The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-11-09
Something About Bones.

Something About Bones
This may seem to be q somewhat
trivial subject for consideration in the
swine department Of the paper, but
1t is taken up for the reason that it
is of first Importance to breeders and
especially to young beginners. who
may not have given the matter atten-
ton. A good deal has been said in
this department regarding the results
OF corn feeding to young animals, but
as vet we have not touched fully upon
the effect that corn feeding as we'll
nigh exclusive ration has upon the
bony frame. We often have breeders
complain that their hogs seem to be
weak in the legs and that they tend
to break down at the fetlock joints
so that their ''dew claws" touch the
ground when they walk. This con-
dition is too often considered to be
some disease, but is in fact a condi-
ton OF the bone, which has been
brought on by errors in feeding and
management of the young growing
pig. Then it has been mentioned
mere that the cause Of paralysis or
dripping down behind" as farmers
often term it, is due to the same feed
ing and methods Of management. To
develop normally composed, strong
bone the animal requires from birth
a full supply of all of the requisites
for bone formation. Bone consists Of
a HprfQ1n Dpnnnrfinr of hot 1,,ir
and inorganic matters vegetable and
earthly matters). If either be lacking
the bone is rendered proportionately
weak. This is best seen in "rachitis"
chow legs) where the bones bend out
OF shape and the animal is usually
weak, dwarfed and deformed. In this
disease there is lack of earthly ma
terial and excess Of organic matter.
The trouble known as big head" or
"osteoporosis" is akin to rachitis
(rickets). There is, however, a very
common condition Of the bones of
hogs which does not appear in such
aggravated form as any of the other
conditions which are known as actual
diseases Of the bones. We refer to
general lack of strength which has
been suspected for years and was at
length proved to exist by Prof. Henry
of the Wisconsin Agricultural Expert
ment Station and others. Different
lots of aogs were set apart and fed
with the idea of ascertaining whether
the food makes changes in the ma
terial produced from it in the body.
Corn was used as an exclusive ration
for some of the hogs and for others
mixture of foods rich in protein
heterogeneous matters.) The foods
used to furnish protein were peas,
dried blood, middlings and skim milk.
The result Of extended experimental
ton in this direction was that the
hogs fed on corn meal Carbohydrate
food) had more fat and less lean meat
than those fed on the protein ration.
The latter lots had most blood, larger
livers and less leaf lard than the corn
fed hogs. The bones of the protein
fed hogs were far stronger than those
of the corn fed lots. "A breaking
machine was used to test the strength
of the bones making it possible to de-
termine this exactly in each case. In
one of the Wisconsin trials the bones
of the corn fed pigs broke at $50
pounds on the average, and those OF
the pigs fed milk, blood and middlings
at SOB pounds. These weights are for
each 100 pounds Of dressed carcass
and show in favor Of the mixed ration
by 80 per cent. In other experiments
it was found that where pigs are fed
an exclusive ration of corn that some
thing can be accomplished in offset
ing hard wood ashes or bone meal in
the food. Three lots of pigs were fed
on corn as an exclusive ration. One
of the lots got corn alone, one Of the
other lots got bone meal and corn and
the remaining lot corn and wood ash
es. The result was that while none Of
the pigs were fully nourished the con-
fdition Of those getting wood ashes or
bone meal was much superior to that
5of the lot fed corn only The latter
became so fat their joWls and bellies
nearly touched Il the ground. On
slaughter the different lots showed no
- = + 81 p.
difference in proportion of fat to lean
or in size or weight Of internal or
gans. The bones, however, were very
different. The average breaking
strength of bones Of pigs fed corn only
was 301 pounds; Of those fed corn and
wood ashes, 581 pounds; of those fed
corn and bone meal, $50 pounds. On
burning the bones it was further
found that there was SO per cent more
ash finorEa mic matterl In the bones
OF pigs fed bone meal or wood ashes
along with corn than in the bones Of
pigs fed corn only Further, the use
of bone meal and wood ashes saved
s23 per cent Of corn in feeding for 100
pounds Of gain.