Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-01-29

RAPID AND ECONOMICAL GAINS By AL
LOWING THEN TO HELP THEMsELvEs.

The quickest, easiest, and most eco
nomical method of fastening pigs, with
the least expenditure Of grain and labor
IL through the use of self-feeders. a
self.feeder consists of . hopper large
enough to hold . supply feed sufticienl
to last several days and trough below
ir into which the grain flows a. the pigs
eat It. Hogs do not overeat, - migh'
naturally be supposed, when they have
free excess TO these feeders, but . mum.
Der OF tests conducted by the United
States Department of Agriculture and
various State experiment stations show
that with the ingredients OF a good ra.
ton constantly before them they will
make gains more rapidly aud economical.
ly than when fed by hand. Results of
experiments setting forth these facts, TO-
gether with plans for constructing self
feed ers, have been published in Fsrmers'
Bulletin 9O8, "Ths Self. Feeder for
Hogs"
FEEDING TESTS.
On Government experiment farm ut
Beltsville, Nd. 1S grade Berkshire pigs
we're put on Today feeding test In the
spring Of 1915. The pigs are kept on q
dry lot and fed a fsttening ration OF corn
meal, middlings, and tankage. Nine
were fed BY hand three times . day,
while nine had access to self.feeders.
The self-fed pigs gained more rapidly
and ate more feed, but less in proportion
TO the gains in weight, than the pigs
fed by hand. In fact, the settled pigs
required less feed per 100 pounds gain.
Iu another tsst three lots of 8 grade
Berkshire pigs each pastured on rye.
One lot was self-fed on corn meal and
tankage, and made slightly more rapid
gain. but required more feed per 100
pounds gain than another lot self fed on
shelled corn and tankage. Both these
lots made more rapid and economical
gains than did third lot which was
hand fed on corn meal, middlings, and
tanksge.
These tests are borne out by results OBJ
tanned at Q number OF State experiment
stations. In all, nearly 800 pigs have
been used in tests at these stations and
the results show clearly that more rapid
gains are obtained with the self-feeder
than the best band-feeding methods,
partly owing to the larger daily con.
sumption of feed per head and partly
owing to the more efficient use OF the
grain fed.
SAVES TINE AND LABOR.
The marked success of the self-feeding
system ia largely due to the fact that
the hogs may eat an abundance OF those
feeds which will nourish them to the
best advantage. By this plan the aver
age farmer will have as good results as
the most expert hand feeder, and the
results will be obtained at Q much less
expense of time and labor. All the tests
referred to show that the increased feed
consumption and the more rapid daily
gains are not made at the expense OF
efficient use OF feed.
ADAPTED TO USE ANY KIND OF GRAIN
FEED.
The self-feeder may be adapted to the
use Of any kind of grain or feed, al
thou Oh shelled corn and ground feeds
are most commonly used. Ear corn
may be fed by this method, II the hopper
is Of sufficient size to hold feed for
several days without re6lling. In order
that the self-feeder may readily be
adapted to different kinds OF grain, 1t
should be constructed with some means
of regulating the opening through which
thsf,ed passes. Care should be taken
to seq that the self-feeders are always
supplied with each feed, for II one part
of the ration Is missing the pigs will
naturally eat an increased amount OF
any other available and in such case
will make very poor use Of 1t. The
grain feeds may be mixed or placed in
different compartments and fed separate
ly. The latter plan is more successfai,
for the pigs have been found to be able
to balance their own rations as their
appetites demand.