Montana farmer-stockman., 1951-04-15
Swine Nutrition Report

"A progress report on swine nutrition studies
involving the use of anti-biotics was presented
by A. E. Flower, assistant professor Of animal
industry and range management; J. G. DePape
graduate assistant, animal industry department
and DR.. w. H. Burkitt, associate professor ami
NAL industry. Burkitt explained that It IS too
early in the swine nutrition experiment to make
any conclusions but that answers to some of the
questions should be available following the
slaughter and examination of carcasses this
summer.
J. o. Tretsven, extension swine and dairy
specialist, spoke on the economics of hog pro-
duction He said that from 1910 to 1910 pork
always brought much higher prices than beef.
But in the last 10 years this ratio has dropped
alarmingly so that now the ratio is 81 for beef
to 80 cents for pork. He attributed much of this
decline to the housewives common criticism of
pork :" too much fat" and urged growers to
produce bacon type hogs with a higher per-
centage of lean to fat.
Sugarbeet by-products and their use in live
stock feeding were discussed by E. ]. Maynard,
Denver, livestock consultant for one of the
sugar companies and Lloyd Olsen, Salt Lake
City, field man for another sugar company.
Maynard said that Montana produces close to
100000 tons of sugar beets each year from
which many valuable farm by-products are pro-
duced in addition to the sugar. He emphasized
! the value of irrigated crop rotations and i've
stock feeding programs. The trend IS definitely
toward drying all beet pulp for use in livestock
feeding, he said, because of the great saving
of feeding nutrients in the dry pulp over the
| use of wet pulp.
Deficiencies Costly
Small and unhealthy calf crops were men
toned by N. A. jacobsen Big Horn county
/ agent, as one of the most expensive results of
nutritional deficiencies. Jacobsen led off the
IN all areas of the state. He said that stockmen
couldn't hope to make profit when they obtain
only a so percent calf crop. sIt is definitely
known that several operators who customarily
run cows on shares in the state can no longer
make expenses from half the income Of IS or
80 percent calf CROP" he added.
Phosphorus deficiency symptoms were OBJ
+ served last summer again in southeastern Mon
tana despite the fact that 1850 had one of the
longest green seasons ever seen in this area Of
the state, according to Jacobsen. He pointed out
that while nutritional deficiencies show up il
range cattle invariably after drouth years, ther,
are indications that some deficiencies such a
with phosphorus exist nearly all the time il
some areas
TN September, 1850, neither the protein o
phosphorus content of range grasses in Big Horn
county provided even half the requirements fo
proper health of cattle in any age group" salt
Jacobsen. BROWSE plants often make it pos
sible for stock to get through the winter in goot
shape but access year around to a mineral mix
ture containing phosphorus seems advisable,
he continued.
Qualify Hay. Pellets
Good quality hay is one Of the best supple
mental feeds but is not practical for man,
ranchers in the eastern Montana area becaus
of land or water conditions. In this case ther
is often deterioration of both the carotene an
vitamin content Of the hay when it is held 70
long periods
Pellets containing 20 percent or more pre-
tein and 5000 or more stabilized units of vita
min A per pound have done the job Of sui
shutting for good quality hay. Two pounds 9
pellets were found to do the job of 10 pound
of good hay in preventing vitamin A def
ciencies.