600 



FEEDS AND FEEDING 



decreases rapidly. In other words, young pigs have a greater capacity 

 for consuming feed than older ones, per 100 Ibs. live weight. The aver- 

 age gain per day started at 0.8 Ib. for pigs weighing under 50 Ibs., and 

 gradually increased until those weighing 250 to 300 Ibs. showed a daily 

 gain of 1.5 Ibs. The last column, perhaps the most important, shows 

 that as pigs grow older, they require more and more feed for 100 Ibs. 

 gain, the gains thus constantly becoming more expensive. 



The greater production from the younger pigs is due partly to the fact 

 that they consume more feed per 100 Ibs. live weight and consequently 

 have a greater surplus from which to make gain after their bodies are 

 maintained. Also, 100 Ibs. of gain made by young pigs has less food 

 value than the same amount made by 250-lb. pigs, for the gain of the 

 younger pigs contains more water and less fat. (114) Due to the in- 

 creased cost of the gains as they mature, most pigs are now marketed 

 when weighing only 250 Ibs. or less. 



The following table shows the average results secured during 6 years 

 with pigs self -fed corn and tankage on good pasture in trials by Morrison, 

 Bohstedt, and Fargo at the Wisconsin Station. 1 In these trials a total 

 of 320 pigs were fed from weights of 50 or 60 Ibs. to market weights of 

 200 Ibs. or more. The pasture crops included alfalfa, red clover, sweet 

 clover, rape, and such mixtures as oats-peas-and-rape. 



Gains of pigs of various ages on good pasture 



This table shows about what may be expected of pigs self-fed well- 

 balanced rations on good pasture. It will be noted that the amount 

 of feed required for 100 Ibs. gain increased in each period, but that there 

 was no very rapid increase until the weight of 150 Ibs. was reached. 



To secure data on the economy of the gains made by pigs fed under 

 uniform conditions without pasture to a weight of 500 Ibs., Robison 

 conducted 3 experiments at the Ohio Station. 2 In these trials, which are 

 summarized in the following table, pigs were hand-fed in dry lots from 

 birth to the end of the experiment and a careful record was kept of all 

 feed consumed. When the pigs reached weights of 100, 200, 300, 400, 

 and 500 Ibs., respectively, certain animals were slaughtered to determine 

 the dressing percentage at that weight. In the table the feed consumed 



Unpublished data compiled by McKay. 

 'Ohio Bui. 335. 



