3
603.7
(mastitis)
Comparison
a —2b+c
—
264.4
112.7
—
205.9
6.1
—71.7
121.7
67.3
..
198
THE USE OF DATE PRODUCTS [Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
TABLE IV
Four per cent fat-corrected milk produced by two groups of cows (in lb.)
(Third trial, 65 per cent date products)
Group
I
II
Cow
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
30-day periods
40 per cent dates,
25 per cent date pits
a
941.5
762.8
751.6
653.6
809.8
No dates
744.9
735.6
867.0
538.0
744.2
No dates
b
980.4
805.1
822.3
640.6
820.3
40 per cent dates,
25 per cent date
pits
725.0
763.0
869.6
511.7
644.0
40 per cent dates,
25 per cent date
pits
c
962.9
679.4
702.1
673.0
734.9
No dates
620.7
619.2
879.8
404.0
639.6
Comparison
a — 2b+c
—56.4
—168.0
—190.9
45.4
—95.9
Sum —465.8
—84.4
—171.2
7.6
—81.4
95.S
Sum —233.6
Difference in favour of no dates, —233.6 — (—465.8)=232.2
December, 1956]
KHALID
T.
ALI,
ET
AL.
199
period, following a two-day period allowed for changing the ration, a mixture con
taining 25 per cent each of barley, wheat bran, wheat screenings, and whole cotton
seed was fed. In the third seven-day period the concentrate mixture was changed
to 25 per cent whole cottonseed, 30 per cent macerated dates, 15 per cent wheat
screenings, 7.5 per cent sesame-seed-oil meal, and 7.5 per cent barley. After allowing
two days for the buffaloes to become accustomed to this mixture the production
was recorded for seven days. The calculated chemical compositions of the mixtures
are given in Table V. The average daily production of the ten buffaloes for the
three seven-day periods may be found in Table VI.
TABLE V
Composition of concentrate mixtures fed to buffaloes
Concentrate mixture
Mixture No. 1
Barley 33 ⅓ per cent
Wheat bran 33⅓ per cent
Wheat screenings 33⅓ per cent
Mixture No. 2
Barley 25 per cent
Wheat bran 25 per cent
Wheat screenings 25 per cent
Cottonseed 25 per cent
Mixture No. 3
Macerated dates 30 per cent
Sesame meal 7.5 per cent
Wheat bran 15 per cent
Wheat screenings 15 per cent
Barley 7.5 per cent
Cottonseed 25 per cent
Dry
matter
per cent
91.3
91.8
88.4
Crude
protein
per cent
11.2
14.1
13.7
Crude
fat
per cent
2.1
7.3
7.3
Crude
fiber
per cent
5.7
8.5
7.8
N-free
extract
per cent
69.0
58.4
55.6
Ash
per cent
3.5
3.4
4.6
200
THE
USE
OF
DATE
PRODUCTS
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
TABLE VI
Seven-day average production of milk and fat tests of buffaloes fed on three concentrate
mixtures
Animal No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average
Mixture No. 1
33⅓ per cent barley
33⅓ per cent wheat bran
33⅓ per cent wheat screen
ings
Milk
(lb.)
18.8
19.6
19.3
17.8
18.0
10.8
10.0
19.7
12.6
13.6
16.0
Fat
(per cent)
7.6
6.0
6.9
7.0
64
9.2
10.0
7.0
10.2
7.8
7.5*
Mixture No. 2
25 per cent barley
25 per cent wheat bran
25 per cent wheat screen
ings
25 per cent cottonseed
Milk
lb.
19.2
15.7
20.9
17.9
17.5
10.6
17.1
26.5
11.7
12.0
16.9
Fat
(per cent)
8.5
8.1
8.2
8.8
7.0
9.1
9.8
7.7
10.5
9.5
8.6*
Mixture No. 3
25 per cent cotton seed
30 per cent dates
7.5 per cent sesame meal
15 per cent wheat bran
15 per cent wheat screen
7.5 per cent barley
Milk
lb.
20.4
16.6
21.6
18.4
14.2
10.8
19.1
28.1
12.2
11.7
17.3
Fat
(per cent)
8.1
8.3
8.1
7.9
6.6
8.0
9.4
8.1
10.5
8.7
8.3*
* Weighted average.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Adding whole cottonseed to the concentrate mixture might have had some effect
on the fat tests, as the average fat tests of the second and third periods were higher
than the first period. Individually, eight of the buffaloes showed an increase in the
second and third periods but two (Nos. 6 and 7) showed a slight decrease. Since
there are so many uncontrolled factors which may have affected the fat tests,
these results offer only a bare hint that cottonseed helps the fat test. Perhaps more
critical tests could be devised on this point. It should be noted that in addition to
increasing the fat content of the concentrate mixture cottonseed also increases
December, 1956]
KHALID
T.
