Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-12
SWINE CONCLUSIONS
REACHED THRU FEEDING
EXPERIMENTS AT AME9


At the session devoted to the dis
cussion of hog-feeding problems had
in connection with THE Little Inter-
national at the Iowa State College.
Prof. w. H. Pew presiding, some very
interesting disclosures were made by
Prof. John NJ. Evvard, chief In swine
production, animal husbandry section,
Iowa experiment station.
The first topic tackled was shall we
limit the corn or alfalfa when feeding.
growing and fattening pigs for mar
ket? The answer is: Everything
considered. 1t does not pay to limit the
ration too severely. The self
q ling scheme has much to recon-
mend It,"
The next subject discussed was the
profit to be derived from an acre Of
alfalfa when pastured, corn being fed
in the field. Recently there was re-
turned profit of little over $3.50 for
the operations carried on on an acre
of alfalfa, the corn being charged at
60 cents per bushel and the hogs sold
for 81 per cwt.'
But let us remember that alfalfa
in itself will not net $3.50 on the acre,
nor corn alone 9S.5 cents, the bushel
when fed to 7-cent hogs. 1t is tho
happy combination of self-fed corn and
settled alfalfa that does those things.
Never was a successful pig feeding
formula more clearly stated. Professor
Evvard adds: Alfalfa is our greatest,
most productive, most profitable swine
forage and corn is our greatest, most
productive. most profitable swine
growing feed
In the next experiment the effort was
to determine the effects Of Limiting
the grain on successive rape and
timothy-and- clover pastures" The con-
clusion reached in this trial is:
The most rapid and economical
gains, as well as the most profit per
pig were obtained in the lots where at
least 3.5 pounds Of shelled corn was
fed daily per 100 pounds Of live pig.
The great lesson brought home by
this experiment is that the cost Of
gains increase as we limit the ration
below a self-fed standard. and. the
profits per peg markedly decrease"
In the next trial. 1.-The free choice
system of swinefeeding versus the
recognized feeding standards" had Its
innings Briefly this experiment was
to determine whether pigs fed accord
ing to the recognized standards or al
lowed to eat what they wanted and
when they wanted 1t. did the best and
made the most profitable gains. The
returns are overwhelmingly in favor of
the Cafeteria plan" Of feeding pigs
that Is, letting them help themselves
to the food they like best THE free
choice system fed pigs outgained all
Others" That tells the story in a very
few words and proves that Uncle Peter
Hopley's fifty -year-oid system Of feed
ing young pigs as often each day as
they would eat OF the foods they liked
best, is the top-notch system yet.
Other experiments were carried on
to show that while corn is the great
est OF all feeding grains it IL not
shortcomings. Another trial
pigs the addition Of milk makes better
gains. In both Of these some old home
truths were emphasized In the last
trial various corrective substances
were compared.
Professor Evvard has done some
splendid work. His conclusions should
be widely published in order that swine
growers generally may take advantage
OF the experience gained. There is
nothing difficult to understand about
the short accounts Professor Evvard
gives Of his various trials. Anyone
who knows enough to carry corn to
a pig can understand them. These
short recitals should be in the hands Of
all interested in swine husbandry. APP
plication for them should be made to
the Iowa State College. Ames Iowa.