Connecticut western news., 1884-05-07
FARM AND GARDEN.
Experiments tn Feeding Pigs, ns Made by n
 Western Agricultural College.

Western Agricultural College.
 Numbered with experiments of prac- tical interest made under the auspices of the Kansas State Agricultural College and reported upon by Prof. E. NJ. Shell ton are pig-feeding experiments. The object of these was to ascertain how much cold weather and exposure affect flesh production in fattening pigs.
 In experiments made two seasons ago, the ration of bran then fed in addition to corn was found to be practically worthless, hence in the experiments under consideration corn only was em- ployed. In this last experiment, ten pure-bred yearling Berkshires were em- ployed; the lot was remarkably uniform in appearance and their differences in age in no case equaled one month. Five of these animals were fed ;n the basement of a warm stone barn, each pig occupying a separate pen. The re- maining five were fed in pens in the open yard without other protection than that afforded by high board fence on the north side of each pen. All of these pigs were fed twice daily, at s a. m. aud D. m., and all were given water ad H6itun,. The feed in all cases was shelled corn, carefully weighed at each feeding, great care being exercised that each animal had all it could eat without waste. The pigs were weighed al the beginning of the experiment and at the end of each week.
 The results of these experiments, be- ginning Nov. 27 and continuing unti Feb. 5, a period of ten weeks. were care. fully noted and reported upon. From the tabulated report the principal re, suits are shown in the following brief statements
 Q.) In the warm barn 2, ,877f pounds o corn gave GOA pounds of increase in the weight of the pigs, while in the open yard 2, 2,S44 pounds of corn gave 4S9 pounds in crease, or, in the exposed pens, the cost of one pound of increase was almost 25 per cent. greater than the cost of one pound of increase in the warm barn.
 ca Besides giving less of "tota gain" and "gain per cent" in every per during every week of the experiment the pigs fed outside gave much smaller returns for food consumed, but this was especially marked during the weeks oI lowest temperature. Thus during th' three weeks of greatest cold the pigs il open yards required 1T15, 15.46 ana 22.6 pounds of corn for each pound o increase, while in the warm barn during the same three weeks 6.76, 732 and AZ. pounds of corn respectively were ex pended for one pound of increase.
 C3.) In this, as in the experiment mad two years ago, Prof. Shelton observed that the quietest pigs, the best feeders suffered least from cold, at the best, anC gave the largest returns for feed con sumed.
 (4.) The fluctuations in the weekly gain were much greater in the pens il the open yards, but whenever little gail or a positive loss was sustained an enor nous gain was made during the weel following, even though the temperature continued low, as though the animals were making determined effort to re cover lost ground.
 (5.) The fluctuations in the total feet consumed or in the amount of feed con sumed for each 100 pounds of liv weight, were not great in the differen pens or in the different weeks of eacl pen, although these fluctuations wer greatest in the "outside" pens, tn, smallest amount of feed being consume, during the coldest weather. In tn weeks following those showing the leas gain in flesh or the greatest loss whei the largest increase was made, the in crease in the amount of feed was incon siderable; in some cases nothing.
 Facts familiar to feeders of swine an' substantiated in these experiments were First-As the pigs become fatter tn cost of producing pound of gain in creased, while the total increase made the total corn consumed, and the corr consumed for each 100 pounds of liv weight of animal progressively dimin ished. Second-The pigs when consum ing the largest amount of feed give tn largest increase for corn consumed, a we'll as the large st total increase.
 The experiments here considere agree in results with the ones made b. Prof. Shelton two years ago, and then unmistakably, that farmers and stock men who fail to furnish swine witl proper protection against cold weathe must furnish food for the internal fire of the animal in shape of food. WhicI heating apparatus is the cheapest Prof Shelton leaves to be decided by ever one for himself. His experiments sho' that 495 pounds of corn were used i keeping five pigs four weeks.