Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1893-09-23
FEEDING WHEAT TO STOCK.
Expert Opinions on Methods of Feeding
to Hogs anl, sheep.

FEEDING WHEAT TO STOCK.
Expert Opinions OK, 5Isthosls of Feeding (,
to Hogs and sheep.
Professor Henry writes in The Breed
ers Gazette:
Reports in the daily papers state TIA.
Ohio farmers are feeding wheat an1
making 20 pounds Of pork from a blshe!
that is three pounds Of feed make a
pound Of gain. live weight. While such
gains may be had fc3' a week or two the
feeder must not expect more than a
pound with lean slcats from, about four
pounds Of wheat, Or say IS pounds OF
pork from a bushel Of wheat when fed
20 siio.ts that have been running On pas
ture and are not too f:lt nor the fatte,l-
ing period too long continued, for tbs
last few weeks of the fattcning period
show g very marked increase in the
amount Of feed fer :. pound Of pork.
Allowing Is pounds Of pork for a
bushcl Of wheat it will be seen t,lat 1T
present prices farmers can well afford &c
feed even rlerchantable wheat. This
true, there is evidently moro roft still IN
feeding wheat that is rejected because CT
some slight fault which INJURIES its -four
rs qualities. but not necessariiy Y its fcel,
ing value.
But should rot feed the wheat By IL
self. It viii pay much better to dilute
it with soaked corn or ccrnnleal and a
little shorts. Wheat -four in itself makes
d pastT mass in the mouth Of the a.ii-
nal, which can be reilelietl by using
cornmeal and shorts or even little
bran. Two parts wheat, with two parts
corn a-sl one part shorts by weight, VIII
prove the very best feed for young pigs
and shoats. For fattening hogs, use half
cornnlcal a1ll half wheat. The wheat
may be ground into a coarse meal and
will then not be so sticky. This feed
given to thrifty shoats that have grown
good frame Oil pasture, with u large,
healthy, digestive tract, should give
splendid hogs, carrying the best Of pork.
Doubtless just at this time there are "a
good many farmers wEo are waiting for
the corn crop to ripen in order to fatten
their hogs. Some of these same farmers
nlay have wheat in bins which is not Of
the best quality, waiting for rise i'll
the market. Personally l believe wheat
Will so higher, but will it not pay to feed
poor and IN some cases even good wheat
to hogs IL order to hurry them Of, save
time, feed and get ready money, which
is quite an object just now with many:
1t may seem little strange to feed
wheat to hogs, but there has been more
wheat offered the last few years than
the markets of the world would bu7,
and why take second thought on that
side SO long as there is moro money in
feeding than il selling?
Where Il farmer has little wheat that
he does not care to sell and does not
wish to take it to the mill for grinding
it can be boiled in large kettle. and
little Of this boiled wheat given to shoats
Or young pigs will pay double, believe,
what the miller will give for the wheat.
in the way IF helping the animals Oh in
growth or flesh.
A correspondent Of the St. Louis Re
public says of feeding wheat to hogs and
sheep:
Wheat is very low in rrice nov, and
there is no question but that in many
cases it can be fed with good results.
This is especially the case when feeding
hogs or sheep to fs.tten. Under present
q higher price can be realized
by feeding the wheat to vigorous, thrifty
hogs or sheep and then selling in this
way than by selling the grains.
With hogs it ca, be fed to better ad-
vantage if it is soaked lony enough to
soften the grains thoroughly. Tho cb- |
lection to feeding it without soaking is
hat it is naturally hard grain, and
5eing small more or less of it will be |
swallowed without being properly mas
,icated, and the consequence is that /
more CT less Of it will not be di.ested,
md Of course this is a waste.
Wheat. before il is fed to hogs, should
,e soaked at least 10 or 12 hours, a.:,l a !
would not be too much. Use two bar
els. and as fast as enc is fed out I'll it .
1p and put to soak Willie tic ether is be-
ng fed.
In putting to soak use plenty of wa
er. The grain swclls very much. and
olenty Of water is needed to soften it I
thoroughly. 1t is best to begin feeding
With a light ration and gradually in
'rease until they are gwen all that they
Eiil eat up clean at each meal. With
III kinds of stock it is comparatively
'asy to overfeed ct the start, and twill
eGuire some time entirely to recover
rom the effect. Tho better plan is to
,ring them to full feed gradually, aad |
hen, once cn full rations, to crowd as
much IS possible. With sheep there is
20 special advantage in soaking the
vhoat. 1t is better, however, to feed in
haliow troughs.
Another good way Of feeding wheat to
'ogs is to grind it coarse and then make
into a slop with milk if it can be had,
r with waterif mill! cannot be secured.
'attening hogs can be given all that
hey will eat of this, and if thrifty and
.iven comfortable quarters and plenty
f pure water will fatten very rapidly.
Live Stock Points.
There are nearly $4,000 registered
tandard stations in the United States.
ct the poultry shows white fowls
hat have been reared in soft coal dis
ricts make show indeed. They are so
ray that they would not at first glance