L»08 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



t-> 



j^ain for the first weeks of these tables and the amoiiut j^iven in Table 

 III where the net gain of the sow and pijijs taken t()j:;ether are j^iven. 



The fact that young animals of all kinds make gains more economically 

 than older and heavier ones has already been shown by a host of experi- 

 ments. It is confirmed by the tables last given. Comparing the amount 

 of drA^ matter eaten per pound of gain before the pigs weighed 50 

 pounds each with the corresponding amounts when the pigs were gain- 

 ing from 50 pounds in weight to 100 pounds, and again when they 

 weighed over 100 pounds, we find that the Duroc Jerseys required but 

 2.44 pounds of dry matter to make a pound of gain before they averaged 

 oO pounds; 3.0G pounds of dry matter per pound of gain between 50 

 and 100 pounds and 4.23 pounds of dry matter per pound of gain after 

 the pigs averaged 100 pounds in weight. 



Owing to the shrinkage in the weight of the sow before the pigs 

 were weaned, the Poland China pigs do not show the point so clearly, but 

 even with them it required but 2.93 pounds of dry matter on the average 

 to make a pound of gain before they weighed 50 pounds apiece as against 

 3.11 pounds thereafter. 



Compiling the results of 21 trials at this station and elsewhere involv- 

 ing the feeding of 87 animals for periods varying from 30 to 135 days in 

 which the feed was composed of skim milk and corn meal, and 10 trials, 

 using GO animals with pigs under 50 pounds in which the feed consisted 

 of skim milk, corn meal and middlings, it is shown that for the weights 

 given the pounds of dry matter required to produce a pound of gain 

 was as follows: 



For pigs weighing lesB than 50 pounds 2.57 pounds. 



" 100 " and over ."^O 2.39 " 



" 150 " " " 100 3.16 



" " " " " 200 " " " 150- _ 3 27 " 



" " over 200 " l 3.90 " 



These figures indicate that the older and heavier pigs grow, the greater 

 the amount of feed it takes to maintain them and the less profit in 

 keeping them. The period before the pigs weigh 50 pounds is an 

 exception, but it must be remembered that during this period the pig 

 is weaned and is subjected to other adverse conditions against which 

 he is less able to battle, facts which account for the slightly larger food 

 requirements at that time. 



II. Gains op Pigs and Calves Compared. 



To compare the food cost of a hundred pounds of gain of pigs with 

 that of calves the gains and feed consumed by two calves were weighed 

 and recorded. One of the calves was a thoroughbred Holstein bull and 

 the other a Brown Swiss heifer, both 11 days old when the exjjeriment 

 began. 



The record of their feed and gains are given in the following table. 

 The grain ration consisted of a mixture of one part oil meal, two parts 

 oats and two parts bran, fed dry. They were also given what clover hay 

 they would eat. 



