The Indianapolis journal., 1884-05-22

Philadelphia 2oscrd.
1t is claimed that corn is but an Indifferent
food for pigs, and Professor Sheldon asserts that
none of the common grains, however prepared,
will, during the second, third and fourth months
Of the pigs life give that rapid and symmetrical
development sought by swine breeders, and In
order to furnish facts on which to base correct
opinions he tells us, in his recently published
report for 1883 that he selected ten pigs, in two
sets of five each, the one set receiving ration OF
fresh milk twice daily, in addition to shorts and
water while the other set was fed alone on
shorts and water.
In selecting the breeds the Essex was pre-
ferred, and they were kept singly in pens, mum
bered one to ten inclusive; but the results would
have been more valuable had larger number
of pigs been employed. The pigs being uni
form the facts obtained were of much greater
worth than any that might be had from
the feeding Of a much larger number OF ill
assorted animals Nos l to . inclusive We're
fed on wheat shorts and fresh cows milk.
The weight of the pigs at the beginning varied
from 81 to- "a pounds, according to age, none OF
them being over four months old. The shorts
and milk were fed in the shape OF sloPs. The
other lots, Nos. to 10 inclusive, were allowed
shorts and water, no milk being given. All
the pigs were fed daily the feed in all cases
being accurately weighed, and they were
allowed as much water as they desired, They
were weighed weekly, and the experiment was
continued ten weeks The average weight OF
the five pigs that were fed shorts and milk,
when beginning the experiment, was 40 pounds,
and their weight at the end of the experiment
was (average) l4l pounds. The average weight
of those fed on shorts and water was 40 pounds,
while their average weight at the enq OF the eN
pertinent was 105 pounds.
The average cost of one pound OF increase In
the pens in which the feed was milk and shorts
was B. 16 pounds of the former and 20 pounds
of the latter while in the pens in which the
shorts alone were fed the average cost of each
pound of gain was 4.2l pounds of shorts. 1t
follows from this, then, that 56l pounds of
milk had, in this trial, feeding value equal TO
! 16l pounds of shorts, one pound of milk equal
| ing alittle less than three-tenths Of pound of
shorts. Estimating the price Of the shorts at
| 81 per cWt one pound of milk had feeding
value of about onefourth of cent. This esti-
mate, which is based upon the gross increase Of
| live weight only assigns a very low value to
milk, but the increased gain in the gross weigh t
of the pigs shows but small part of the work
done by it, for in the case of the pigs belonging
! to the younger litter those receiving the milk
ration were ready for the butcher IN one hun
dred days while those fed shorts alone were un-
salable.
The value of the milk-fed pig per pound was
nearly double that of the others. To the breeder
and fancier the advantages obtained by the milk
! fed series over the set receiving shorts alone
would have appeared even greater than to the
! farmer or stoek-raiser for they were larger of
body, and in all respects better and more sym
| metrieally developed than the others. Their
| skins shone as though they had been oiled while
the series receiving shorts especially the younger
ones, had dull. lusterless, scurfy skins, which
gave them stunted appearance The quality
| of the milk fed pigs was highly commended by
the butchers for it contained o large proportion
of lean meat while the fat was well marbled,
! firm, and of that nuttly flavor which character
ICES the best quality of pork; nor did this fat
waste in cooking by changing to oil. az is the
case with eorn-fed pork The conclusion is that
| the surplus milk Of the farm over and above
that used in the family of the farmer can, as
prices now are. be more proftably fed to young
pigs than applied to any other purpose for which
milk is ordinarily sold away from the farm.