FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 77 



On the food requirements of the pig for maintenance and for 

 gain, W. Dietrich, reported l)y F. W. VVoll ( Wi.<icon.sm Sta. Rpt. 

 ISOO, pp. 31-10). — The amount of food required at diiferent weights 

 for maintenance and for growth was tested with -i pigs weighing about 

 50 lbs. each at the beginning of the trial. The general plan was to 

 diminish the ration until the smallest quantit}^ which would maintain 

 the pigs at a constant weight was ascertained. Feeding was con- 

 tinued until it was certain that the ration was sufficient for main- 

 tenance. The ration was then increased and the pigs fed until they 

 weighed 100 lbs. each, when the amount necessary for maintenance at 

 that weight was determined. In this wa}^ the maintenance ration was 

 also determined for pigs at 150 and 200 lbs. live weight. 



The pigs used were 2 barrows and 2 sows, all from the same litter, 

 and were a cross between a pure-bred Berkshire sire and a Poland 

 China-Chester White sow. They were 81 days old at the beginning 

 of the trial, which began July 13, 1898, and closed April 1, 1899. 

 It was divided into 1 periods of 56, 58, 71, and 74 days, respectively. 

 During the lirst period the ration consisted of corn meal and wheat 

 bran, 1:2, mixed with buttermilk and a little water, the nutritive ratio 

 being 1 : 4. During a part of the time skim milk was used in place 

 of buttermilk. During the second period the ration consisted of 

 corn meal, middlings, and skim milk, 1:1:4, with a little rape in addi- 

 tion. The nutritive ratio was 1:5. During the third period the nutri- 

 tive ratio was changed to 1:5:7, the food consisting of corn meal, 

 middlings, and skim milk, 1:1:2. During the fourth period the feed 

 was changed to corn meal and middlings, 1:2, the nutritive ratio being 

 1:6. The pigs did not eat as much after this change as they had done 

 previously and the feed was therefore reduced from the allowance 

 during the third period. The feeding stuffs used were anal3^zed. 

 " The fifty -pound pigs were each maintained on a ration containing 

 0.15 lb. of corn meal, 0.15 lb. of middlings, and 1.2 lbs. of skim milk; 

 at 100 lbs. weight it took 0.4 lb. of corn meal, 0.4 lb. of middlings, 

 and 1.6 lbs. of skim milk; at 150 lbs. weight it took 0.8 lb. of corn 

 meal, 0.8 lb. of middlings, and 1.6 lbs. of skim milk; and finally at 

 200 lbs. the pigs required 0.67 lb. of corn meal and 1.33 lbs. of mid- 

 dlings each for maintenance." The dry matter required daily for 

 maintenance in the 4 periods was 0.37, 0.87, 1.54, and 1.76 lbs., 

 respectively. The dry matter required per pound of gain in the 4 

 periods was 2.24, 2.08, 3.12, and 3.96 lbs., respectively, and the aver- 

 age daily gain in the 4 periods was 0.93, 1.66, 1.85, and 1.22 lbs. The 

 number of days required for 50 lbs. of gain by the pigs at diflerent 

 weights was also computed. The pigs weighing 50 lbs. required 64 

 days; at 100 lbs., 30 days; at 150 lbs., 27 days, and at 200 lbs., 41 days. 



