The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-06-18
By JAMES E. WITHYCOMBE
and E. L. POTTER.

M IIiAhbI lllty VAPoiiHioh'o III PiS
feeding have been carried on at
the Oregon Experiment Station in
the last twenty years. In some cases
the results have been unsatisfactory,
and in others it has been necessary to
duplicate the experiment number of
times before correct results could be
determined. Nevertheless number of
important problems relating to the feed
ing of pigs, especially regarding the
fattening for market, have been work
ed out. 1t will be impractieable to give
a full account of each experiment, but
the principal points investigated will
be noted briefly.
The grain required fox 100 pounds
gain during the fattening stage has
been little less than that required at
the eastern stations. The Oregon sta
ton has found the average to be about
$50 pounds as compared with 500
pounds in the east There are perhaps
two reasons for this; first, balanced
ration has been fed in nearly all cases;
second, the pigs have been fed at an
earlier age. The western markets de-
mand pigs weighing about 200 pounds,
whilc the eastern markets prefer pig
weighing nearly 300 pounds. On exact
ly the same feed it will take about 80
pounds more feed to make 100 pounds
gain on the larger pigs.
Ground Grain.
Ground grain has in all cases proved
more economical than whole grain. This
result has also been confirmed by ex-
periments conducted by eastern sta
tions with small grains, although east
ern stations have found it unprofitable
to grind corn.
Skim milk has been fed in a large
number of cases as supplement to
wheat or barley, and in comparison
with these grains, fed alone. The gains
were in all cases larger and more eco
nomical. The pigs ate better, gained
more rapidly, were better finished, and
brought higher price at the close of
the experiment.
Experiments Are Told.
Leaving out one experiment where
the results were evidently abnormaly
high, and one where they were abnor
mally low, it was found that from 159
to 1893 pounds of Skin milk were re-
quired to take the place of 100 pounds
Of what OF barley.
The average amount was 271 pounds
This does lot apply to feeding pigs on
skim milk alone, but to feeding 5 to
IS pounds 'er day in addition to full
grain ration. The proportion of milk to
grain for the most economical gains
was pounds of milk tc / pound of
grain, or thereabouts With grain at
$1.25 per 100 pounds the milk might
be figured to have a value of about
4e cents per 100 pounds.
This estimate would not, however, be
strictly correct for two reasons. In the
first place the skim r,ilk ration was
compared with ration of straight
grain, which abundant evidence has
shown to be not an economical ration,
and also some other supplement might
have been purchased which would have
given equal results at less cost than
milk at 46 cents.
For example, tankage at p cents per
pound would have been as cheap as
milk at 20 cents per 100 pounds. In the
second place, the straight grain ration
may have been fed at a financial loss
and any profit that may have been
made from the mixed ration would de-
pend upon the cost of 27l pounds of
milk being less than the cost of 100
pounds Of grain.
Wheat Versus Barley.
Wheat compared with barley gave
approximately the same results on the
average. They were compared in a
number of cases, both when fed alone
and when mixed with skim milk. The
chemical composition of the two grains
would indicate that the wheat might be
The better when fed alone and the
barley when supplemented with mil