ALI
ET
AL.
201
the protein content. When the animals were given the concentrate mixture con-
taining dates the production was maintained. The trial gives some evidence that date
feeds will be palatable to the buffalo and that they are not likely to depress produc-
tion. Further work on this problem is contemplated.
SUMMARY
In three different reversal trials involving 30 lactating cows it was possible to
secure relatively good milk production when three concentrate mixtures containing
25 per cent macerated dates, 50 per cent macerated dates, and 40 per cent macerated
dates plus 25 per cent ground date pits were compared with a non.date containing
control mixture. Loss of data due to sickness prevented a statistical analysis
of the trial with 50 per cent macerated dates, but in the case of the other two date
containing concentrate mixtures there were no significant differences between them
and the control mixture as measured by the production of 4 per cent fat-corrected
milk. Satisfactory results were also obtained when a concentrate mixture containing
30 per cent macerated dates was fed for a seven-day period to 10 lactating buffaloes.
Macerated dates and ground date pits were eaten readily when mixed with other
feeds. The maximum amount of dates consumed by any one cow was 5.6 lb. per
day. The chief advantage of the date feeds was their low cost per ton.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the Date Association of Iraq for providing the macerated dates
and ground date pits used in this investigation. Mr Frank Winter of the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Mission to Iraq and Dr Ghazi Hamid,
Technical Director of the Date Association were particularly helpful in making the
necessary arrangements to obtain the dates and mix the feeds. Mr Denha Iwass
Mekhael, Agricultural Chemistry Section, Abu-Ghraib Experiment Station made
most of the chemical analysis of the feeds.
REFERENCES
Morrison, F. B. (1954). Feeds and feeding. XXI Ed. The Morrison Publishing Co., Ithaca,
New York
Sarsam, N. H., Ali, K. T., and McLeroy, G. B. (1954). Preliminary report on the use of date by pro-
ducts in the ration of the fat-tailed sheep. Western Section, Amer. Soc. Anim. Prod., Proc.
5:57
Snedecor, G. W. (1946). Statistical methods. 4th Ed. The Iowa State College Press, Ames.,
Iowa.
31 AR/56.
10
204
AUREOMYCIN
AND
VITAMIN
B 12
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
With the economic relationship between cereal grains and groundnut cake
favouring a ration much higher in protein than that usually fed to swine, it was
considered desirable to determine the effect of aureomycin and vitamin B 12 when fed
to swine on a high-protein-low-maize diet.
EXPERIMENTAL
Sixteen weaning pigs, four barrows and twelve gilts from three litters, were
separated into two groups by arranging them in pairs according to litter, sex, size
and general health, then randomly assigning one pig of each pair to each group.
The groups were assigned by chance to one of two adjacent pens and one group was
designated by chance as the treatment group with the other as control. Weights
of individual pigs were recorded at the beginning and at weekly intervals throughout
the experiment. Group B or control group had free access at all times to the basic
ration as shown in Table I. Group A or treatment group received the basic ration
to which had been added 27 gm. aureomycin and 27 mgm. vitamin B 12 per ton of
ration. This ration was self fed in the same type of feeder as that used in Group B.
A small portion of greens was given in equal amounts to each group daily. Records
were kept of the amount of feed consumed by each group. Water was provided at
all times to both groups.
TABLE I
Composition of basic ration
Ration
Maize
Groundnut cake
Gram
Wheat bran
Fish meal
Per cent
10
47
20
20
3
Plus regular Institute mineral mixture (50 per cent salt, 50 per cent steamed
bonemeal, plus 0.03 lb. potassium iodide per 100) at the rate of 3 lb. per 100 lb.
of ration.
The experimental period was 26 weeks.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
There was a significant difference in average gain per pig in four weeks and five
weeks of feeding in favour of the group A pigs fed aureomycin and vitamin B 12 .
After six weeks feeding the difference was not quite significant at the 5 per cent
level of probability. There was no significant difference in total gains after six
weeks feeding. There was no significant difference in total gains for the 26 weeks
feeding period. The treated pigs had a greater average gain than the control pigs
at the end of each week throughout the experiment (Table II). The greatest difference
occurred after 16 weeks of feeding when the treated group averaged 24 lb. more
than the untreated group. This difference was not statistically significant,
December, 1956]
ALEX
REED
AND
O.
