GENERAL PROBLEMS IN SWINE HUSBANDRY 609 

 Percentage of dry matter digested with corn fed in various forms 



By 60-lb. pigs By 200-lb. pigs 

 Per. ct. Per ct. 



Ear corn (not including cob) 88. 8 85. 4 



Dry shelled corn 88.0 86.5 



Soaked shelled corn 87.2 



Dry ground corn 87. 2 87. 2 



Soaked ground corn 85. 9 88.4 



The young pigs digested corn when fed as ear corn or dry shelled 

 corn fully as well as when the dry ground corn was fed. With young 

 pigs soaked ground corn gave the poorest results. With the 200-lb. 

 pigs, on the other hand, grinding increased the percentage digested. 



Many other trials have been carried on to determine the effect of 

 grinding corn for swine. Henry, at first alone and later with Otis, con- 

 ducted 18 trials at the Wisconsin Station 14 during 10 consecutive winters 

 with pigs averaging 175 Ibs. in weight at the beginning of the trials. 

 In each trial one lot was fed a ration of two-thirds year-old shelled 

 dent corn and one-third wheat middlings, and the other lot wheat mid- 

 dlings and the same corn ground to meal. In 11 of the trials grinding the 

 corn saved from 2.5 to 18.5 per ct. in the amount of feed needed for 100 

 Ibs. gain, while in the other 7 trials shelled corn gave the best results. On 

 the average, with shelled corn it required 501 Ibs. of concentrates (334 

 Ibs. whole corn and 167 Ibs. middlings) for 100 Ibs. gain, while with 

 ground corn it required only 471 Ibs. of feed (314 Ibs. corn and 157 Ibs. 

 middlings). Considering the saving both of corn and middlings which 

 resulted from grinding corn, this preparation increased the value of the 

 corn about 9.9 per ct. In recent trials by Vestal at the Indiana Station 15 

 and by Weaver at the Missouri Station, 16 grinding corn for well-grown 

 pigs increased its value about 7 per ct. 



Experiments by Kennedy and Robbins at the Iowa Station 17 show that 

 ear corn produces just as rapid and economical gains as soaked shelled 

 corn, dry ground corn, or soaked ground corn for young pigs. Further- 

 more for older pigs, merely soaking the shelled corn, which is inexpen- 

 sive, gave just as good results as grinding it. 



From these trials we may conclude that for young pigs there is no 

 appreciable advantage in shelling, grinding, or soaking corn. Pigs weigh- 

 ing 140 to 150 Ibs. or over may make slightly more rapid gains on soaked 

 or ground corn and require somewhat less feed for 100 Ibs. gain. 

 Whether this saving, which will range from 4 to 10 per ct. and will prob- 

 ably average about 6 or 7 per ct., will cover the cost of preparation must 

 be decided by the feeder. 



922. Cooking feed. Early agricultural authorities strongly advocated 

 cooking feed for swine, but numerous trials at several stations have 



14 Wis. Rpt. 1906. "Information to the authors. 



"Information to the authors. "Iowa Bui. 106. 



