The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-06-13
WHEN THE PIG GOES
OUT TO FORAGE

|" HE time for weaving pigs de-
l ponds considerably upon kind
L. quality and quantity of supple
mental feeds available for them after
they are weaned, says DR.. w. E.
Joseph, of the Montana Experiment
Station. Where good supplements
the kinds that the pigs will eat read
lily and which will put on flesh, are
not available, weaving time should
be deferred until the pigs are larger
than where the desired foods are on
hand.
In two trials with sows and filters,
parts of feeding experiments carried
on at the Montana Experiment Sta
ton, it was found that the sows and
filters fed on alfalfa hay consumed
more hay per pound of pig from far
rowing to weaving time when the
pigs were weaned late, but consider
ing the amount of feed eaten by the
SOW during the following dry period
the feed consumed was greater for
the pigs weaned early.
Further discussing the results of
the feeding experiments, DR.. Joseph
continues:
"The chief advantage in growing
pigs to larger size before weaving
was gained in the better performance
of the pigs after weaving. A litter of
nine pigs weighing Is pounds when
weaned did much better on ration
of barley and tankage, most of the
pigs growing to practically market
weight and finish. A litter weaned
at 30.5 pounds on the same ration
was seriously off feed long before
the pigs reached suitable size and
condition for the market as fat hogs,
due to the deficiency of vitamines,
according to the results of some brief
trials with the affected pigs.
"On rations of barley and alfalfa
hay for sows and filters, both before
and after weaving, late weaving of
the pigs proved quite advantageous.
The late weaned litter (55 pounds)
reached a weight of 100 to 1875
pounds 81 days earlier and they re-
CURED practically a half pound less
barley per pound of gain from wean-
ing time until sold as fat hogs than
the litter weaned at 35 pounds.
considering 55 months feed for
the SOW and all the feed for the lit
tiers there was a saving of one-quar-
of market hog by growing the pigs
to 55 pounds before weaving rather
than weaving at weight of 80
pounds and in addition the late
pigs were ready for market
seven weeks earlier. The litter |
weaned early had an apparent ad
vantage before weaving.
''The question may be raised as to
the possibility of raising two filters |
4 year under such conditions. The |
saw whose litter was weaned late |
narrowed another litter rs days after
weaving the litter used in this trial. |
In other words she was bred practi- |
,ally 40 days before the pigs were
weaned. This practice has been fol- |
lowed in many cases with apparent |
good results. The heat period was
induced by separating the sows and |
filters at night and running them
together during the day. The sows |
usually came into heat within a week |
f the pigs we're at least five weeks |
Did, che sows not in too thin condi-
ton and we'll fed during the time.
IN some cases longer time was re-
Iuired for this result.
"The practice of weaving the pigs |
ate had little or no advantage if a |
supply of skim milk or other supple |
nents of approximately equal value
we're available On rations that were
not we'll balanced fuller develop |
nent before weaving resulted in
more rapid growth and more econo-
nical production according to these
results"