FEEDS FOR SWINE 633 



compared with shelled corn and tankage for pigs on pasture, approxi- 

 mately the same results were secured on the average. 



When pigs are self -fed barley and tankage, free choice, they will often 

 over-eat on tankage. In fact, tho barley is much richer than corn in 

 protein, pigs will frequently eat a larger proportion of tankage when 

 fed barley than when given corn. This shows that despite the claims 

 of some, pigs can not be expected to understand the composition of 

 different feeds and eat just enough of protein-rich supplements to 

 balance their ration. In the trials averaged in the previous table, experi- 

 ments have not been included where pigs ate an excess of tankage when 

 it was fed, free choice, or where the experimenters fed considerably more 

 tankage than was needed to balance the ration. One of the strong points 

 of barley as a feed is that it is richer than corn in protein. Where this 

 fact is disregarded, full value is not secured from this grain. 



Barley is a cool-weather crop, and that grown in the central corn belt 

 and southward is often not so plump and heavy as that grown farther 

 north. Perhaps due to this, in trials carried on at the Nebraska and 

 Indiana Stations 16 the value of barley has not been so high compared 

 with corn as in the trials at northern stations. Pigs fed ground barley 

 (dry or soaked) and tankage in 6 trials at these stations gained 1.33 Ibs. 

 a day and required 480 Ibs. barley and 36 Ibs. tankage for 100 Ibs. gain. 

 Others fed shelled corn and tankage gained 1.63 Ibs. and required 411 

 Ibs. corn and 37 Ibs. tankage for 100 Ibs. gain. With corn at 56 cts. a 

 bushel and tankage at $60 a ton, ground barley was worth only 86 per 

 ct. as much as shelled corn in these trials. 



' Barley has the handicap that it must be ground or crushed for the best 

 results in swine feeding, while this is not necessary with corn. Con- 

 sidering this fact, if plump, heavy barley, when ground, is worth 95 

 per ct. as much as shelled corn for swine, the same barley would be worth 

 only about 85 per ct. as much as corn per pound, after deducting the 

 cost of grinding. 



In 4 comparisons by Thompson at the Oklahoma Station 17 pigs fed 

 whole dry barley and tankage gained 1.04 Ibs. a day and required 517 

 Ibs. barley and 60 Ibs. tankage for 100 Ibs. gain. Others fed dry or 

 moistened ground barley and tankage gained 1.34 Ibs. a day, and needed 

 only 431 Ibs. barley and 47 Ibs. tankage for 100 Ibs. gain. Considering 

 the saving in both grain and tankage, grinding increased the feeding 

 value of the barley over 25 per ct. Similar results were secured in 2 

 trials by Loeffel at the Nebraska Station 18 in which whole dry barley was 

 compared with ground soaked barley. In experiments at the Oregon 

 Station 19 there was practically no difference in the value of barley which 

 was coarsely ground and that which was finely ground or steamed and 

 rolled. 



"Loeffel, Nebr. Station, and Vestal, Ind. Station, information to the authors. 



"Okla. Rpts. 28 and 29. "Fjeldsted and Potter, Ore. Bui. 165 



"Information to the authors. 



