The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-24
ALFALFA FOR HOG FEED
Experiments Demonstrate That 1t j
One of the Best For Fattening
Purposes

One of the Best For Futtenins
Purposes
Denver Field and Farm: River wall
ley and creek bottom land we'll set
in alfalfa will carry from fifteen to
twenty head the acre of so to 1855
pound hogs. Upland of fair average
fertility will support from eight to
ten head of the same kind OF hogs.
There are irrigated fields that have
supported twenty-five head all
through the season for a number of
years and are still in good condition,
while there are others that will not
furnish pasture for more than five
head an acre; but these are ex-
tremes. When a field is used only for
pasture, it is better to divide it into
several lots and move the hogs from
II to the other as occasion requires.
Those who have failed with ii as
pasture, owe their failure to two
causes: The first is that the alfalfa
has been pastured before it has be-
come we'll rooted. Young alfalfa is
too tender a plant to stand severe
treatment except under favorable cir
c~umstances. A few farmers have
pastured it the same year it was sown
and the alfalfa has survived, but this
was on rich heavy loan soil, usually
creek bottom or river valley land
with water not ar below the sur
face and the seaso was quite favor
able. Ordinarily alfalfa should not
be pastured until the second year and
better still not until the third year
ii it is desired to keep the field as
permanent pasture. The second
cause of failure with alfalfa is
heavy pasturing and lack of judg-
ment in keeping the pigs on it III I'M
favorable seasons. A good many
farmers have sown a small piece of
alfalfa and then because it has grown
rapidly and all kinds of stock are
fond of it, they have turned all of
the stock on the farm on it and have
wondered why their alfalfa was kill
ed out.
Others pasture regardless whether
the ground is muddy or whether the
season is dry and hot. In either
case heavy pasturing is likely TO
cause the alfalfa to be killed out.
1t is economy to furnish a grain IA
ton with the pasture, as it results
in better grains IL a finer product.
One man estimates that it takes
from one-half to one-third less corn
on alfalfa pasture than on a straight
grain ration to make a hog ready for
market. Many farmers let the hogs
run on alfalfa until they are six
months old, by which time they reach
a weight of Is to 1925 pounds, feed
ing just a little grain; then they feed
heavily for about two months and
sell the hogs at eight months old,
weighing 200 to 225 pounds.
One farmer who raises about a
thousand hogs annually and who in
II year sold $1,000 worth of hogs,
maks a practice of raising his swine
on alfalfa pasture until about eight
months old, feeding IL ear of corn
a head daily. He then feeds corn
heavily for a month OIL two and sells
at an eVerage weight of 200 to 225
pounds.
Another man feeds all the corn
and slop the pigs will clean up, all
the while running them on alfalfa
pasture and sells at six to eight
months old at weights of $50 to 800
pounds. Another, who raises about
a thousand head a year, feeds all the
corn the pigs will eat, beginning
until the pigs are sold at ten to
eleven moths old, averaging 275
pounds. Still another farmer, from
weaving time-two months old-un-
til eight months old, feeds the pigs
nothing but dry corn on alfalfa pas
ture, averaging about 3 IL pounds a
day for each head. AT the end of
eight months, he sells at an average
weight of $50 pounds. The quantity
of corn fed is about eleven bushels
for each head. While alfalfa pas
ture has been found very valuable
for hogs, the hay as a part ration for
winter is scarcely less important.
Throughout this whole western re-
gion the farmers make a practice of
feeding hay to hogs throughout the
winter. The hay has been found es-
pecially valuable for brood sows be-
fore narrowing. When fed during
winter only a small ration Of grain
is necessary to keep the sows in
good flesh and in healthy condition.
Sows thus fed also farrow good lit
tiers of strong, healthy pigs. Many
eooa IT, how NV fbrouino IL an tho