FEEDS FOE SWINE 629 



lot of pigs was fattened in the corn field and another lot fed ear corn 

 in a yard. In addition, all the pigs were fed either tankage or wheat 

 middlings. To furnish additional feed and help balance the ration, rape 

 was seeded in the corn field at the last cultivation in 4 of the trials, and 

 rye in another. The corn consumed by the pigs in the corn field was 

 estimated by husking representative rows, and in the table all the corn 

 has been reduced to the basis of well-cured shelled corn. 



Hogging down corn compared with feeding corn in yard 



Concentrates 



No. of Av. length Daily for 100 Ibs. 

 pigs of trial gain gain 



Days Lbs. Lbs. 



Lot 7, Hogging down corn* 109 43 1 . 59 478 



Lot II, Fed ear corn in yard* 72 46 1 . 50 511 



*Average of 2 trials by Gaumnitz, Wilson, and Bassett(Minn. Bui. 104) ; and 1 trial each by the following: 

 Eward (Iowa Bui. 143) ; Ferrin and Jessup, Minn. Station (Information to the authors) ; Robison, Ohio 

 Station (Information to the authors); and Vestal, Ind. Station (Information to the authors). 



The pigs hogging down the corn crop made slightly more rapid gains 

 than those fed ear corn in the yard and required 6 per ct. less concen- 

 trates for 100 Ibs. gain. When we consider these results, it is no 

 surprise that most corn-belt farmers who have tried hogging down corn 

 are in favor of the practice. Unless the weather is unfavorable, the 

 pigs will pick up the corn as closely as is usually done in husking. 



Where corn is to be hogged down, it is always advisable to grow some 

 supplemental feed with the corn, or else to allow the pigs access to good 

 alfalfa, clover, or rape pasture in addition. The most common crop used 

 is rape, seeded in the corn at the time of the last cultivation. Unless 

 there is a midsummer drought, the rape will make considerable growth 

 and aid materially in balancing the ration. Other crops used are soy- 

 beans or pumpkins, planted with the corn, or rye, seeded at the last 

 cultivation. Rape may be grown more cheaply than soybeans or rye, 

 and usually gives better results. 



Even when supplemental feed is grown in the corn field, it is usually 

 most profitable to feed in addition 0.2 to 0.3 Ib. per head daily of tankage 

 or enough of some other protein-rich supplement to furnish an equal 

 amount of protein. For example, in a trial by Robison at the Ohio 

 Station, 8 pigs hogging down corn in which rape or soybeans had been 

 grown gained 1.28 Ibs., while others fed 0.3 Ib. tankage a head daily in 

 addition gained 1.81 Ibs. Adding the tankage increased the gross return 

 per bushel of corn by 18 cents, after deducting the cost of the tankage 

 fed. 



Adding a protein-rich supplement is of even more importance than 

 growing a supplemental crop in the corn field. Thus in 5 Ohio trials by 

 Robison, 9 pigs fed tankage while hogging down corn in which no sup- 

 plementary crop had been grown gained 1.82 Ibs. a head daily and 



"Information to the authors. 



"Am. Soc. Anim. Production, Proc. 1921, pp. 48-54. 



