Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-04
Milk, Bran and Ioal for Pigs.

The Neac Englond Farmer gives
the following interesting experiment
in feeding pigs:
For some years past, we have aim
ed to keep hogs enough to use all the
surplus milk from the dairy, in the
form Of drink, and have depended
largely upon corn meal for food, even
when the pigs were quite young; but
having seen some fine hogs grown to
large size upon diet made up al
most excessively of milk, we deter
mined this year to give milk as food
a more thorough trial than we have
ever before done.
On the 18th Of last November we
bought four pigs, six weeks and two
days old. They did not have all the
milk they could drink, but considera-
bly, more than enough to wet the
grain fed in connection with it. Up
to the first Of April, a period Of 1873
days, the four pigs had consumed 800
pounds of coarse wheat bran, and
800 pounds Of corn meal, costing
s22.33. The daily average weight
of grain was 0 lG pounds, costing n
fraction less than II cents per day,
or about four cents per day for each
pig. On the first of April an account
of stock was taken, and the pigs were
priced at SG4, giving profit of
S23.67, if the milk and labor of feed
ing had been offset against the value
Of their manure and the labor at
composing. On November Sd the
four hogs had eaten 500 pounds of
bran and $3.50 pounds Of corn meal,
at a cost of S84, or twenty four cents
per day for the $50 days they were
fed, being six cents per day for each
hog. At no time during the year
were they fed all they would eat, cx-
cepting the last month, and during
the hottest weather about onc-third
bran, by measure, was mixed with
the meal at every feeding. On the
Sd Of November, three Of the hogs
were slaughtered, and weighed, after
deducting for shrinkage, 800, 372
and 384 pounds, respectively, and the
fourth one is larger than either of
those dressed, which would make the
four average at least 372 pounds each,
or 1888 pounds i'll the aggregate,
which, at eleven cents per pound, the
most common price within our
knowledge, would make them worth
$lG3.68, or SCI. 68 above cost, giving
on each pig fed a profit of $l5.82.-
This is from two to three times bet
ter than any lot of hogs has done in
our pens for several years.
In 1872, with meal selling at about
$3.50 per hundred pounds, and pork
selling at from seven to eight cents
per pound, six spring pigs paid a
profit of $4.72 each. In 1878, four
spring pigs paid a profit of 1886
cents each, with meal averaging
about $3.50 per hundred pounds, and
pork selling at seven and one-half to
eight cents. In 1874, two pigs win
tered paid a profit of $6.95 each, with
pork selling at ten cents per pound,
and meal at s. per bushel.
Our success the present yearwe at
tribute to two causes: First, and
principally, the high price of pork
and the low price Of grain; and sec
ond, to the large proportion of milk
used in feeding the pigs previous to
the middle of summer. Our method
OF feeding is very simple. The meal
is scattered in the troughs, and the
milk poured over it without any labor
of stirring or mixing. We don't be-
lieve it pays us to spend much time
scalding meal, or mixing it with milk
or water.