The Van Buren press., 1898-11-19
KAFFIR CORN FOR PIGS.
Results of Experiments Made at the Kansas
Agricultural College To lest the
Value of Kaffir Corn.


Value of Kafir Corn.
Last winter 16 experiments were
made at the Kansas agricultural coll
lege to test the value OF kaffir corn as
compared with corn for fattening pigs
and to find the best methods OF feed
ing katlir corn.
With pigs 7H months old at the be-
ginning OF the experiment, averaging
in weight 1sS pounds and fed weeks,
the gains per bushel of feed were as
follows:
Pounds.
Whole katlir corn fed dry. .10.3
Whole katfir corn soaked As hours. S.s
katlir corn meal. al...................11 LII
Shelled corn fed dry. .12.3
katnr corn meal and corn meal,
equal parts. .....................1 .12.3
katlir corn meal 4-5, soy bean meal
l-5 .................... .l3.9
All lots were in good marketable or
der at the close of the experiment.
With this class of hogs S3.7 bushels of
corn equaled 100 bushels of Kaffir corn,
the loss from soaking Kaffir corn was
II per cent. and the gain from grind
ing was Is per cent, which with Kaffir
corn at 25 cents per bushel would give
3A cents for the grinding.
With pigs six months old at the be-
ginning of the experiment, average
weight 123 pounds and fed II weeks,
the gains per bushel of feed were as
| follows:
Pounds.
Whole kaf1ir corn fed dry......... 9.5
| Whole Kaffir corn soaked As hours. 73
Kailr corn meal. al.................. 9.4
Shelled corn fed dry. y...............1t la
Kaflir corn meal and corn meal,
equal parts. ILL
Kaflir corn meal 4-5, soy bean meal
! 10 ................ l5.S
At the conclusion of this trial the
last two lots were ready for the mar
ket, part of the pigs fed kaflir corn
meal and shelled corn were marketa-
BILE, while the other were in poor con-
dition. Those in poor condition were
put ON rations of equal parts Katfir
corn meal and corn meal, and Kaffir
corn meal As and soy bean meal Is,
each lot having skim-milx, and they
fattened quickly.
Pigs nine and half weeks old, av-
eraging 35 pounds each, were given.
grain and turned on alfalfa pasture
for eight weeks, ending January 7.
Not considering the alfalfa, the gains
ped bushel of grain were as follows:
Pounds.
Kaflir corn meal. ..12.6
| Corn meal. al.................... .13.1
Kaflir corn meal 2-3 soy bean meal
Id .................. .lo.O
Corn meal 2-3 soy bean meal 1-3. $50
January II these pigs were taken
from the alfalfa pasturage and fed for
eight weeks in pens, with gains per
bushel of grain as follows:
Pounds.
Kaffir corn meal. ..................10 .10.4
| Corn meal. Lilo
Kaflir corn meal 2-3, soy bean meal
1-3 .......'.'.'..''.' .''.'......'..l .lo's
Corn meal 2-3, soy bean meal 1-3. 1856
AT the close of the experiment the
pigs fed the Kafiir corn and corn ey-
eraged respectively 10 and111 pounds
each, and were rough and lank. The
pigs fed Kaffir and soy bean meals ay-
eraged 164 pounds, those fed corn and
soy bean meals 154 pounds, and both
lots were well rounded out, and were
sold at good prices for light fat hogs.
| These experiments show that Kaifir
corn is similar to corn in fattening
qualities, but not equal to it That if
small quantity of feed rich in pro-
tein, as alfalfa, soy beans or skim
milk, is added to the ration of Kafiir
corn, good results are obtained. kaf-
fir corn has advantages over corn for
many parts of the state as crop to
raise for fattening pigs. On the col
lege farm for the last nine years the
average yield per acre for Kafiir corn
has been 45.9 bushels, and for corn 34.2
| bushels. Averaging the results OBJ
tanned from fattening pigs six months
of age and older, we have for the col
lege farm an everage per year per acre
of asa pounds of pork from Katiir corn
and 402 pounds of pork from corn. In
the western half of the state the diff
ference in favor of Kafiir corn is much
greater, as in 1897, in fields where corn
yielded / to bushels per acre, the
yield of the Kaf1ir corn was 25 bushels.
The soy bean is one of the best
drought-ressting crops, and If farm
ers will raise this crop as well as Kaffir
corn or corn, pigs can be fattened
proftably in every part of the state
| Duro1 World