512 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cereal grains only (corn, wheat, rye and barley included), made an aver- 

 age gain of 100 pounds from 486.5 pounds of grain. 325 pigs, fed cereal 

 grains (corn, wheat, rye and barley included) supplemented by skim milk, 

 made an average gain of 100 pounds from 266.9 pounds grain and 785.1 

 pounds skim milk. 



By comparing tliese two lots of pigs, it will be seen that the use of 

 785.1 pounds of skim milk resulted in a saving of 219.6 pounds of grain, or 

 100 pounds skim milk replaced 28 pounds of grain. 



The following table shows the value of skim milk as a supplement to 

 corn and the other cereal grains and is based on the figures derived from 

 the summaries given above, which include 415 pigs fed on cereal grains 

 alone and 325 pigs fed cereal grains supplemented with skim milk. 



Value of Skim Milk as a supj dement to Cereal Grains for Pigs. 



This table shows that when cereal grains range in price from ^oO to |80 

 per ton, as has been the case during the winter of 1917-1918, skim milk 

 ranges from 70 cents to .|1.20 per cwt. in value as a supplementary feed. 



AGE AS A FACTOR. 



The value of skim milk as a supplement will vary considerably depend- 

 ing upon the age of the animal fed. With young growing animals the pro- 

 tein requirement is higher than with mature animals during the fattening 

 period, and hence skim milk would have a higher value when fed in com- 

 bination with grain to growing pigs than when fed to fattening hogs. 



An examination of the data in connection with the 325 pigs mentioned 

 above as fed on cereal grains and skim milk, shows that 200 of these pigs 

 weighed less than 100 pounds each when the tests started and the re- 

 maining 125 weighed 100 pounds each or more. Grouping them according 

 to weight and comparing with pigs of similar weight fed cereal grains 

 only, shows the following: 



