III. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS 



PROJECT 8 

 DEMONSTRATING THE VALUE OF A BALANCED RATION FOR GROWING HOGS 



Material. 



. One or two pigs weighing 40 to 50 pounds at weaning time ; dry lot, securely fenced ; 

 corn, pasture, and other feed as required. 



Directions. Select one or two thrifty pigs at weaning time, weighing 40 to 45 pounds each, and 

 confine them in a dry lot. Feed the pigs on corn alone and keep water and ashes before them 

 constantly. 



In a similar lot confine an equal number of thrifty pigs of the same age and weight, feed them on 

 a balanced ration, and allow them to have access to water, salt, and ashes regularly. 



Put a third lot of similar pigs in a clover, alfalfa, or rape pasture and feed a grain ration in which the 

 digestible protein is reduced one fifth from that of a balanced ration. 



Feed in all cases just the amount of grain the pigs will eat without waste. It is best to keep them 

 hungry enough to eat the feed promptly and to clean the trough. Let the feeding period extend from 

 weaning time, about July 1, to the end of November. Weigh the pigs every thirty days. Keep an 

 account of the amount of feed consumed by each lot. 



At the end of the trial compute the gain of each lot, the average daily gain of each lot, the number of 

 pounds of grain required to make a pound of gain, the value of the hogs of each lot, and the value of the 

 feed consumed by each. Strike a balance and determine the profit or loss returned by each lot. Invite 

 the hog growers of the neighborhood to inspect the hogs before they are marketed or butchere'd and 

 report to them the results of the test. 



Questions. Which lot made the most rapid gain? Which lot required the least feed for a pound of 

 gain ? Which showed the smallest money cost for a pound of gain ? Which lot brought the highest price 

 per pound ? Which lot brought the lowest price per pound ? After deducting all cost, which produced 

 the greatest net profit ? Assuming that a farmer marketed fifty hogs a year, what would be his return 

 from this source in twenty years by each method of feeding ? Suggest other rations which will make 

 profitable returns on hogs in your neighborhood. 



RECORD OF RESULTS 



208 



