466 



EXPERIMEKT STATION RECORD. 



tVol. 43 



per acre were 2,300 lbs. in rotation 07 and 2,248 lbs. in 09, and the daily irain.s 

 per head were O.GG and 0.03 lb., re.spectively. In the first case 2.72 and in tlie 

 second 2.85 Ib.s. of grain were consumed i)er pound of gain. 



In the hogging-ofE tests with tlie spring pigs after the pasture season a quar- 

 ter acre of mature coi-n in rotation 07 supported 4 pigs for 27 days in the 

 late fall, producing porli at the rate of 20.8 lbs. per acre per day. On the 

 basis of an estimated yield of 05 bu. of com to an acre, 5.1 lbs. of grain were 

 consumed per pound of gain. In rotation 09 a quarter acre of corn that had 

 been seeded to rape in July supported 4 pigs from the alfalfa pasture for 35 

 days in the fall and produced pork at the rate of 23.1 lbs. per acre per day. 

 The estimated yield of corn was 55 bu. an acre and on this basis 3.8 lbs. 

 of grain were consumed per pound of gain. " Comparing the average results 

 for seven years of hogging-off corn without rape with the average of three 

 years of hogging-off corn and rape, there seems to be no increase in gain iu 

 favor of the rape." 



The feeding experiments were conducted in cooperation with the Montana 

 Experiment Station, the hogs used being Duroc-Jei'seys. The following table 

 summarizes the results with the spring pigs : 



Results of a 71-daji test of alfalfa pasture icith spring pigs, folloircd htj a dry- 

 lot finishing period on a full feed of corn and alfalfa hay. 



' Pasture divided. 



Lot 3 was also used as a check lot for a similar gi'oup of pigs pastured on aj 

 divided plat of Turkestan alfalfa. The latter pigs made an average daily .gain; 

 of 0.32 lb. per head (a total gain of 732 lbs. an acre for the 71 days) andj 

 required 3.31 lbs. of corn (2 per cent ration) to produce a ix)und of gain. Pre 

 liminary observations had indicated that hogs prefer Turkestan to commoi 

 alfalfa. 



No data from pasture tests with fall pigs are reported. Four lots, each coni'^ 

 prising 10 or 11 fall pigs that had been on alfalfa pasture, were used in a coi 

 parative study of alfalfa hay, tankage, and skim milk as supplements to corn in 

 dry-lot finishing. The test lasted 10 days in .July and August. The lot fed skii 

 milk made the best gain (3.25 lbs. per head daily) and consumed 2.8 lbs. of corn 

 per pound of gain. The tankage-fed lot required 3.32 lbs. of corn for equal 

 gain, the alfalfa-fed lot 3.88 lbs., and the no-supplement lot 4.01 lbs. 



Two lots of six 80-lb. hogs were used in a test of hogging-off corn, one lot 

 having free access to alfalfa hay, the other receiving no feed beyond that grow^ 

 ing in the cornfield. The results are considered distinctly in favor of the alfalfa 

 feeding, as there was a difference of about 1.5 lbs. in the amounts of corn 

 required for a pound of gain. 



