The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-07
The Science of Feeding.

The science OF tailoring is to cut the
cloth to fit the person of the customer.
To do it wastefully shows that the
tailor is ignorant of the true principles
of his business. In just as important
sense is there science of feeding
animals. Principles govern here as
we'll as in tailoring or anything else.
Our readers will remember that we
have repeatedly advised the feeding
of hogs when young and only to med
ium weights. This is because the
profit of the transaction ceases when
the pigs get too old and heavy. In
confirmation of this we find the follow
ing experience of Mr.. j. Z. Lacy, of
Ontario County, New York, contrib
uted to the National Stochman:
cat farmers institute held in Cam
andaigua last spring, / placed this
question in the box: AT what weight
should fattened pigs be sold to give
the greatest profit to the feederp' An
swers were quickly given, ranging
from 125 to 25O pounds. AS there was
SO much difference of opinion l de-
cided to make test when a favorable
opportunity occurred. Accordingly on
April 23, 1892, selected and weighed
six pure-bred Chester-W White pigs
eight weeks old farrowed by one of
my choicest sows), that l intended to
prepare for exhibition at our county
fair. Their combined weight at that
time was 1S7 pounds. then weighed
out 120 pounds of feed. consisting of
equal parts by weight of cornmeal and
shorts. This was mixed with about
equal parts of milk and water to the
consistency of thick cream and fed
three times per day.
"The 120 pounds of feed were con-
sumed in nineteen days. The pigs
were weighed again May -, and
showed a gain of lis pounds. Another
batch of feed was then mixed and fed
as before, except that the proportion
of milk in the ration was much re-
duced, other young pigs needing it
more. The 120 pounds were consumed
in thirteen days, the pigs making a
gain of ninety-seven pounds. AS the
feed was now eaten SO rapidly the
amount of the batch was doubled,
making it 240 pounds. This was con-
sumed in twenty days, the pigs max
ing gain of l62'pounds, or 81 pounds
for each 120 pounds of feed
CAS- intended to sell them for breed
ing purposes, found they were laying
on too much fat, and the meal was
therefore dropped from the rations.
From that time they were fed clear
shorts.
"Six hundred pounds of shorts were
then weighed out, being five times the
original amount. This was consume d
in twenty-eight days, making a gain
of 1870 pounds, or thirty ght pounds
for each l2O pound of feed. Another
batch of 600 pounds was consumed in
twenty-one days, they making a very
slight gain over the former period, of
1872 pounds, being a gain of thirty
eight pounds and fraction for each
12O pounds of shorts.
1As the hog nature was now devel-
oping, and they We're mean and con-
trary to weigh and handle, 1900
pounds, or ten times the original
amount, was fed before weighing
This was consumed in thirty eight
days. During this period they made
a gain of 236 pounds, or % 3-5 pounds
for each 12o pounds of feed. They
weigh to-day (Sept. 81 1,170 pounds,
an average of 1875 pounds each. The
experiment covered period of l3o
days, during which time they cor
sumed 1850 pounds of feed and made
a gain of 992 pounds, or II pounds
per day.
"While single experiment does not
establish fact, this goes to show that
a much larger gain was made during
The first half of the period than during
the last half. When they had con-
sumed 1880 pounds of feed they
weighed 742 pounds and could have
been sold at good profit. While con-
suming the last 1900 pounds of feed
they barely paid their way. | have
had the pleasure of their society dur
ing the experiment, but their days of
usefulness to me are about over, and
they and / must soon part company"