The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-06-18
GROWING CHEAP o r

GROWING CHEAP PORK.
In practically all sections the value
of pasture for hogs In connection with
the proper grain combination, In the
economical production Of pork Is adj
mitted. Harry Howard, director Of the
Delaware experiment station, in a re-
cent address expressed the opinion that
with the right kind of pasture II re-
Quires from one-fifth to one-third less
grain to produce 100 pounds of pork.
But, he said, while this is no doubt
true, care should be taken not to try
to overdo the matter Of pasture, espe-
cially with young pigs. Young pigs
need more protein h q older ones, be-
cause they are growing rather than
f~attening. In consequence, the young
pig should receive for some time after
being weaned a ration equivalent to
two parts OF cornmeal and one of
middlings, with a little digestive tank
age perhaps, aside from access to good
clover alfalfa, oats and peas, or COW
pea pasture from which he will get
considerable protein.
Under usual conditions, however, the
heterogeneous feeds are so high that. al
though their use undoubtedly would
make more rapid gains, they are OBJ
tained at such an Increased cost as to
render Their use inadvisable. Pigs
should be so fed that they will gain
from one-half to one pound a day from
the time they are three weeks old until
they are marketed. 1t Is impossible to
make anything like this gain on as
ture alone, but on the other hand the
Montana station has found hat 1t Is
possible to feed more grain than Is
necessary to make the maximum gains.
1t seems, too, that in order to get
the best results from the pasture II
IS essential that the pigs be allowed
to Craze rather than to have the green
feed u and brought to them.
Whole grain fed on pasture should
be ground or soaked with the posi-
BILE exception of corn, which may be
fed on the cob or shelled. 1t will pay,
however, to soak old corn before II is
fed, as soaking is equivalent to grind
ing and Is much cheaper"
The Missouri experiment station in
bulletin No. 70, gives the results of a
series of experiments in feeding wheat,
shorts, alfalfa, clover, rape, bluegrass
n skim milk as supplementary to
corn. In every instance the largest
gain was made at the least cost, on
corn and skim milk, but, as might have
been expected. corn and alfalfa proved
the next cheapest ration. In these eX-
periments the green forage was cut
n fed to the pigs in their pens. There,
Is little doubt that h showing in ia
o of the alfalfa and corn ration
would have been more favorable IL the
pigs had been permitted to Craze upon
the alfalfa.
Commenting upon the results of
these experiments. Director H. j. Wa
ters says: TT will be noted that by
using clover instead of bluegrass, a
difference OF nearly 70 cents per hun
dred in the cost of grain was affected.
When alfalfa was used instead of
| bluegrass, the saving was nearly 81 per
hundred.
when skim milk was used instead of
forage, the cheapest and most rapid
gains were made.
When 1t is noted how much cheaper
the gains We're made on corn and Glow
er than those a on corn n ship
stuff, for example, the folly Of feeding
such a ration in the summer time,
when a green forage might just as well
be available, is apparent. .
when we realize, moreover, that
clover will give a larger yield Of for
age than bluegrass, and when we con-
slider it's superior feeding value, it is
perfectly obvious that a material in
creas IS made in the pounds of pork
per acre of our land or per bushel Of
corn fed by providing the hogs with
clover pastures instead of requiring
them to run on bluegrass, or ever not
SO good as bluegrass-a timothy pas
ture-or, even worse than this, by con-
filming them in a dry lot.
1T should not be understood that
bluegrass pasture during the time
white clover has possession of the
ground is not highly acceptable as a
hog pasture. At this particular season
of the ear an ordinary bluegrass pas
ture, especially In those seasons when
white clover does we'll, can scarcely be
excelled. But before the white clover
comes on and after ii has passed away
the ordinary bluegrass pasture does not
begin to compare in value with a
pasture of red clover or alfalfa.
1T will be noted hat alfalfa showed
a superiority over red clover as a for
age for hogs in both periods Of the trial.
The cost per 100 pounds Of grain was
as follows.
First period. Corn and alfalfa. SO
per hundred. Corn and red clover,
$3.25. Saving from use OF alfalfa, rs
cents per hundred.
This means a difference on the basis
of a 250-pound hog and 62h cents or
about $37 on each car load OF hogs, or
more than enough to pay the freight,
even IL the yield of the two crops Is to
be counted the same.
"Of more Importance than the supe-
riority OF the feeding value itself Is the
fact that the alfalfa will yield a much
larger amount Of pasture h will red
clover, and that 1t will come on earlier
and remain gren later than clover, and
will. II kept clipped, remain green
throughout the summer n therefore
a. green pasture of %succulent material
which the hogs will relish most highly.
1T is believed to be possible to grow
enough alfalfa for hog pasture at least
on practically every farm in Missouri.
Until, however, alfalfa is an assured
success on every farm, the farmer
ought to range for a clover pasture
for his hogs every year without fail"