The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-24
PIGS NEED

PIGS NEED PROTEIN.
Professor VIM. Dietrich Tolls What
Feeds Are Best for Growing
Swine.
In an address before the Illinois farm
ers' institute Professor William Diet
rich, of the Illinois college of agricul-
tuse. gave some very practical lessons
in pig feeding. Professor Dietrich de-
votes his whole time to the study and
teaching Of swine husbandry.
The average market hog should weigh
300 pounds at eight months of age. For
the pig two to six months old protein
is the most important feed. Without
protein 1t cannot build up the Leaf meat
or Grow to any size.
Protein is found in skilnmilk, clover
ana alfalfa. Corn is nine-tenths carbo-
hydrates. Oats have a little more pro-
tefn than corn, but not sufficient for the
tein than does orr. Barley is n of
the best feeds on the farm; it contains
more protein than does rye. In clover
and alfalfa there is a large bulk for
the required nutrients and pigs cannot
get enough for a maximum growth.
Even If o have corn and clover 1t Is
still necessary for the young pig to
nave some protein food-cowpeas. soy
beans or Canada field peas. There is
nothing better grown on the farm to
balance up the ratlOn.
Rape is a bulky feed for fattening
and it is necessary to use some nitro
| gerlous feed with it. If you feed clover
hay in racks the pigs will not eat as
much of it as if it We're chopped up as
finely as possible, scalded with steam
and mixed with slop. o can buy mid
dliEgs dow grade tiour); it mas protein,
but not enough. Tankage. meat meal
and blood meal are very much richer
than shorts. Perhaps the most concen-
trated heterogeneous feed we have is
tankage. 1t was found by test that go
cent of digestible protein. There is
| danger in feeding too much protein;
it is worse than. feeding too little.
During the last two months of the
feeding period carbohydrates or fatten-
ing feeds are Of greater Importance.
We must use feeds that are digestible
| like corn, wheat, flour or miadlings. but
bran is practically indigestible for the
pig. Oil cake contains as much protein
us middlings and ranks with meat meal,
blood meal or oil meal; the last is per-
haps better because it contains much
ether extract.
1t is much better to mix the feeds
than to feed corn at one time and some
| thing else at another time. Otherwise
the pigs are liable to get too much
of the protein feed, lose their appetite
for corn and become stunted for their
lives.
Nine lots of pigs were fed in one of
Professor Dietrich's experiments n he
gradually reduced the feed OF two lots
of young pigs until he had taken away
just half the ration and then they
were making twice the gain they did
before. Lots 5 and 6, which We're fed
according to the old scientific feeding
| standard, weighed go pounds at nine
months, while the two lots fed by Pro-
| fessor Dietrich's method averaged 29S
| and 3O5 pounds, respectively. How was
| this done? BY holding the pigs down
at the beginning, by feeding less pro-
tein. The gains We're no only larger
but the gain at the close was made off
of cornmeal, which is a cheaper feed.
If allowed to do so pigs will eat too
much protein at first and that will keep
their weight down forever afterward.
(This is a valuable result. but one
must be careful not to misinterpret it.
The more common error is to feed too
little protein than to feed too much.
+; Professor Dietrich's statement gives nc
sanction whatever to the attempt to
raise hogs on corn and water.)
The pigs in lot l started in the expert
| ment when they We're 3 months old,
! Weighing so pounds, and were fed until
they were 9 months old, making a gain
of 20 pounds; they had carbohydrates.
The pigs in lot 2 were fed the same as
OF corn and had mineral matter in the
form Of air-slaked lime, charcoal, ashes
and a few loads If dirt. They gained
20 pounds. The pigs in the remaining
lots had protein in addition to the min
! eral matter. The pigs in lot 8 weighed
24O pounds. This bunch were fed
| straight corn on clover pasture and
they made a gain of two and a halt
times that of lot 2.
Pigs can be overfed on skimmilk. In
an experiment last year pigs which
We're fed three times a day made much
larger and more economical gains than
| pigs that We're fed twice, but the former
| were not given all they would eat each
time.
A 2-month-old pig will not weigh
much over 80 pounds: at 3 months, so
to 60 pounds. At 5 months the pig has
gained so pounds in about three weeks.
At Z months he weighs about $50 pounds
and has put on $50 pounds of pork in
three months. 1t takes two months to
| put on the next so pounds. n the pig
gains only SO pounds from to u
months.
When the pig Gin a certain expert
ment) is 3 months old it eats 90 pounds
Of food per day; when z months old
he weighs five times as much, but eats
only three times as much. Between 4
and 5 months of age. the pig makes so
pounds gain in 30 days from 12O pounds
| of feed. But after the pig is 9 months
old it takes three months to put on so
pounds of pork from $50 pounds of feed.
Which is the more economical? The
only way to figure feed is in -roportion
to The live weight.
FOR THE HOG BREEDER.