Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-02-08
The "Scientific" Hog

The "Scientific" Hog.
/ have come upon an article by Franl
G.. Moorbead, in a recent number OF In
Technical World Magazine, that inter
ests me much, and it may interest othe
readers, particularly those who, like my
self, can remember the first attempts II
this country to initiate the German
method of balancing rations, particular
ly those for dairy cattle, IA they were
outlined in the Wolff system.
This article treats Of what the write
is pleased to call the Cafeteria" meth
cd of feeding swine. 1t was fret ont
lined for the public by Prof. John N
Evvsrd of the Iowa State College o.
Agriculture. The article states that tht
professor has proved that the hog, in
stead of eating like hog, eats like hu
man being, only with great deal more
sense. The dean of the college frankly
admits that "the main objection to Prof
Evvard's discovery and invention is that
it proves that the hog knows more thar
the scientist" The invention consists
of box-shaped affair, divided into com
partments, which are each filled with
swine food very much as human food il
placed on the counters of cafeteria,
and to which the hog has access at all
times.
The hog is allowed to choose his own
food in his own way, regardless OF Its
first cost or whether or not he may
choose a scientifically balanced" ra.
ton. Mr.. Moorhead says: "He may
eat gluttonously of one food to the ex-
elusion of iii others. He may gorge
himself with corn when it is 70 cents q
bushel laid down; but eat whatever be
will, is the rule of the cafeteria, and il
works wonders in the art of fatteniDg
hogs for market"
The results of few experiments are
given, which tend to prove conclusively
the beneficial effects of the system.
Seventeen 225-pound shoats were finish
ed on blue grass, having access to the
self-feeder for 6s days. The menu con-
sisted of dry shelled corn, meat meal q,
whole oats, wheat middlings, linseed oil
meal, charcoal and rock salt. The hogs
had access TO one food as easily and as
unrestrained as to any other. They
chose the balanced ration and made
such good use of the food that they gain
ed /. rs pounds daily, and fsttened so
rapidly that they returned in hog meat
72.7 cents for every bushel OF 50-csnt
corn that they ate.
An experiment to show the difference
in gain between the handled and the
cafeteria" fed hogs showed that the
former consumed 372 to 419 pounds Of
food ''doled out according to the scien-
tific theories of man" for 100 pounds of
gain, at a cost of-from So 81 to 81, while
the hogs ths. ate at will what they want
ed, used but 364 pounds Of food for 100
pounds of gain. Figuring the hogs at 50
a hundred weight, the csfeteris-fed hogs
made the corn fed to them worth $50
cents per bushel, while the handled
hogs returned but 75.4 to ST. cents per
bushel.
The article concludes with the follow
ing quotation from Prof. Evvard: at
is a peculiar commentary upon the Judg-
ment of feeders that they should have
the utmost faith in the hog as regards
his ability to choose some feeding ma
terials, but yet should hesitate to trust
him with grains, usually high priced,
such as corn, oats, tankage, meat meal,
oil meal, and others"
think there may be lesson in this
for all swine feeders and possibly to the
feeders of other classes Of live stock. We
are coming more and more to recognize
the taste of the animal in his feeding and
to know that appetite has much to do
with the assimilation Of food. believe
was one of the first to break away from
the rigidly balanced ration for cows and
to advocate that the appetite and taste
Of the animal should have much to de
with the choice of the food given her.
To this end, widened the ration, fed
more home-produced foods, looked more
than formally to the health and mainten-
ance of the animal and less to the largest
possible amount of production, which in
the end increased profits and improved
the herd. Let the good work 60 on
Our scientific friends have much yet to
learn, and it is but wisdom on our part
to follow them with open minds and q
readiness to learn from them.-B. Walk
er McKeen, in Maine Farmer.