The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-12-22
winter Feeding Of Hogs.

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Winter Feeding Of Hogs.
In many articles 1t has been shown
n this department Of the paper that.
corn does not fully supply the growing
hog with everything that it requires
for maintenance and increase in
frame. There can be no question
about the correctness of these state
ments. They have been proved by
hundreds of conclusive experiments.
It is just as true that corn cannot,
nowadays be profitably employed as
sole fattening grain for hogs in win
ter, although adult hogs, If raised to
maturity in proper manner by feeding
mixed rations, are not greatly in
jured by corn feeding for short
period. The reason for not employing
corn as sole ration is that it is ex-
travagant so to do. Corn is expensive
these times, but this year is abundant
everywhere, and this may make it
cheaper in some districts than a ra-
ton augmented by other fattening
foods. The hog feeder should do
little figuring to learn whether corn
alone will prove more profitable than
mixed ration, and if the cost of the
two rations is close or slightly in IA
vor OF the mixed ration, we would
strongly advise its use, on the basis
that 1t will not only prove economical
but much more wholesome for the
hogs, writes A, S, Alexander in Far.
mers' Review.
1t goes without saying that hogs
stuffed upon corn are apt to break
down In their backs or fetlocks, unless
they have very strong frames to start
with, and it is likewise true that chol-
era apparently takes the severest hold
where corn is the chief grain fed dur.
ing the fattening period. There are
many foods that can be economically
and profitably fed to hogs to lessen
the amount of corn used and at the
same time lay fat on rapidly. A favor
lite combination is barley meal and
cooked potatoes. Many feeders are
also employing digester tankage,
which is very rich in protein or nitrog-
enous matter required to balance the
ratio with corn. Even more popu.
lar, because better known, are fax.
seed meal and wheat middlings. both
of them excellent foods for fattening
hogs and suitable, in that they do not
cause disease or greatly disturb the
digestive organs, unless too heavily
fed.
Some farmers believe that corn and
cob ground together are suitable as
fattening food for swine, but expert
ments show that this food is not
profitable, compared with other foods
mentioned. With cattle a roughage
addition to meals is absolutely neces.
sary to give bulk in the complicated,
digestive apparatus, which causes
food to be masticated over and over
again. The hog digests amazingly
fast and fully. He does not need
ground cob in his corn meal and in.
deed can make no good use of such
burden in his small stomach which,
like that of the horse, requires con.
centrated, nutritious food in compare.
lively small quantities often.
Prof. Mumford of the Missouri Sta.
ton In summing up matters pertain.
Ing to fattening foods for hogs says
that Forbes of the same station found
that corn and linseed meal in the pro-
portion of to made daily gain
of 1.4S pounds at a cost of 1887 per
100 pounds Of gain. Corn meal and
wheat middlings mixed in the proper.
ton of 2 to 1, made a gain of 1.24
pounds daily at cost of 1851 per 100
pounds gain; corn meal and bran fed
in the proportion Of to 1, resulted in
a gain Of 81 pounds daily and cost
1898 per 100 pounds. Corn and cob
meal ground very fine made a gain
of .S2 pounds daily at a cost of S6.16
per 100 pounds. Corn meal alone
made daily gain of rs pounds and
cost $4.52 per 100 pounds gain. The
prices of food in this report are as.
sumed to be as follows: Corn 40
cents a bushel; linseed meal 500 per
ton; wheat middlings 1867 and
wheat bra1 $1467 per ton. Prof.
Mumford writing in the Homestead
figures that in these experiments the
increased gain from feeding linseed
meal with corn, over feeding corn
alone would give the linseed meal a
value Of $50 ton when corn is worth
40 cents per bushel On the same basis
wheat middlings would be worth $50
a ton. These figures are well worthy
OF thought and study by every care.
ful feeder. The old plan Of feeding
corn alone must be revamped now
that corn Is dear and other supplement.
tary foods comparatively cheap. and
easily obtained.
Keep the Horse Clean.
When the horse comes into the sta
BILE with hair matted with sweat and
dirt, have him thoroughly washed,
and II 1t is cold weather. rec that the