The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1901-02-21
watering Hogs.

VI : Il Z y
In the hygienic management OF the
horse 1t has been found that the best
results from feeding follow where the
animal Is only allowed to drink prior
to meal. This is a subject that SO
far as we are aware has not been suf-
ficiently considered as regards the
management Of hogs. The stomach Of
the pig Is somewhat similar to that OF
the horse, SO that it requires COM
paratively small amounts OF food at
frequent Intervals. It's capacity is but
from one and oRe-half to two gallons
and, like that Of the horse, digestion
OF grain goes on therein rather than
In the intestines, which In the pig are
about II feet long, counting large and
small intestines together. 1t stands
to reason that when the stomach con-
tains that amount of food which it can
properly care for as regards digestion,
1t also contains the average supply OF
gastric juice necessary for the perfect
digestion OF the food SO far as 1t Is
carried out in the stomach. If at this
time OF repletion, when digestion is
going on, the hog is allowed to drink
all It cares to OF water. we must con-
clude that loss is entailed by this act.
The water taken into the stomach does
not all stay there, even when the stom-
ach is empty. "A large portion OF it
passes into the large intestines, so that
water taken just after a hearty meal
must Of necessity wash part Of the I'M
digested food into the intestines, and
here it cannot possibly be as fully di-
gested as 1t would have been in the
stomach proper. We conclude, there
fore, that there Is loss from feeding
corn meal and ait the same time allow
ing the hogs to drink all the water
they care to take. RI this idea Is cor
rect, then the proper way to feed
would be to give the hogs all the water
they want before feeding and keep the.
water away from them after and him
der them from drinking water until
the meal Is digested. 1t is a fact that
hogs require much less water when
fattening upon corn meal than they do
when living upon other meals, such
as rye or barley meal. II they require
one part OF water when eating corn
meal they require one and three-quar-
tiers parts Of water when eating barley
meal. Although this is the case, there
is no evidence to show that the water
is required during the meal, but every
reason to show that 1t should be given
before the meal SO that it will not
wash out the contents Of the stomach
and remove undigesed food to the
bowels. It would also seem likely
that undue dilution OF the gastric
juices by water taken during a meal
would tend to reduce the power they
have in the digestion of food, and
this would be an added argument
against allowing hogs drinking water
while feeding upon corn meal or other
dry rations, When it is remembered
that the fattening period is q short
one-the shorter the better--the feeder
should do all in his power to have
the hogs assimilate the largest posi-
I bic proportion of the food nutrients
OF the meals consumed. The greatest
gain from amount Of food consumed is
made during the first four or five
weeks of the fattening period ana the
greater the gain made during this
period the better, for the reason that
after that period additional gain can
only be made by the feeding Of a larger
amount Of food per hundred pounds
of gain and the amount Of food con-
sumed for each pound of gain increases
fast the longer the pigs are fed. Our
argument is, then, that during the
first period OF feeding upon corn meal
more than at any other time. the hogs
should not be allowed to drink water
after or during the feeding time, as
it will tend to waste food, lessen the
amount OF food nutrients assimilated,
and SO lessen the ar.ount Of gain made
per hundred pounds Of food consumed. !
1t should be understood that this
would apply equally to other foods
than corn when fattening pigs. We
hope that readers Of the Farmers Re-
view will put this idea into practice
and II possible test the truth of the
theory by applying it to two lots Of
hogs and Weighing them at the end Of
given periods OF feeding.