634 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Soaking whole barley is usually a poor substitute for grinding it. 

 In one trial by Loeffel at the Nebraska Station 20 it actually decreased 

 the value of the barley, while in another there was a slight benefit from 

 soaking the grain. In trials by Thompson at the Oklahoma Station, 21 

 soaking did not on the average increase the value of whole barley. In a 

 trial by Morrison and Bohstedt at the Wisconsin Station 22 pigs fed 

 soaked whole barley and tankage required over 40 per ct. more feed than 

 others fed dry ground barley and tankage. Soaking ground barley does 

 not generally increase its value materially. 



Hulless barley resembles wheat in composition, and when ground, is 

 about equal to corn or wheat in feeding value. 



945. Wheat. Wheat of good quality is nearly always too high in 

 price compared with other grains to feed to stock, except in certain 

 districts of the Northwest. (215) However, shrunken wheat that has 

 been injured by drought or frost before maturity, is often an economical 

 stock feed in the wheat growing districts, as it is unsuited for milling 

 and sells at a low price. Such wheat is richer in protein than wheat of 

 good milling quality and, if not too badly shrunken, may be equal in 

 feeding value to sound wheat or barley. 23 The value of salvage wheat, 

 which has been damaged in elevator fires, will depend on the extent of 

 the injury by smoke and charring. 



Good quality wheat, when ground, is worth fully as much as corn for 

 swine feeding. This is shown by the following table that summarizes the 

 results of 3 trials, 24 averaging 110 days, with a total of 46 pigs, in which 

 ground wheat and ground corn were compared when fed with tankage : 



Wheat vs. corn for fattening pigs 



Initial Daily Feed for 



eight gain 100 Ibs. 



Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Average ration weight gain 100 Ibs. gain 



Lbs. 



Lot I, Ground wheat, 6.2 Ibs. Tankage, 0.64 Ib ...... 104 1 . 54 440 



Lot II, Ground corn, 5.6 Ibs. Tankage, 0.58 Ib ....... 98 1 . 37 454 



The pigs fed wheat and tankage made slightly more rapid gains and 

 required 3 per ct. less feed for 100 Ibs. gain than those fed corn and 

 tankage. In 9 other trials 25 in which wheat was compared with corn 

 when fed without any supplement, it was likewise superior to corn. 

 There is no appreciable advantage from mixing wheat and corn, either 

 when these grains are fed alone or when fed with tankage. 26 



^Information to the authors. 



21 Okla. Rpts. 28 and 29. 



22 Wis. Bui. 319, pp. 67-68. 



'"Clark, Mont. Bui. 89; Day, Ont. Agr. Col. Rpt. 1908; Ferrin and Winchester, 

 Kan. Cir. 89; Grisdale, Ottawa, Expt. Farms Rpt 1908. 



"Eastwood, Ohio Bui. 268; Weaver, Mo. Bui. 136. 



25 Kan. Bui. 53, and Rpt. Kan. Bd. Agr. 1894; Ky. Bui. 175; Mo. Bui. 136; Nebr. 

 Bui. 75; S. D. Bui. 38; Wis. Rpts. 1894, 1895. 



^Henry, Wis. Rpt. 1894; Weaver, Mo. Bui. 136. 



