The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-03-18
SMALL GRAINS AND
ALFALFA FOR HOGS

uuCliOn VI PORK are industries tnat
today are claiming increasing atten
ton throughout the Northwest. Ex-
periments with grains which may
take the place of corn for feeding
purposes are of the greatest interest
to the farmers in this region, because
the small grains are often grown in
abundance and form the basis of all
rations. A great amount of wheat,
barley, and rye is fed In the form of
mill products, and is, of course,
ground more generally than corn, as
they are usually much harder. The
greater liability of these small grains
to pass through the animal undigest.
ed shows the correctness OF such
practice.
Best Results With Wheat
Chief among the small grains is
wheat, and 1t appears to be the food
best adapted for long continued hog
feeding. The ACCESSIBILITY Of feeding
wheat or any other grain, however,
depends upon market prices and eco
nomic conditions. 1t could hardly be
regarded as economical to use wheat
as stock feed at the high prices now
prevailing. A bushel of wheat prop
erly fed to reasonably we'll bred hogs
should produce approximately thir'
teen pounds of gain in weight. The
results of number of feeding tests
show that there is comparatively lit
tie difference In feed value between
wheat and corn for swine.
In comparing various rations in
which corn, wheat, and rye were fed
alone or In combination with each
other, 1t was found that dry, ground
wheat gave the greatest returns and
required the least amount Of grain
to make one hundred pounds of gain.
For the best results, wheat should be
ground and mixed with some supple
ment, such as tankage, peas, or soy
bean meal. The results obtained
from a number of tests have proved
this to be a good practice, tho prob
ably not advised in our state.
Barley Produces Best Pork
In Great Britain and northern Eur
ope barley takes the place of corn
for pork production, leading all the
grains in producing pork of fine quail.
ity, both as to hardness and flavor.
Considerable study in the United
States has been made Of the value
of barley as pig feed, and the results
have shown that 1t compares very
favorably with corn, but has a feed
ing value somewhat below that
of wheat. What this grain may lack
in feeding value, however, 1t more
than supplies in its effect on the car
cass. AS high grade pig feed 1t
far surpasses any other grain, and
this fact makes possible the produc'
ton OF pork of the first quality in
regions where barley Is produced
Ground or rolled bar
ley is best fed in combination with
wheat midlings, skim milk, roots, al
ialfa, etc.
The Value Of Rye
Rye meal ranks little below corn
and about equal to barley meal as
feed for swine. Rye produces sat.
pork, especially when 1t is
led with other grains. 1t is extreme
" heavy, concentrated feed and will
usually give best results when fed
not to exceed one third ration. In
many sections rye is much esteemed
IS pasture, especially where soils are
rather light, and in such instances
'hogging of" proves profitable.
Alfalfa Pasture and Hay
Since economical pork production
depends largely upon the eonsump-
ion of a great deal of cheaply grown
'eed, the pasture should be managed
30 that the forage produced will be
clean. tender, and palatable. Many
successful hog raisers prefer to use
such crops as alfalfa and clover for
both pasture and hay at the same
lime. The number of hogs gener-
lily turned into field is so limited
hat usual crops of hay are made.
The newer irrigated sections have
thousands OF acres in alfalfa which |
nay be utilized to great advantage |
" pasturing hogs. Alfalfa, while
dapted to the same territory as
lover has a much wider range of
Isefulness, for it succeeds with less
ainfall and on lighter soils than
Hover. Where the land is to be
sed continuously for hog pasture
or number of years, alfalfa easily
lands first, An acre of alfalfa will
eep from fifteen to twenty pigs dur
ne the summer and with grain In