Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-02-12
FORAGE CROPS FOR PIGS.
Favorable Results From Experiments
Made From Green Crops,

Favorable Results From Experiments
Made From Green Crops.
The question Of forage crops for pigs
is one which is Of decided Importance,
as it is well known that the use of
such feed is valuable and profitable
CoWpeas without grain have so far
given better results ut the Mississippi
station, it is stated, than any other of
the crops tested. IN one season the
coWpeas We're grown on thin hill land
ard produced $40 pounds Of pork per
acre when pigs were grazed upon
them. The next season the' crop was
grown on good valley land and pro-
Glced z6t3 pounds Of pork per acre.
The piss were turned on the pasturage
when the cowpeas were ripe, Alfalfa
without grain was found ito be little
more than & maintenance ration for:
hogs." The pigs used in the test, which
covered two years. ranged from three
to tWenty-four months in age.
Alfalfa, clover, rape and blue grass
experimenting corn were compared
with ratjons OF corn and ship stuff
and corn and skimmilk at the Mis-
souri, station. The cornmeal, which
was Of medium Gneness, was mixed
with water to the consistency of q
thick dough and was fed twice daily
in such Quantities as would be eater
without waste ID the sizimmilk ra.~
ton the meal was wet with milk in
stead Of with water The green crops
were fed twice daily Immediately after
cutting and were supplied ad libitum.
The rape was rather large and coarse,
and only the fresh green leaves were
used Some of the alfalfa was rather
too mature and coarse to be eaten
with relish, but the remainder was
considered CT fairly satisfactory quail
ity. The red clover and blue grass
were for the most part young and ten
der.
+: The feeding was continued for 1902
days except WITH the rape fed lot.
which was fed Tor forty days on ",
the supply Of rape being then exhaust
ed Considering the first forty days,
the gains on green feed ranged from
o.58 pound per pig per day on the rape
ration to OLA pound on cornmeal and
alfalfa, the gain Oh cornmeal and mid
dlings being O.61 pound and on corn
meal and sEimmilk 1853 pounds. Con-
silering the Whole test, the average
daily gain per pig on the rations con-
tanning green feed was us follows:
<;ornmeal and blue grass, O.63 pound;
cornmeal and clover. OF pound; corn
meal and alfalfa. O.83 pound; corn
meal and middjngs. OG8 pound, and
Oh corn:nea and skimmilk 1.6l
pounds. The smallest amount of grain
yer pound ct gain, 2.83 pounds, was
noted with the corn and skimmilk ra-
ton and the largest amount, 5.31
pounds, with the .cornmeal and blue
t.r:lss The gain was most cheaply
made on cornmeal and skimmilk, cost
Ing 2.83 cents per pound, and was most
expensive on cornmeal and middlings.
costing 40? cents. On the green feeds
it ranged from 3 cents on cornmeal
aGl alfalfa to 3-S6 cents on corn1nea,
and blue grass.
II the opinion Of Professor Cottren
Of the Colorado station, farmers living
in the plains region of Colorado will
find raising and fattening pigs advan
taGeous. and barley, wheat, milo maize
AID Na!ir corn are regarded as the
surcst grain crops for the dry land
farming conditions which there pre-
7ali The Importance Of supplement
ing grain il insisted upon.