The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-05-27
FEEDS WHICH make
A HOG PROFITABLE
Bulletin from State College Tells
How to Fatten Animal the
Most Economically

=
the most rapid or, under market con-
ditions similar to those that exist st
present, the most economical gains
with growing. and fattening swine
There may have been time when the
sole use of any one of those feeds
would yield maximum profit, but
such conditions do not now prevail
An intelligent use of feeds is neces-
sary if the fattening of swine is to
prove profitable.
To grow and fatten swine econom-
ically on home grown feeds it is es-
sential that they be supplemented
with feeds containing the nutrients in
which these grains are lacking. A
knowledge of the relative efficiency
of these feeds will assist materially
in their selection for this use. The
efficiency of rations does not change
with fluctuating market conditions,
but cash profits do vary greatly on
account of widely varying market
prices of the feeds which constitute
them. Feeders will need to apply
local market conditions to these ra-
tions in order to select the one that
will give the best financial returns.
It is not possible to make a bal
anced ration with barley, wheat or
corn alone, because each one of these
grains furnishes a one-sided diet rich
in carbohydrates (starches and sug-
ars) and fats, but deficient in pro-
tein and ash (muscle building and bone
forming). No animal suffers so Sc
verely from lack of protein and min
eral nutrients as does the hog. This
is due solely to the prominence of
cereal feeds in its ration. Farmers
in this state are experiencing diff
Guilty in maintaining "scale" and bone
in their hogs, which is doubtless due
to their use Of too little else than the
cereals in the hogs ration. The pro-
fitable feeding of wheat, barley or
corn rquires that the feeder consider
the protein and mineral supplements.
The feeding of wood ashes, charcoal
and corn-cob ashes is Of decided bene-
fit, but they are not sufficient to sup
ply all the mineral nutrients required.
The feeding of coal ashes has nothing
to recommend it.
Wheat middlings, linseed oil, soy
beans, wheat bran, and corn are un-
satisfactory sources Of lime for grow
ing swine. When skim milk or meat
meal is fed to pigs, they will store
from nine to ten times as much lime
as from any single grain ration. Some
brands of feeding tankage contain
more than twenty per cent Of ash,
most of which is bone. This bone fur
nishes calcium and phosphorus in
available form, and is a useful COM
ponent Of the feed. Precipitated cal
cium phosphate, made from bones in
the process Of gelatine manufacture,
is quite readily digested and relished
by hogs. In Washington floats are
cheaper and almost as effective. For
bes, Of the Ohio Experiment Station,
states that "a meat meal containing
phosphorus in this form would leave
little to be desired in the way Of
complete supplement to corn for
hogs"
For practical feeding purposes the
protein and ash of the cereals are de-
ficient in quality and quantity, and for
best results must be supplemented.
The essentials Of an ideal supplement
may be briefly summarized:
1. A high protein content. There
should be as few pounds Of carbohy-
drates to pound of protein as pos
sible.
2. Protein Of the best quality.
Milk proteins are several per cent
more digestible than the proteins Of
the foods of vegetable and meat or
igin. The low digestibility Of the
protein of tankage or meat meal is
due, perhaps, to the presence of hair
or to the high degree Of heat to which
it is subjected.
8. An abundance Of mineral nu-
trients, especially calcium and phos-
phorus.
4. More fat than in farm grown
grains, or about six to eight per cent.
S. Palatability.
6. Laxativeness is essential. Wheat
barley or corn, fed alone, are consti-
pating. A loosening supplement is
necessary.
z. High digestibility is imperative.
8. Freedom from disease organ
isms, such as the germs Of tubercu-
losis or cholera, and no poisonous
principle such as is found in cotton
seed meal.
9. Reasonable in price, yet plenti-
full.
The practical protein and ash sup
plements which are most commonly
Al IL