P.
AGARWAL
205
TABLE II
Initial weights, total gain at indicated periods and final weights of treated and untreated pigs
Group A—Treatment
Pig
No.
1a
2a.
3a.
4a.
5a.
6a.
7a.
8a.
Avg :
Initial
weight
(lb.)
20.0
26.0
19.1
18.5
16.9
11.2
11.1
11.5
16.8
Group B—Control
1b.
2b.
3b.
4b.
5b.
6b.
7b.
8b.
Average
21.8
15.9
23.2
19.1
13.7
10.7
14.0
19.0
17.2
Total gain per pig at indicated periods after weaning
4 weeks
30.0
34.0
17.9
20.5
12.1
11.8
9.9
50.0
14.5*
10.2
14.1
16.8
5.9
0.0
1.3
4.0
9.0
8.5
5 weeks
32.0
41.0
21.9
26.5
14.1
13.8
13.9
3.5
20.8*
19.2
15.1
19.8
5.9
1.3
6.3
5.0
12.0
16.3
6 weeks
43.0
55.0
31.9
30.5
28.1
19.8
18.9
8.5
29.1
29.2
25.1
37.8
12.9
2.3
10.3
7.0
18.0
17.8
8 weeks
50.0
71.0
46.9
31.5
33.1
28.8
28.9
21.5
37.3
48.2
34.1
44.8
20.9
2.3
19.3
12.0
41.0
27.8
12 weeks
98.0
117.0
87.9
16 weeks
132.0
146.0
114.9
20 weeks
150.0
190.0
134.9
(Pig died from pneumonia)
70.1
57.8
70.9
38.5
65.4
69.2
65.1
79.8
102.1
58.8
105.9
38.5
99.7
108.2
78.1
104.8
133.1
76.8
134.9
60.5
125.7
138.2
114.1
142.8
(removed because 4a died)
9.3
54.3
41.0
64.0
47.8
28.3
80.3
42.0
88.0
75.7
52.3
109.3
76.0
121.0
107.7
26 weeks
195.0
231.0
165.9
178.1
119.8
173.9
113.5
168.1
175.2
149.1
173.8
101.3
164.3
112.0
161.0
142.9
Final
weight
(lb.)
215
257
186.0
195
331
185.0
125
184.7
197
163
197
115
175
122
180
165.6
*Difference significant P-0.05 (Student's Method).
206
AUREOMYCIN AND VITAMIN B 12
[Vol. XXVI, Part IV,
After 18 weeks feeding the difference in average gain remained fairly uniform
(Fig. I). There is evidence to indicate that aureomycin and vitamin B 12 gave a
growth stimulus during first 16 weeks of feeding, although this was not statistically
significant.
Pigs 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b were from one litter, 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b from
another litter and 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a and 8b were from a third litter. The pigs in this
litter were about three weeks younger than the others at the beginning of this
project.
The average daily gain for the 26 week-feeding period was 0.9 lb. daily for the
treated group and 0.8 lb. daily for the control group (Table III).
TABLE III
Initial weight, final weight, average daily gain, feed per lb. gain and cost per lb. gain
from weaning through 26 week-feeding period
Average initial weight
Average final weight
Average daily gain
Average feed per lb. gain
Average cost per lb. gain
Total feed consumed
Group A
(Treatment)
16.8 lb.
184.7 „
0.9 „
4.0 „
Rs.0.55
4,669 lb.
Group B
(Control)
17.2 lb.
165.6 „
0.8 „
2.9 „
Rs. 0.32
4,069 lb.
The average feed per lb. gain was 4.0 lb. for the treated group and 3.9 lb. for
the control. With the price of Aurofac (1.8 gm. and 1.8 mgm. per lb.) at Rs. 8 per lb.
it was not economical to feed the antibiotics in this test.
SUMMARY
Weanling pigs fed a ration fortified with 27 gm. aureomycin and 27 mgm. vitamin
B 12 per ton of feed made significantly higher gains after 4 weeks and 5 week's feeding,
than control pigs not receiving the antibiotic and vitamin B 12 . The difference in
gain was not quite significant after 6 weeks feeding.
The aureomycin-fed pigs made a higher average gain in 10 weeks than control
pigs although the difference was not statistically significant at the 5 per cent level
of probability.
From 16 weeks to 26 weeks feeding there was very little difference in rate of
growth between treated and control groups.
December, 1956]
ALEX
REED
AND
O.
P.
AGARWALA
207
Fig. 1. The difference in average gain of treated over untreated pigs at weekly intervals from
weaning through 26 weeks feeding period.