FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 391 



RAPE WITH GRAIN FOR HOGS. 



Chicago Daily Drovers' Journal. 



It is already time that the farmer had some definite plans relative to the 

 source of feed for hogs for the coming season. We are referring particu- 

 larly to green feed, which is so easily grown and may be made so profitable 

 in keeping hogs in good condition. Added to the advantages and the phys- 

 ical effects upon the hog is the increased gains in weight when the hogs have 

 some green feed in connection with their grain ration. There is no better 

 green feed for hogs and none that can ordinarily be sown and grown more 

 advantageously. We have in the past advised our readers to investigate the 

 properties of the rape crop, and know that some have been happily sur- 

 prised. 



Considerable work has been done with rape at the stations and generally 

 satisfactory results have been realized. Some of the best and most thorough 

 work, however, has been done at the Wisconsin station under the direction 

 of Carlyle, who selected two groups of four-month-old pigs of similar breed- 

 ing and put them on a grain ration, but one lot was given the advantage of 

 a rape lot. The work was commenced in August, when the rape stood 

 about twenty inches high. The following table shows the original weights 

 of each lot, together with the total amount of grain eaten during the 

 trial by the two lots: 



At the beginning of the experiment the pigs on the rape lacked sixteen 

 pounds of being as heavy as those on grain alone, but at the end of twelve 

 weeks feeding the rape-fed hogs had not only overtaken the others, but had 

 put on two hundred and seventeen pounds more flesh. In doing this, thanks 

 to the rape pasture, they had used two hundred and eighty pounds less 

 grain. 



Relative to the gains made the appended tabulation shows the total gains 

 of both lots, the average gain for each pig, the average daily gain for the 

 first six weeks, and the average daily gain for the last six weeks. 



