614 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



to keep the feeds so proportioned that the animals will not gain too much 

 or too little. Therefore, as is pointed out in a later chapter, hand- 

 feeding such animals is commonly preferable. 



The following table summarizes the results of 17 trials at 6 different 

 stations in each of which one lot of pigs, not on pasture, was self -fed corn 

 and tankage, or else corn, tankage, and wheat middlings, free choice, in 

 separate compartments of a self-feeder. Another lot in each trial was 

 hand-fed a well-balanced ration of the same feeds, being given all they 

 would clean up twice a day. In these trials a total of 314 pigs, averaging 

 86 Ibs. in weight at the start, were included. 



Self-feeding vs. hand-feeding pigs in dry lot 



Daily Feed for 100 Ibs. gain 



Average ration gain Corn Supplement Total 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Lot I, self-fed* 



Corn, 5.7 Ibs. Supplement, 0.88 Ib 1.58 359 56 415 



Lot II, hand-fed* 



Corn, 5.1 Ibs. Supplement, 0.96 Ib 1 . 42 356 68 424 



*Av of 6 trials by Weaver (Mo. Bui. 144 and information to the authors); 5 by Robison (Ohio Bui. 355); 

 4 by Rice and Laible, 111. Station (Information to the authors) ; 1 by Ashbrook and Gongwer (U.S.D.A. 

 Farmers' Bui. 906); and 1 by McCampbell (Kan. Cir. 78). 



It will be noted, first of all, that the self-fed pigs ate 0.6 Ib. more corn 

 a head daily than those which were hand-fed twice daily all they would 

 clean up. This is the usual result and is due to the fact that self -fed 

 pigs help themselves many times a day and even during the night, thus 

 being ' l full-fed " at all times. Naturally they gained a trifle more rapidly 

 than those which were hand-fed. Most important of all, is the fact that 

 9 Ibs. less concentrates were required for 100 Ibs. gain by the self -fed 

 pigs. This is not a large saving in itself, but to it are added the ad- 

 vantages of the more rapid gains and the saving of labor by self -feeding. 

 It will be noted furthermore that these self-fed pigs in dry lot ate less 

 protein-rich supplement than the hand-fed pigs were given. 



Self-feeding is also an economical method of feeding pigs on pasture. 

 This is shown by the following table, which summarizes 9 trials in each of 

 which one lot of spring pigs has been self-fed corn and tankage, free 

 choice, on good pasture, while another lot has been hand-fed the same 

 feeds. In these trials a total of 170 pigs, averaging 58 Ibs. in weight at 

 the start were fed for 112 days on the average. 



Average ration sain Corn Tankage Total 



Self-feeding vs. hand-feeding pigs on pasture 



Daily Concentrates for 100 Ibs. gain 



Corn Tankage Total 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Lot I, self-fed* 



Corn, 4.6 Ibs. Tankage, 0.38 Ib 1 . 32 340 27 367 



Lot II, hand-fed* 



Corn, 4.2 Ibs. Tankage, 0.28 Ib 1 . 20 341 23 364 



*Av. of 5 trials by Robison (Ohio Buls. 343 and 355); 2 by Evvard (Corn Belt Meat Producers' Assoo., 

 Rpt. 1914, and information to the authors); and 2 by Snyder (Nebr. Bui. 165). 



