The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1916-11-22
FINISHING HOGS ON
HIGH PRICED
Grain
CLINE GIVES USEFUL DATA
FOR THE GUIDANCE OF THE
SWINE RAISER.

1t has been a common experience
in this locality during the past few
years for grain to command a price
that makes it seem almost prohibi-
tive rs feed for hogs. This no
doubt has been one of the greatest
handicaps to the development of the
swine industry here. However, in
other irrigation districts, where hogs
are run on alfalfa and at the same
time fed a moderate amount of
grain, economical growth has been
obtained and the swine industry
consequently has become an import
ant one.
Along with the dairy industry in
this locality there will always be
considerable number of hogs raised.
The question of getting these hogs
into marketable condition is a thing
that interests US just now. We have
the hogs. but they are not for the
most part ready for market, and
grain is from $40 to $50 per ton.
What shall be done? There is no
market for stock hogs locally, ard
every day we feed out stock hogs
without producing gains in weight,
no benefit is received from feeding
except to keep the animals alive.
Well finished hogs have commanded
a fair price on the San Francisco
market for some time, but people
have hesitated to feed grain at the
prevailing prices because they
thought that 1t would mean loss
to them. At the prevailing prices
Of grain this fall it has not been
possible to feed hogs and make the
actual gains in weight pay for the
feed consumed. Hogs in good thrift
ty condition and fed all they will eat
of ground grain will require on an
average about four pounds of grain
to produce one pound increase in
weight This will vary somewhat
with the size of the hog, smaller
hogs requiring less grain to produce
a pound gain than larger ones. In
some feeding tests on the project,
where hogs we're being finished for
market, an average of four pounds
of grain was required to make one
pound gain. Each pound of increase
in weight therefore cost SC with
grain at $40 per ton.
II, however, a hog is unmarketable
because 1t is not fat, it may be easi-
ly profitable to feed the animal high
priced grain, because of the increas-
ed value that is added to the entire
animal by the extra flesh or weight.
For example-A stock hog would
be slow sale locally at &c a pound.
If he weighed 125 pounds he would
bring $6.25. To make this 125
pound hog bring the price for prime
hogs on the San Francisco market,
l45 pounds would have to be added
to his weight. This would cost about
$3.50 for grain. The 10 pound
hog, If shipped now by the coopera-
tive method of marketing hogs here,
should net the owner at least $7.75
per hundred or S13.17 for the hog.
If we allow sc a pound for the thin
hog and $3.50 to fatten it, we are
still ahead 1892 on the transaction.
II smaller hogs are fed and sent to
market at weight that will not
command prices for prime hogs, the
margin of profit will be smaller, but
there is little danger Of actual loss.
Well finished hogs are increasing In
price on the coast, and although
grain is advancing in price locally
the ratio is about the same. The
point that is emphasized here is that
while it may not be profitable to
grow young hogs this winter on
grain at the prevailing prices, it is
profitable to feed the larger hogs
now on hand all they will eat for a
long enough period to get them into
marketable condition.
One carload of hogs shipped to
San Francisco on November 18th
. brought 1926 for hogs weighing
over ITO pounds; 1915 for $50 to
ITO pound hogs; 1925 for hogs
weighing less than $50 pounds. The
average shrinkage in shipment on As
of these hogs which were weighed
before shipping was II per cent. The
shipping expense amounted to 53.4c
, per hundred. This will leave an av-
erage net for home weights OF Sc
for the prime hogs; 7.54.c for the
s SAC hogs and 7.osc for the small
ones The cooperative shipments
since July IT have included As indi-
vidual consignments, in addition to
seventeen consignments of 27O hogs
which will be sent out at the end Of
this month.
L. E. CLINE