Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-04-05
Potatoes as a Stock Feed.

Potatoes as St0Ck fee0.
noticed an article recently in which
| a professor at an agricultural college
makes a comparison of the feeding
value of potatoes and corn for hogs. He
rates potatoes at 4 bushels to one of
corn, or in other words four bushels Of
potatoes contain only as much digestible
nutrients as one Of corn. This may be
correct according to chemical analysis,
but my experience Of twenty five years
in feeding the Gull potatoes from about
4, 200 bushels annually assures me that
this statement is not verified so far as
actual results in making pounds of pork
are concerned, and is therefore some
what misleading.
1t is generally Tor should be at least)
understood that a chemical analysis of a
soil does not invariably Indicate what
composition is demanded in a CONNER
cial fertilizer to produce best results on
this particular soil, as there are other
conditions to be reckoned with, and like
wise in feeding livestock. By combin-
ing certain feeds the effect on the ami
NAL system is such that one or more of
the feeds shows higher feeding value
than is credited to it in chemical analy-
sis of the feed.
Potatoes in usual condition contain
about rs per cent water, Is per cent
starch, which is a carbohydrate, to
per cent protein, per cent fiber and 2
per cent fat. Now from this il is plain
that potatoes and corn do not make a
good combination feed as both are rela-
lively high in carbohydrates or fat form
ing materials and both are relatively low
in protein, and so we must combine the
potatoes and protein material. Our
system of feeding potatoes is to cook
about three bushel of potatoes at time
and add about 30 pounds of shipstuff
and crush and mix the mass with a
heavy tamper, then feed as thick slop.
| handle $50 to 250 hogs each year and
have used nearly every known hog feed
(as We purchase some of our feed) and
have yet to find feed that will produce
greater thrift and growth in hogs than
potatoes and shorts fed as indicated.
And while have not made experiments
aud kept data so as to give exact figures,
my long experience should make my
conclusion safe guess, and place the
feeding value as two bushels of potatoes
equal to one of corn or so pounds mill
fed. The potatoes will probably not
make so good a showing if fed raw and
alone, and il conveniences are at hand it
pays we'll TO cook and add the mill feed,
as raw potatoes are not so well relished
by the hogs and are bit hard on the di-
gestive tract. | have known several
cases where hungry hogs died from an
over-feed of raw potatoes, as there is
trace of poison in raw potatoes that is
destroyed in the cooking, and they are
thus made perfectly safe feed and the
cooking adds much to their digestibility.
In starting to feed raw potatoes give
light feed at first and increase gradually
to all they will eat. Little or no grain
should be fed with raw potatoes at first
or the hogs may refuse to eat them.
i find gallon of potatoes fed two or
three times a week to horses a splendid
appetizer and tonic as shown by their
sleek coats of hair. Dairy cows give
fine flow of milk and keep in good
physical condition when given one or
two feeds OF raw potatoes daily. As
potatoes are now relatively cheap on the
market many are desirous of knowing
somewhat of their value as stock feed,
and with corn selling at so to 20 cents a
bushel and other grains and feeds equal
ly dear, my advice is, if potatoes do not
bring at least 80 cents per bushel on the
market, try feeding them to the cows
and pigs and few to the horses
National Stockman.