272 



MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



PROFITABLE PIG FEEDING. 

 (By Col. G. W. Waters, Canton, ^lo.) 



The pig makes by far the greatest amount of gain for the food con- 

 sumed of all of our meat producing animals. Dr. Warrington, in "Chem- 

 istry of the Farm," states that for each one hundred pounds of feed 

 consumed the gains are: "Cattle 9 lbs., sheep 11 lbs., pigs., 23 lbs." or 

 pigs make nearly two and a half times as much gain from a given 

 amount of feed as do cattle. But to state the matter more concisely, 

 analyses show upon the average that for every one hundred pounds of 

 the digested nutrients consumed cattle gain 12.7 lbs., sheep 14.3 lbs., and 

 pigs 29.2 lbs. It may be suggested here that when prices are anything 

 like the same it is a vastly more profitable use of feed to produce pork than 

 beef. But of course there is a place for cattle as there are many varie- 

 ties of feeds suited for cattle that pigs cannot use. 



It is worthy of thought, however, to try to broaden the uses of our 

 feeds for pigs, for they will use profitably many of our feeds that we do 

 not think of, as we shall see as we proceed. By properly preparing 

 them there are many of our coarser feeds that may be fed to pigs, and 

 in this way not only secure an increased amount of gain but at the same 

 time the pigs will have a greater variety of feeds, thus securing better 

 health and thrift. Lest some of you should doubt the accuracy of Dr. 

 Warrington's statement as to the comparative gains made by cattle and 

 hogs from a given amount of feed, I call your attention to the following 

 tables : 



COST OF GAIN IN HOGS AND CATTLE COMPARED. 



Table I. 



Pigs- 



-Cost of Gain — Rate of Gain — Numerous Stations. 



