The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-11-27

A vast amount of hog feeding is
lone at a loss every year. Swine
nave an immense power for the con-
sumption of food, and can use up
grain remarkably fast without MAX
ing any commensurate return IL the
feeding is not done with judgment.
On the other hand, under proper con-
ditions they can turn the grain TO
flesh with as handsome margin OF
profit as can stock on the farm. An
instance in this latter line has been
shown by the experiments at the
Minnesota Station, which we Will re
view briefly: Fifty four pigs were
farrowed on the 18th of April. As
soon as large enough they were
turned with the sOws in an eight
acre lot, where there were temporary
sheds for shelter. Here they were
fed literally with sceeninks, some
times cooked, and when not cooked
well soaked and fed sweet, and liz
September little green corn. When
weaned at two and half months old
the pigs weighed Al pounds, and had
cost (includiDg feed for sows) 90 cents
per head, or $1.25 per 100 pounds.
he screenings cost 80 cents per hum
ired weight. During October they
we're fed corn on the cob and slops
made from screenings meal, and after
hat until January % nothing but
:orn on the cob and cold water
from then until March IA, when sold,
hey were fed shelled corn, either
ooiled or soaked. Up to December
"A the total cost of feed had been
SI47 ,68, and the pigs then weighed
il 1850 pounds, and had cost (fOr feed
81 80 per 100 pounds, and at that time
:ould have been sold at three and q
laIf cents, or at a total profit of $249,-
y. Up to January Is the feed had
cost 1901, and the total weight was
10 800 pounds, having then cost $l.53
Der 100 pounds, and could then have
leen sold at three and ihree-fourths
.ents, giving total profit OF 1896.
Upon March IA the cost had been
| $3.50, 40, and the total weight was 15,-
$40, the cost per 100 pounds then b =
ing $1.77. They sold then at four
profit of 1852, 40. The most note
worthy fact here is that these pigs
were profitable all the way through.
AS low as the market was there was
no time from the day thar they were
Reaned but that they would have
brought handsome profit. This in
spite of the fact that they were grown
almost wholly on grain, the pasture
lot giving very little grass. With
good clover they would undoubtedly
have been grown for still less. The
second fact is that the cost of prOduc-
ton increased steadily, as the pigs
| grew older. In this calculation We
nave not estimated the cost Of hand
ling them, but if that had been con-
4idered they would have been kept at
/ an actua. loss from December "A W
to the time of sale, had it not been
for the h CHER market price obtained
1t is not only that the cost of the adj
litiOnal weight made by the later
'eediDg was greater than that made
sarly, but by holding them the cost
| of every pound of their total weight
! became greater. This is because q
certain proportion of the food taken
ny an animal is required to merely
sustain it, and this amount is US.
nally in direct ratio to the weight oi
the animal. II, therefore, we take
the calculations of the German eX-
perImenUers, that food equal to two
per cent. of the weight OF an animal
must go first to sustain life before
any gain can be made, then for lOC
pound animal two pounds would be
fed without profit, tor 200 pound
animal four pounds, and for BOZ
pound animal six pounds. We have
gone at such length into this expert
ment and it's results because it has
been conducted on so large scale as
to be applicable to the ordinary con-
ditiOns of farm life and management
| We trust that our readers will appre-
ciate both the lessons taught by it