616 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



available. For example, it is pointed out that when pigs are fed ground 

 barley and tankage, it is most economical to mix the barley and tankage 

 in proper proportions for pigs of the given weight, rather than to self- 

 feed the barley and tankage free choice. (944) 



928. Water. Swine, like all other classes of stock, should always be 

 supplied with plenty of fresh water. The amount of water consumed by 

 pigs ranges from about 12 Ibs. daily per 100 Ibs. of animal at weaning 

 time down to 4 Ibs. daily per 100 Ibs. live weight during the fattening 

 period. 23 Fresh water should always be supplied in a trough or an 

 automatic waterer, except perhaps when the swine get an abundance of 

 water in such watery feeds as slop or dairy by-products. Unless pigs 

 are supplied water with the chill taken off in winter, they often do not 

 drink enough. 



929. Proprietary stock tonics; mineral and vitamine preparations. In 

 experiments which have been carried on at various experiment stations 

 proprietary stock foods have proved uneconomical in practically all cases. 

 For example in a trial by Grisdale at the Ottawa Experimental Farms 24 

 the value of three proprietary stock foods was tested when added to a 

 mixture of half shorts and half mixed ground grains peas, oats, and 

 barley. In each case the use of the stock food materially increased the 

 cost of the gains, and on the average the pigs fed no stock food made the 

 better gains. 



In trials at the Iowa Station 25 with International, Iowa, and Standard 

 stock; foods Michaels and Kennedy found that the stock foods when 

 added to corn alone had no beneficial effect on digestion and that a 

 bushel of corn produced as much or more pork when fed alone as when 

 stock foods were added to it. (289) 



At the Kansas Station 26 Kinzer and Wheeler fed International, Pratt 's, 

 and Hercules stock foods with corn to 170-lb. pigs in comparison with 

 others fed corn alone and still others fed corn and tankage, or corn, tank- 

 age, and wheat shorts. The pigs fed corn and stock food made but slightly 

 larger gains than those fed corn alone, while those fed corn and tankage, 

 or corn, tankage, and shorts gained over twice as much as those fed corn 

 alone. The wise farmer will not seek to use stock foods as a supplement 

 to corn, but will employ such protein-rich feeds as skim milk, tankage, 

 wheat middlings, and linseed meal. 



It is pointed out elsewhere that before paying out money for any 

 highly advertised stock tonic, mineral mixture, or vitamine preparation, 

 the wise stockman will first secure unprejudiced advice from his experi- 

 ment station. (291-2) 



930. Winter vs. summer feeding. In the South where pasture can be 

 provided during all or most of the winter, there should be no difference 

 in the cost of gains made by pigs in summer and in winter. However, in 



""Dietrich, Swine, p. 156. ^lowa Bui. 113. 



24 Ottawa, Expt. Farms. Rpt 1904. '"'Kan. Bui. 192. 



