FEEDS FOR SWINE 637 



hand trials by the Oregon and Nebraska Stations 38 show that rye is 

 worth 4 to 8 per ct. less than wheat for fattening pigs. 



It is often recommended that rye be mixed with corn or other grains 

 to increase the palatability, and in the Michigan trials pigs self-fed 

 barley or both barley and corn, in addition to rye and tankage, made 

 slightly larger gains, but they required fully as much feed for 100 Ibs. 

 gain as those fed rye and tankage alone. Brown also found that there 

 was little or no advantage in adding middlings to a ration of rye and 

 tankage. The poor results which are sometimes secured with rye are 

 quite possibly due to the use of rye contaminated with ergot. Especial 

 care should be taken not to feed such grain to pregnant sows, or abortion 

 may result. (396) 



Eye should be ground coarsely or rolled for swine. Trials by Hays at 

 the Delaware Station 39 show that the same general conclusions concern- 

 ing grinding and soaking hold for this grain as for wheat. Also, just as 

 in the case of wheat, a supplement should be added to balance the ration, 

 except perhaps for pigs on pasture. 



949. Kafir and other grain sorghums. Thruout the western plains 

 states the grain sorghums are of great importance for pork production, 

 for in many districts they are the cheapest feeds available. These grains 

 are quite similar in composition to corn, except that they average lower 

 in fat and slightly higher in crude protein, and furnish slightly less 

 total digestible nutrients. Like corn, the grain sorghums should ac- 

 cordingly always be supplemented with protein-rich feeds. Also, just 

 as in the case of corn, the proteins of these grains are unbalanced in 

 composition. Therefore the best results for pigs not on pasture are 

 secured when supplements of animal origin, like dairy or meat by- 

 products, are included in the ration. If none of these feeds is available 

 or economical, then it is probably best to see that the pigs are supplied 

 good alfalfa hay or hay from other legumes in addition to such supple- 

 ments as linseed meal and wheat middlings. 



As seeds of the grain sorghums are hard and relatively small, the grain 

 should be ground for swine. Where this is not possible, it is best to feed 

 the sorghums on the head rather than to use the threshed grain, for the 

 pigs will then be forced to chew the kernels more thoroly. This is shown 

 in a trial by Cochel at the Kansas Station 40 in which pigs fed ground 

 kafir with shorts, tankage, and alfalfa hay gained 1.40 Ibs. a head daily, 

 and required 534 Ibs. concentrates for 100 Ibs. gain. Others fed whole 

 threshed kafir instead of the ground grain gained only 1.15 Ibs. and 

 required 34 per ct. more concentrates for each 100 Ibs. gain. On kafir 

 heads, pigs made slightly smaller gains than on ground kafir, but the 

 gains were as cheap as on the ground kafir grain. 



Kafir, the most common of the grain sorghums, has been compared 



Tjeldsted and Potter, Ore. Bui. 15; Snyder, Nebr. Bui. 147. 



89 Del. Bui. 124. 



"Kansas Industrialist, May 1, 1915. 



