The silver messenger., 1912-03-05
BY ". L. Carlyle.
Deaa and
DSseetos. Idaho
State vnivsrsity.

all this, we grow here the most valu
able OF all hog feeds in almost per
feet form; namely, alfalfa. With al
falfa, dwarf Essex rape and English
kale for forage a minimum amount OF
concentrated high priced grain Is re-
quired for best results The trouble
has been, In many instances, to de-
pend altogether too much upon al
falfa. Because 1t Is a good forage
people should not make the mistake
of depending upon 1t alone for feed
to raise and fatten their hogs The
hog Is a gregarious animal and is
physiologically and anatomically
more nearly like man than any
other domestic animal, his stom-
ach, intestines and whole system
of digestion and assimilation Is al
and as a result he cannot thrive on
coarse, bulky or very fiberous food
1t is good rule to follow in hog
raising, In all particulars. to put your
self in the other fellows place.
Where you would thrive and wax fat,
Mr.. Hog will also think that he has
entered hog heaven. You would not
long maintain your health and
strength on such food as alfalfa,
either green or in the form of hay,
nor will the hog do his best. / know
that 1t is a common practic~ 20 turn
brood sows and young pigs into an
alfalfa lot and there let them range
during the most of the summer with
out additional feed. This is a very
serious mistake; at no time in his
life history can as cheap gains be
made on the hog as in the early
stages of his life.
In an experiment conducted under
my direction at the Wisconsin Ex-
pertinent Station, a number of years
ago, 1t was learned that the proper
ton OF food OF support or mainten-
ance, to total feed in a 50-pound pig
was 18 per cent; with a 1OO-pound
pig, Is per cent 15O-pound pig, 81
per cent; and 200-pound pig, 36 per
cent. From this it will be seen that
1t takes twice as much of the total
percentage of the food eaten to make
up the food OF support between a so
pound pig and 200-pound pig.
Again, 1t was found that in the case
Of 50-pound pig, it required 224.4
pounds OF dry matter in feed to
produce 100 pounds of gain:
In the 150-pound pig, it re-
quired 1922 pounds of dry matter t.
produce 100 pounds gain, and in
20O-pound pig, 1t required 1858
pounds OF dry matter to produce 100
pounds of gain. From this 1t will be
seen that the earlier in life the pig
can be induced to eat largely OF grain
the greater the returns that may be
secured from a given amount Of feed;
and, this is particularly true when
the grain feed can be fed in combi-
nation with alfalfa pastures AS a
ration, alfalfa will just
about support pig without allowing |
anything additional for gain in
weight The more grain, therefore,
that hog can be induced to eat
when on alfalfa pasture the more
rapidly the gain and the greater the
profit.
With barley, mill stuffs. wheat.
peas, rye, oats and a small amount
of corn, such as can be grown in this
country, we have all of the grains
necessary for the most profitable pro-
luction Of pork. It may be said, how
'ver, that these grains must be fed
n proper combination to give palata-
'ility and to supply the various nut
'1ments and other elements in proper
proportion for growth and develop
nent without any waste. During the
winter months, roots and tubers. such
ls beets. mangels, turnips. carrots
md potatoes, all Of which may be
eadily grown in this country, will be
Ound very valuable as supplemental
eeds to the grain ration.
In addition to this, we lave a ran
diy growing dail1 industry, and the
'y-products from the dairy in the
orm of skim and butter milk. we
ave another valuable food supply
Which can best be utilized when ted
o hogs.
Concerning the matter Of disease
mere 1s no large section of arabic
ana IN the United States that is as
rec from the many diseases to which
ne hog Is heir as is this intermoun-
ain country. The sunshine Is SO
right and strong. and the atmos-
mere Is 80 rare that all kinds OF
erm diseases have poor chance for
evelopment
AS to the last and most important
actor. which Is the demand, or the
larkats, we have every evidence that
this respect this section of the
'n.tee States Is at the present time
articuIarly favored.
The last census report for 1910 gave
tan population Of 373.251 people. :
ne same census gave Utah q total I
o4.2e4 hogs, including young pigs.
trihe over one hog for every Ave
no one-nalf persons on the average.
40 tnis would require that every hog ,
the state would have to be slaught.
RED during the year: whereas.
lrge percentage Of them are kent
yer Tor breeding stock. In the case
ldaho' with population Of 325'Ee4.
. nave a hog population Of 1924:
which case. we have a little over Z
ne-haif a hog for each person. pro.
ldlng All were slaughtered II can
readily seen that these two state,
not In themselves produce nearly
houen pork for their own supply