Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-07-28
Experiments In Pig-Feeding.

Experiments In Pig-Feeding.
We collate the following facts from
the Second Biennial Report of the Sec
rotary of the Kansas State Board of Ag-
rlculture, 1880. The experiments
were undertaken to ascertain whether
the Western plan of feeding in open
fields, in cold weather, is more profita-
BILE than feeding in sheltered yards or
pens. Ten pigs, all Berkshires, were
Zee, each in different manner, and the
result carefully noted. During the sum-
mer preceding, and up to the time the
experiment began, all the pigs were
kept in large pasture feld-mostly
prairie grass, but containing small
proportion of orchard grass and alfalfa
receiving an ear of corn per pig each
DAY. The pigs were q remarkably uni
form lot, and of very excellent quality.
Half the pigs were arranged in the base
ment OF warm stone barn, and the
others in an open yard on the south side
OF close board fence, five feet high,
but without other protection, except
straw "nests," which were furnished
both sets as needed. A single pig occu-
pied each pen, an arrangement necessary
to the proper apportionment Of food
and distribution of the results of the ex-
pertinent.
In pens 1, 2, 5, 6, and 10 shelled
corn exclusively was fed; in pens B, 4, 8
and a ration of bran, in addition to
the corn, was fed, the amount varying
but little from two pounds per day. In
all the pens ali the corn that the ami
mails would eat was fed, great
care being taken that none was left
over in the troughs and wasted, or, on
the other hand, that the animals
were insufticiently supplied. The pigs
were fed twice daily, at eight a. m. and
at four p. M, the feed being weighed
out accurately to each pig at every feed
ing. If at the time of feeding the pre-
vious feed had not been consumed, the
surplus was removed, and proportion
ate reduction made in the amount of the
next feed. All the pigs received what
ever water they required. The bran
was fed dry or mixed with water, to
suit the tastes of the different pigs. At
first this was eaten with apparent relish,
but as the pigs increased in ripeness
they seemed to care less for the bran,
finally refusing it altogether, when,
about the eighth and ninth week the bran
ration was discontinued. Records of
the daily temperature were also kept.
The five pigs kept in warm pens
gained 63.9 per cent. of original weight
those in the open yard gained 1922 per
cent. In the first case the average num-
Der of pounds of corn per pound of in
crease was sos to 5.31; or 4.7S to 4.S4,
with two-thirds to three-fourths pound of
bran. With the pigs in the yard it took
5.21 to 6.02 pounds of corn, or $50 to
6.17 pounds of corn with three-fourths
to seven-eghths pound of bran, to make
a pound of gain. For the pigs fed ex-
clusively on corn, it took an average of
SIS pounds of corn to make pound of
increase when kept in warm pens; for
those in the yard it took 5.4S pounds.
The total loss from feeding in the
open yards was quite marked through
out, and the variations in individual
cases were considerable. 1t was notice
able that the quietest animals, the best
feeders of those fed "outside," endured
the severe weather the best, and gave
the largest returns for the food con-
sumed. These, during the severe
weather which prevailed during the
sixth, ninth and tenth weeks, passed
much of the time in condition closely
resembling Information; they came to
their food during severe weather with
great apparent reluctance, and rarely
Oftener than once each day, during the
remainder of the time lying very still,
the vital functions apparently moving at
the slOwest pace.
The very uniform increase in the
amount of food required to produce one
pound of increase. during each subse-
quent week of the experiment, after the
first and second weeks had been passed,
Ga fact fully brought out by the expert
ments of Mr.. Miles and others,) was
plainly shown. The diminished amount
of food consumed for each one hundred
quent week of the experiment. after the
animals had become measureably
"ripe," was also noticeable.
The importance of a ration OF bran or
other coarse food in connection with
corn, for fattening pigs, is frequently
urged by writer's, on theoretical grounds.
It was chiefly to test this question that
bran was used in two of the pens of each
of the two series. The value of the
bran fed in this experiment may be
shown in brief summary and compar-
ison of the results obtained. In pens 1,
2, 5, 6, Z and 10, in which corn exclus-
lively was fed, 901 1-2 lbs. of increase
cost 4, 778.5 lbs. of corn, and in pens 3,
4, 8 and 9, in which corn and bran were
fed, $40 lbs. of increase cost 1915 lbs.
of corn and 1872 lbs. of bran. That is,
S.42 lbs of corn had in this experiment
feeding value equal to that of 1913
lbs. of bran-a fact which seems to
show that corn alone can be more prof
itably used for fattening hogs than
mixed feed consisting of corn and bran.
Country Gentleman.
Moth Preventive.