608 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



soaked for about 12 hours before feeding, but should not be allowed to 

 ferment. 



921. Methods of preparing corn for pigs. Pigs up to 140 to 150 Ibs. in 

 weight chew corn thoroly and therefore there is no appreciable saving 

 in grinding the grain for them. After they reach this weight, they mas- 

 ticate the corn less completely and hence grinding or soaking the grain 

 makes a slight saving in the feed required for 100 Ibs. gain. These facts 

 are clearly shown in trials by King at the Indiana Station 12 in which 

 similar lots of pigs were fed either ear corn, shelled corn, or ground 

 corn, the corn being supplemented with tankage and wheat shorts. 

 Some lots were placed on experiment when the pigs weighed about 

 50 Ibs., others at 85 Ibs., and still others at 100 Ibs., at 150 to 160 

 Ibs., and at 210 to 220 Ibs., respectively. The ear corn and shelled 

 corn were fed dry and the ground corn was wet enough so that it 

 would not be thrown out of the trough by the pigs while eating. 

 The following table gives the results secured in these trials for two 

 periods with pigs from 54 to 140 Ibs. in weight, and then from that 

 weight to an average weight of 221 Ibs : 



Effect of preparing corn for pigs of different weights 



~ . _ . . Daily Feed for 



Pigs weighing 54 to 140 lOS. gain 100 Ibs. gain 



Lbs. Lbs. 



Ear corn 0. 83 393 



Shelled corn 0. 81 398 



Ground corn 0. 83 393 



Pigs weighing over 140 Ibs. 



Ear corn 1.26 444 



Shelled corn 1.27 452 



Ground corn 1 . 39 425 



The table shows clearly that up to a weight of 140 Ibs. the pigs fed 

 ground corn made no more rapid gains and required just as much feed 

 for 100 Ibs. gain as those fed ear corn. Also, ear corn gave slightly better 

 results than shelled corn. There was therefore no advantage in shelling 

 and grinding the corn for pigs up to this weight. The older pigs made 

 a trifle more rapid gains on ground corn than on ear corn and required 

 4.3 per ct. less feed for 100 Ibs. gain. However, even for pigs over 140 

 Ibs. in weight, no saving of feed resulted from feeding shelled corn instead 

 of ear corn. 



Evvard conducted digestion trials with 60-lb. and 200-lb. pigs at the 

 Iowa Station 13 to determine how completely pigs of these respective 

 weights utilized corn prepared in various ways. The results of these trials 

 are summarized in the following table: 



^Am. Soc. Anim. Production, Proceedings, 1913, pp. 22-31. 

 "Information to the authors. 



