654 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



These well-grown pigs fed middlings and corn made quite satisfactory 

 gains. However, those fed tankage in place of middlings gained about 

 one-fourth pound more a head daily and required considerably less total 

 feed for 100 Ibs. gain. In these trials each 100 Ibs. of middlings re- 

 placed 55 Ibs. corn plus 21 Ibs. tankage, considering only the feed re- 

 quired for 100 Ibs. gain, but not taking into account the fact that the 

 pigs fed tankage were ready for market considerably sooner, due to 

 their larger gains. From these figures one can readily estimate the 

 actual value of middlings, thus fed, compared with corn and tankage at 

 local prices. For example, with corn at 56 cts. a bushel and tankage at 

 $60 a ton, middlings were worth less than $23.60 a ton. Middlings and 

 grain alone will usually give much poorer results if fed to young pigs 

 not on pasture than it did with these older animals. 



Middlings give much better results when used as the only supplement 

 for pigs on good pasture than in dry lot feeding. In 3 trials by Morrison, 

 Bohstedt and Fargo at the Wisconsin Station 87 pigs self -fed middlings 

 and corn, free choice, on alfalfa or oats, peas, and rape pasture gained 

 1.18 Ibs. a head daily, in comparison with 1.30 Ibs. for others self -fed 

 tankage and corn. The pigs ate on the average only 0.30 Ib. middlings per 

 head daily, but this seemed to be enough to balance their ration quite 

 well on the protein-rich pasture. In these trials middlings were actually 

 worth twice as much per ton as corn. 



Occasionally middlings are considerably lower in price per ton than 

 corn. They may then be used as a substitute for corn, but as they are a 

 less concentrated feed than corn, they are worth less per ton when thus 

 used. In 2 trials by Morrison and Bohstedt at the "Wisconsin Station 88 

 pigs self -fed standard middlings or rape pasture gained only 0.75 Ib. a 

 head daily and required 555 Ibs. middlings for 100 Ibs. gain. In com- 

 parison with these results pigs self -fed corn or tankage on rape pasture 

 gained 1.28 Ibs. and required only 382 Ibs. corn and 30 Ibs. tankage for 

 100 Ibs. gain. Similarly, in a trial by Evvard at the Iowa Station 89 

 pigs self -fed middlings and tankage on rape pasture gained only 0.90 Ib. 

 a head daily, while others self -fed corn and tankage gained 1.34 Ibs. 

 Middlings fed as an entire substitute for corn are usually worth only 85 

 per ct. as much as corn per ton, or even less. Middlings alone make a 

 very inefficient ration for young pigs not on pasture. 



970. Adding middlings to corn and tankage. Middlings have a con- 

 siderably higher value when added to such a ration as grain and tankage 

 or dairy by-products than when fed as the only supplement to grain 

 for pigs in dry lot. This is shown clearly by the following table, which 

 summarizes the results of 9 trials in each of which one lot of pigs has 

 been fed only tankage, without pasture, while another lot was fed mid- 

 dlings in addition. These experiments included 283 pigs, averaging 140 

 Ibs. in weight at the start and fed for an average of 60 days. 



8T Wis. Bui. 323, pp. 8-10; unpublished data. 



""Unpublished data. ^Information to the authors. 



