74 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



In all of this work it has been noticed that the rate of gain in- 

 creases with the increase in age and weight of the pigs. Thus the 

 most rapid gains secured were for a short feeding period with hogs 

 averaging 218 pounds at the start. The most rapid gains secured 

 were 2.685 pounds per head daily on the heavy hogs referred to in 

 a short fed lot receiving corn and meat meal in proportions of nine 

 to one, with a nutritive ratio of 1 :4.7. 



All the tests show that the rations of corn with some supple- 

 mental feeds give more rapid gains than rations of corn alone, so 

 far as dry lot feeding is concerned. This holds true even with the 

 nearly mature, heavy hogs, where the corn ration might reasonably 

 be expected to show to the best advantage. All of the supplemental 

 feeds mentioned as used, increased the protein, and all increased 

 the efficiency of the ration in the production of gains. 



In the one experiment made in pasture feeding, the rate of 

 gain was increased on the addition of supplemental feeds to a 

 basal ration of corn on timothy pasture. It does not appear, how- 

 ever, to have risen proportionately, for lot 5, on ration with a 

 nutritive ratio of 1 :3.9, made slightly greater gains than lot 4, 

 with a nutritive ratio of 1 :3.8. This result would indicate that we 

 had passed the maximum point of gain from the use of supple- 

 mental feeds, but as a matter of fact, some of the pigs in lot 4 

 were unthrifty, so that we cannot yet say that a ration of 1 :3.8 

 on timothy pasture, is too narrow for maximum gains. The lot 

 on corn and clover made greater gains than the lots on timothy 

 pasture, corn and shorts, and nearly as great gains as the lots on 

 timothy pasture, corn and meat meal or tankage. 



The supplements are, therefore, most effective in supplement- 

 ing corn in dry lot feeding. 



The proportion of meat meal or tankage which should be used 

 cannot, as yet, be considered settled. Very heavy gains were secured 

 . in the perliminary test where these were used in the proportions 

 of 1 to 5 of corn. Still greater gains were secured in the test with 

 heavy hogs when meat meal or tankage constituted but one-tenth 

 of the ration. In the second experiment, where tankage was fed 

 in the proportions of 1 to 7, 1 to 8.5 and 1 to 10 of corn, the greatest 

 and most profitable gains were secured in the lot receiving but 

 1 pound of meat meal to 10 of corn. Later experiments may or 

 may not coincide with this. At present it appears that with fat- 

 tening hogs, weighing 137 at the start, 1 pound of tankage to 10 

 of corn is better than larger amounts; and therefore, with these 



