Pastures for Hogs. 



157 



state the condition of the pasture. It is safe to say that the experi- 

 ence has been sufficient to warrant the statement that clover in bloom, 

 or alfalfa, will, under favorable circumstances, make a fairly reasona- 

 ble gain on grown hogs in thin flesh without grain. It is common 

 practice among our correspondents, Avho intend to keep the hogs in 

 good growing condition only, to feed an ear or two of corn daily; 

 while the ones that "push" the hogs from weaning time can full feed 

 without the danger of too early fattening that there is on the pastures 

 Avhere grain has to be depended on to make the greater proportion 

 of the gain. An excellent comparison between the different amounts 

 of corn to feed to shoats on alfalfa pasture was made by the Nebraska 

 Experiment Station with corn alone fed to shoats on alfalfa pasture. 

 The results of an experiment lasting 63 days with 10 pigs weigh- 

 ing about 75 pounds per head in each lot, are shown below : 



These results show that with 75-pound pigs a feed of corn is 

 necessary to get satisfactory gains. AYith no grain, the pigs little 

 more than held their Aveight; with 1.33 pounds, or about two ears of 

 corn daily, a gain of .34 pounds daily was made; with 2.48 pounds, 

 or between 3 and 4 ears of corn daily, a gain of .63 pounds daily per 

 pig was made; while with 3.46 pounds, or between 5 and 6 ears of 

 corn daily, a gain of .85 pounds daily was made. It will be noted, 

 however, that as the amount of grain fed daily was increased, the 

 grain required to make a pound of gain was also increased. Another 

 trial was made at the same station,* under the same conditions, 

 but with different amoants of grain. These lots, consisting of 17 

 52-pound pigs, were fed i/o pound, li^ pounds, and 2i/2 pounds of 

 corn, respectively, per 100 pounds of live weight, and allowed to run 

 on alfalfa pasture for 98 days, with the following results : 



Ration. 



Gain. 



i lb. corn per 100 lbs. weight . . . 

 H lbs. corn per 100 lbs. weight . 

 2i lbs. corn per 100 lbs. weight . 



27 

 36 



48 



♦From October 20 to November 10, the hogs were being changed from summer to winter quar- 

 ters. During this period they made gains varying from 6 to 30 lbs. per head. 



