658 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



secured if legume hay is added to the ration of grain and linseed meal, 

 even if the grain is yellow corn. (939) For example, in 4 trials 94 pigs 

 which ate 0.3 Ib. of alfalfa hay a head daily in addition to corn and 

 linseed meal gained 0.34 Ib. more a head daily than those fed no alfalfa 

 hay. In these trials each 100 Ibs. of hay actually saved on the average 

 65 Ibs. of linseed meal and 467 Ibs. corn, compared with the results on 

 the inefficient ration of only linseed meal and corn. 



When pigs not on pasture are self -fed linseed meal and grain, free 

 choice, they often will not eat enough linseed meal to supply a sufficiency 

 of protein. In such cases the linseed meal had best be mixed with ground 

 grain. Even then the gains will not be as rapid as on a more efficient 

 ration. (966) It is often beneficial, especially with brood sows, to add 

 a small amount of linseed meal to the ration, because of its beneficial 

 laxative effect. 



974. Cottonseed meal. As now prepared, cottonseed rneal is poisonous 

 to swine. All the various proposed ways for safely feeding this meal 

 have failed under careful and continued tests. Pigs thrive at first on 

 the meal, but often in from 4 to 6 weeks some die not all, as a rule 

 but so many that all possible profits from the use of this feed are lost. 

 Some few feeders continue to use the meal, experience enabling them to 

 avoid most of the losses. If cottonseed meal is not fed continuously for 

 over 40 days or does not form over one-sixth to one-seventh of the 

 ration (which is all that is needed to balance it), and if the pigs are freely 

 supplied with green forage or grazed on pasture, the risk from this feed 

 is lessened. Burns concludes from trials at the Texas Station 95 that it is 

 not advisable to feed more than 0.5 Ib. of cottonseed meal daily per 100 

 Ibs. live weight to any class of hogs for a very long period, and if the 

 meal is to be fed for quite a long time, then it is best not to feed over 

 0.35 Ib. daily per 100 Ibs. live weight. 



It is considered safe to have pigs follow steers which are being fed 

 cottonseed meal, for the meal does not seem to be poisonous after passing 

 thru the cattle. Care should always be taken that the steers do not throw 

 so much meal out of the feed boxes that the pigs may be poisoned by 

 eating such waste meal. (249) 



975. Field peas. Field peas are not commonly used for swine feeding, 

 as they are usually expensive compared with other available feeds. (261) 

 As is pointed out later, in certain districts of the West pigs are often 

 fattened by turning them into fields of mature field peas and allowing 

 them to hog down the crop. When field peas are low enough in price to be 

 an economical feed for swine, they may be used as a supplement to corn 

 or other grains. In 2 trials at the Idaho Station 96 Hickman found a 

 mixture of 1 part field peas and 3 parts barley, plus 5 per ct. of tankage, 



'"Average of 2 trials by Morrison and Bohstedt (unpublished data), and 1 each 

 by Gramlich, Nebr. Bui. 175, and by Robison, Ohio Bui. 349. 

 85 Am. Soc. Anim. Production, Proceedings 1915-16, pp. 15-20. 

 86 Idaho. Bui. 122, p. 27. 



