The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-01-12
FEEDING Of PIGS IS
IMPORTANT SUBJECT
GROWER MUST HAVE SOME
KNOWLEDGE OF VALUES OF
DIFFERENT GRAINS
vITAMINES MAKE GROWTH
State College Extension Livestock
Specialist Gives Valuable Hints
to Stockmen.-Experm
Are Under Way

The swine grower must have some
knowledge of the values of the differ
ent feeds which he expects to use IL
he Is to properly fatten pigs during
the fall months, says r. B. Millin, live
stock specialist for the State College
Extension Service. In a letter sent
out to men conducting hog feeding
demonstrations over the state, Mr. Mil
lin outlines some of the principal points
about hog feeding.
The substances in the pigs food,
which it uses, may be divided into
three main classes according to the
uses to which they are put. The first
class is composed of muscle building
substances; the second of fat builders;
and the third of bone builders.
The muscle builders are not usually
found in large amounts In our grains
and some of the grains are quite lack
Ing in them. The pigs need certain
amount of muscle builders and for this
reason, we often have to supplement
the grains with such feeds as skim
milk, tanSage, shorts, oil meal, alfalfa
hay and other things These feeds are
! strong in muscle builders and help to
supply those that the pig needs.
The fat builders are mostly found In
our grains. The bone builders are
most largely found in the same supple
ments as the muscle builders. Some
| of our grains contain a fair amount or
! bone builders, but others are very weak
in this respect.
| Investigations during the past few
years have brought to light a fourth
!, class Of substances which are known
I as vitamines. These substances seem
to be the main factors in promoting
I growth. There Is no question of the
/ Importance of these substances but
there is so much more to be learned
/ about their use in hog feeding that for
the present about all that need be said
about them is that If a good ration,
supplying all the muscle, fat and bone
building material that Is needed, is fed
that the chances are very good that
sufficient supply of vitamines are also
! being furnished. Leafy alfalfa hay
or clover hay furnish ample amounts
of these substances, provided they are
eaten reglarly even though in small
quantities.
Corn is fast coming to be the main
standby of the hog producer in Mon
tana. 1t is undoubtedly one of the
best fattening grains that we have for
/ 1t is extremely palatable to hogs, and
I is very rich in fat builders. But corn
has It's weak points and because 1t Is
such a wonderful fat builder is no
reason why we should fail to realize
these weaknesses.
1T is extremely weak in both muscle
and bone builders, and for this reason
should never be fed alone to growing
pigs with the expectation Of fattening
them quickly and cheaply. Some sup
plement such as skim milk, tankage,
shorts oil meal or alfalfa hay should
always be fed with 1t to supply the
muscle and bone building materials
that the pig needs.
Corn can be fed either whole or
grond with good1results. About five
or six per cent Of the grain used can
be saved by grinding but this is 80
small that it does not usually pay to
grind or crack the corn.
One place where many people go
wrong in feeding corn is in their be-
lief that 1t should be ground for the
smaller pigs but that the larger ones
can use the whole corn to better ad.
vantage. Just the reverse Is true;
small pigs win do much better on
s-''eie oarn than the large ones. n
- SONG tc s1.@s1 s.Sza 12zs Gig -
the pigs, grind 81 for the larger ONES
that are In good condition and rapidly
approaching market size weight and
finish, and use the whole corn for the
earlier part Of the finishing period.
Barley fills the place Of corn in much
of the northwest and fills 1t very &C.
ceptably. IT is not quite so rich In fai
builders as corn, nor do the pigs ike II
quite so well. 1t does however have
more muscle and bone builders than
corn. If the pigs are to be fattened
on grain without supplement, barley
is the best grain to use, but even bar
ley is usually better when fed with
good supplement-, especially II the pigs
are weaned early and started immedi
ately on grain in the dry lot.
The hull-less barleys usually feed
out eight or nine per cent better pei
pound than do the hulled varities
These hull-less varities are practically
the equal of corn for fattening and
good grade of them Is better than .
poor grade Of corn.
Unlike corn, barley should not be fed
whole but should be ground or at least
soaked. Soaking from one feed to the
next is usually considered to be almost
as good as grinding. Soaking or grind
ing is especially necessary where ths
hull-less barleys are fed.
Wheat Is feed that is usually too
expensive to feed to hogs but there are
times when it's feeding is profitable
Wheat is usually recognized as the