The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-03-10
AIfaIm Hay for Fattcning Hogs.

Alfalfa Hay for Fattening Hogs.
In the fall of 1898 the Kansas Exper-
iment station made an experiment to
test the value of alfalfa hay when fed
daily to fattening hogs that were be.
ing given all the grain they would
eat. The grain greatly exceeded our
expectations, and If further expert
ments show the same results, alfalfa
hay will form regular part of the
rations of every well-fed pig fattened
in Kansas in the winter.
The hogs fed in this experiment
were bought OF farmers, and averaged
in weight l25 pounds each. They
were placed in lots of ten each, In
large pens, having for shelter some
sheds open to the south. The alfalfa
hay used was of the best quality care
fully cured. Black White
Kafiir corn was the grain used, the
hogs being fed all that they would
eat without waste. The hay was fed
dry in forkfuls in large fiat trough.
The pigs were given more than they
would eat, and they picked out the
leaves and finer stems. One lot of
hogs was fed Kafiir corn meal and
alfalfa hay; one lot whole Kafiir corn
dry; one lot Katiir corn meal dry: and
one lot Kafiir corn meal wet.
fnha hauan 80,
Der "a and lasted nine weeks. BY
that time the alfalfa-fed hogs became
well fattened, and were marketed.
We estimated that ii would require
four to five weeks additional feeding,
with ordinary winter weather, to get
the hogs that were fed grain alone in
to good marketable condition. The
recent continued extreme cold wealth
or will make the time required con-
siderably longer.
The gains in nine weeks from the
different methods of feeding were as
follows:
Gains per hog
In pounds.
KafIir corn meal dry and alfalfa hay ........ 30
Kaiiir corn whole ........ .......... ...... 80
Kaiiir corn meal fed Observation-Disclosures. 80 4
Kafiir corn meal fed vet, ,,,... -. o.. SO
The gain from feeding alfalfa hay
with Kaffir corn meal fed dry, over
the meal alone fed dry, is more than
70 per cent.
The gains per bushel of feed were as
follows:
Pounds
kaffr corn meal dry & 7.SS lbs alfalfa hay 10 ss
Katftr corn whole 90
Katfir corn meal fed dTy,.,.,.,., .....,..... ~
kaffir corn meal ted wet. ,.,...,,,.,,......,7 90
Ten hogs in nine weeks were fed 656
pounds of alfalfa hay; and as KOwn
above, for each 1888 pounds of alfalfa
hay fed with the dry shaffir corn meal
the hogs gained 3.4 pounds over those
having dry Kaffir corn meal alone-a
gain of 1858 pounds of pork per ton of
alfalfa hay. These results are not due
to the feeding value of the alfalfa
alone, but also to it's influence i'm aid
ing the hogs to better digest the KAT.
fir corn. The alfalfa hay also gave a
variety to the ration, making 1t more
appetizlng and inducing the hogs to
eat more grain. The ten hogs having
grain alone ate 1886 pounds of dry
Katfir corn meal, Will ethe ten hogs
having hay and grain ate 4 $40 pounds
of the Katiir corn meal and $50 pounds
alfalfa hay. The hayefed hogs ate
more grain and gained more for each
bushel eaten.
In former experiment at this Col
eye, pigs were pastured through the
summer ON alfalfa with light feeding
of corn. After deducting the proba-
bic gain from the corn, the gain per
acre from the alfalfa pasture was 776
pounds of pork.
These facts indicate that to produce
pork most cheaply the Kansas farmer
must have alfalfa pasture In summer
and alfalfa hay In winter.