778 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The cost of feeding pigs before and after weaning, W. A. Henry 



( Wisconsin Sta. Rpt. 1897, pp. 20-28). — Tests were made with 5 sows and 

 their litters, to compare the cost of feeding before and after weaniug. 

 There were 6 pigs with sow 1, 6 with sow 2, 7 with sow 3, 9 with sow 4, and 

 12 with sow 5. All the lots were fed equal parts by weight of a mixture 

 of corn meal, middlings, and skim milk 1:1:4. The milk was generally- 

 sour. Water was supplied in addition. When very young the pigs 

 were given no food except milk supplied by the sows. As they 

 increased in size they were encouraged to eat the ration mentioned 

 above, which was placed before them in a separate trough 3 times daily. 

 The pigs were weaned when 70 days old, and the feeding continued for 

 49 days after weaning, the pigs being fed all they would eat without 

 waste. On the other hand, the sows, having gained in weight while 

 suckling the pigs, were given a limited quantity of food, in order that 

 they might not make too much gain. The tests are reported in detail 

 in tabular form. The results are summarized in the following table, 

 which shows the food required per pound of gain by both sows and 

 pigs before weaning and by each after weaning: 



Average of results with soivs and pigs before and after weaning. 



Feed required per 

 pound of gain. 



Meal. 



Milk. 



Sows and pigs before weaning. 



Pigs after weaning 



Sows after weaning 



Pounds. 

 2.37 



Pounds. 

 4.75 

 5.76 

 14.20 



On the supposition that C lbs. of separator skim milk is the equiva- 

 lent of 1 lb. of meal, the author calculates that the sows and pigs before 

 weaning required food equivalent to 3.16 lbs. of meal per pound of gain, 

 and the pigs after weaning the equivalent of 3.84 lbs. of meal. 



"In these figures we have another illustration of how much more economical 

 young pigs are than more mature animals in the feed required for a given gain. 

 When these same pigs have reached a weight of 300 lbs., about 500 lbs. of grain will 

 be required for 100 lbs. of gain. 



"A large amount of feed was required by the sows for 100 lbs. of gain after their pigs 

 had been weaned; the explanation of this is simple. These sows had usually gained 

 in weight while suckling their pigs and were therefore in good flesh. Being required 

 for future breeders, we did not wish them to become too fat, a condition which they 

 would readily attain, had sufficient feed been supplied. These figures afford an 

 excellent illustration of how unprofitable it is to supply animals with less feed than 

 they can readily consume when gain in weight is the end desired. These sows 

 require nearly three times as much feed for 100 lbs. of gain as did their pigs which 

 had just been weaned from them. This is because the herdsman gave them a very 

 limited quantity of nutrients, only about what they required for maintenance, his 

 object being not to allow them to materially gain in flesh." 



Peat molasses for horses, II. Goldsmith ( UgesTcr. Landm., 43 ( 1898), 

 No. 23-21, pp. 291, 292, 306-309).— The peat molasses fed in this experi- 

 ment was manufactured from beet molasses and dry peat in the propor- 



