The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-08-17
FEED FOR GROWING PICS
Exercise and Properly Proportioned
Ration Important, as Well as
Sanitary Conditions.
(By F. G. King. Agricultural Expert.
ment Station, University of
Missour!)

The most successful farmers recog-
nize and follow certain basic princi.
pies in farming and stock raising
These principles have been discov-
cred and demonstrated by inveRtiga-
tors on agricultural subjects, until
they can be stated and discussed with
very certain degree Of accuracy.
These facts are true especially in
the case of the brood SOW and her lit.
ter. The answers TO list of Ques-
tons sent out to the most successful
hog raisers OF the state, showed that
they recognized the principles that led
TO success.
The brood SOW, as an example,
whether pregnant or sucking her
pigs, is called upon to manufacture
from common feeding stuff the bone
and muscle for her growing young.
In other words, she Is machine
Transforming one kind of material
into substance Of the same material
but Of entirely different form In
doing this the machinery body
must be Of the proper composition IN
order TO furnish the finished product,
the pig, with the necessary food Gle.
mcnts,
OF prime Importance to growing
pigs and all other Erowiur animals, is
the question Of bone and muscleform.
ing foods For up 10 the axe OF four
months, the desire OF the raiser is TO
grow rather than to lat,cn the pig.
only tho food containing an abuud.
anco Of ash can furnish the nutrients
required for the formation Of bone,
only foods containing an abundance
OF protein can furnish the nutrients
necessary for the formation OF mus
Gle SO the growing animal must
have ration high in protein and
ash.
The fat and starchy feeds, and also
protein. are used for the production
of energy and heat and for laying on
fat In other words, the ash and pro.
tein feeds are used for making ma.
Chinery and repairing old tissues,
while the fats and starchcs are used
for fuel to run the machinery and for
N''a "a ~ VI NAA'A TO- ~ Nllf WI III vi lat
AS the object Of the breeder is to
grow rather than to fatten the pig or
pregnant SOW, the percentage OF fat
forming feed should not be so great
as when the fattening period is
reached
In addition TO the question Of food
Nutrients which affect all growing an.
imuls, there are other factors aIoct.
ing the food of the brood SOW, one o.
which is the laxative effect OF the
food given to the pregnant SOW Net
only IS she the proyidcr Of food. but
her body is the guardian and pro.
tectOr Of the unborn young Any
cause thai may result in u disarrauge.
mont OF her body win probably re.
suit in death or serious injury TO the
young. A fooG that constipates n
percnGnt SOW will cause a weak, sick.
~ Hitter. Not only must the food be
laxative, but the SOW must take
enough exercise to insure the proper
passage from her body of all refuse
food material. This is such an i'm
portant factor that 1t may mean the
success or failure OF the litter. For
SOW that can not have, during preg
nancy, a free passage Of waste mat.
ter, can not produce a strong, healthy
litter.
The question of the bulk OF the feed
is often Of great importance, espe
cially in the feeding Of brood sows
The appetite Of an animal is not sat
isRed until the stomach is full. A
food that is very concentrated, such
as the grains, contains so much nutri.
tive value that feeding so as to satisfy
the hunger on such feeds results in
the brood SOW getting very fat. II is
not desirable to have this occur. The
only way to prevent It, and still sat.
isfy the appetite of the SOW, is to feed
q more bulky ration. This Is easily
accomplished during the grass season
when pasture is available. but In win.
ter Il requires the feeding OF more
than the very concentrated grains and
feeding stuffs.
The accompanying table of the com.
position OF the more common feeds
on the farm represents the different
properties desired for feeding stock
The muscle and bone forming ele-
meats are represented by the protein
and ash contents, respectively, and
the energy and fat producing Gle
ments by the starch and fat. The
bulk is represented by the fiber and
water content.