Pastures for Hogs. 



159 



These figures show how nearly finished was the lot heavy fed on 

 pasture in comparison with the light fed ones ; also, the influence of 

 the condition of the hogs upon the rapidity and economy of gain, and 

 how the cost of gain increases as the end of the finishing period is 

 approached, and how the high condition influences the cost of gain. 

 The hogs of each lot were equal in every way except that one lot was 

 fatter than the other at the beginning of this period of the experiment. 

 The thin hogs made the more rapid and economical gain, but, of course, 

 it required a much longer time to become far enough advanced for 

 market. 



Lot 3, which was almost finished when put on the last period, re- 

 quired 787 pounds of grain per 100 pounds of gain, but required only 

 29 days to finish. Lot 1, which was rather thin, but of the same age, 

 made a gain of 125 pounds per pig, and required 467 pounds of grain 

 for every one hundred pounds of gain made, and required 93 days to 

 reach a condition similar to lot 3 after 29 days of feeding. 



Combining both periods of the experiment into one period, ex- 

 tending from June 23rd until the hogs were finished, the results are 

 as follows : 



Note that when the pigs were fed 1 pound of corn per 100 pounds 

 weight for 119 days, and then full fed, it required 230 days to get 

 ready for market; whereas, the pigs of the lot fed 2 pounds of corn 

 daily per 100 pounds live weight for 119 days, and then full fed, 

 required 221 days; and the pigs which were fed SYz pounds of corn 

 daily per 100 pounds live weight for 119 days and then full fed, were 

 ready for market in a total of 165 days, or 51^ months from the time 

 they weighed 42 pounds. This is finishing the pig at seven months old, 

 weighing about 225 pounds. 



It will be noted that the finished weight of the hogs of these three 

 lots varied only 7 pounds. The average gains made daily were .83, 

 .87 and 1.13, respectively. 



The grain required per pound of gain was 377 pounds for the 

 light fed lot, 391 pounds for the medium fed lot, and 395 pounds for 



