378 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



A lot of 25 gilts during five consecutive summers on alfalfa pasture and fed 

 2.5 lbs. of grain (corn or corn and wheat) daily per 100 lbs. live weight con- 

 sumed an average of 3.39 lbs. of grain per pound of gain, made at the average 

 rate of 0.92 lb. daily per head and costing 3.35 cts. 



Summarizing the records of the various lots fed grain while grazing on alfalfa 

 pasture, it is found that with the pigs on a 2, 2^, and 3 per cent grain ration 

 the relative daily gains of the three groups were almost the same as the relative 

 amounts of grain fed to the three groups. The ratio of the cost of grain and 

 pasture for 100 lbs. of gain was 81, 84, and 100, respectively, with corn at 47 cts. 

 per bushel. As the price of corn is increased the difference in the cost' of gains 

 becomes greater and is more in favor of the lighter rations. The ratio of the 

 daily profit per pig with com at 47 cts. per bushel and hogs $5.90 per 100 lbs. 

 is 76, 85, and 100, and with corn at 70 cts. per bushel and hogs $7.50 per 100 lbs., 

 91, 100, and 100. The higher prices favor the lighter ration of 2 per cent, but 

 do not bring as much profit from this ration as from the heavier rations. It is 

 thought that rations lighter than 2J or 2 per cent are not as profitable as these 

 rations even with the price of corn high, as the light rations do not permit of 

 suflBcient growth to keep the hogs in a healthy and thrifty condition. 



In a comparison of various ways of feeding corn and protein supplements to 

 corn in fattening hogs, 10 lots of 10 130-lb. pigs each were fed 106 days, as fol- 

 lows: Lot 1, shelled corn; lot 2, ear corn and alfalfa hay in a rack; lot 3, 

 shelled corn and alfalfa hay in a rack ; lot 4, ground corn and alfalfa hay in 

 a rack ; lot 5, ground corn and alfalfa meal 9:1; lot 6, ground corn and shorts 

 9:1; lot 7, ground corn and oil meal 9 : 1 ; lot 8, ground corn and tankage 19 : 1 ; 

 lot 9, ground corn and oil meal 9 : 1, and alfalfa hay in a rack ; and lot 10, 

 ground corn and tankage 19 : 1, and alfalfa hay in a rack. These pigs made 

 average daily gains of 0.78, 0.79, 0.78, 0.9, 1, 1.05, 1.24, 1.25, 1.25, and 1.26 lbs. 

 per pig, consuming 6.1, 5.86, 6.03, 5.97, 5.36, 5.11, 4.67, 4.69, 4.87, and 4.84 lbs. 

 of feed per pound of gain, costing 5.13, 4.8, 4.93, 4.93, 4.45, 4.47, 4.23. 4.21, 4.29, 

 and 4.14 cts. per pound of gain, and realizing a profit of 64 cts., 92 cts., 80 cts., 

 93 cts., $1.53, $1.59, $2.20, $2.25, $2.13, and $2.35 per hog for the respective lots. 



In a second experiment 11 lots of 9 or 10 100-lb. pigs each were fed 109 days 

 rations corresponding to the above except that lot 1 received ground corn and lot 

 11 ground corn and cotton-seed cake 9 :1. These pigs made average daily gains of 

 1.22, 1.52, 1.52, 1.33, 1.24, 1.34, 1.41, 1.46. 1.41, 1.47, and 1.4S lbs. per pig, con- 

 suming 4.94, 4.24, 4.46, 4.82, 4.97, 4.61, 4.45, 4.41, 4.55, 4.47, and 4.54 lbs of feed 

 per pound of gain, costing 4.15, 3.5, 3.63, 3.03, 4.13, 4.04, 4.03, 3.96, 4.0S, 4, and 

 4 cts. per pound of gain, and realizing a profit of $2.34, $3.99, $3.78, $2.86, $2.41, 

 $2.72, $2.88, $3.08, $2.81, $3.04, and $3.07 per pig for the resi>ective lots. 



One group of seven lots of 10 108-lb. pigs was fed 98 days, as follows : Lot 1 

 shelled corn dry, lot 2 whole wheat dry, lot 3 whole wheat soaked, lot 4 ground 

 wheat moistened, lot 5 ground wheat soaked, lot 6 whole rye soaked, and lot 

 7 ground rye moistened. This group received alfalfa hay in racks in addi- 

 tion. A second group of six lots were fed the same rations as lots 1 to 6. in- 

 clusive, of the first group, but without alfalfa hay. The pigs of the corre- 

 sponding lots of these two groups made average daily gains of 1.11, 1.02, 1.05, 

 1.36, 1.41, and 0.88 lbs. per pig, consuming 4.79, 5.19, 5.14, 4.33, 4.18, and 5.58 

 lbs. of feed per pound of gain, costing (with corn at 47 cts. per bushel, wheat 

 at 70 cts. per bushel, and hogs at 5.9 cts. per pound) 3.97, 5.99, 5.92, 5, 4.84, and 

 5.51 cts. per pound of gain, and realizing a profit of $2.11, a loss, a loss, $1.21, 

 $1.46, and 34 cts. per pig for the respective lots. The single test with ground 

 rye indicated that 1 bu. of ground rye produced the same gain as 1.15 bu. of 

 whole rye, and gave a very much faster gain. 



