FEEDS FOR SWINE 665 



Pasture is valuable for all swine, but it is especially important for 

 young pigs. This is because good pasture crops are rich in the body- 

 building materials needed in liberal amounts by young growing animals. 

 Such crops are rich in protein and, moreover, the protein is of the right 

 kind or quality to supplement effectively the proteins of the common 

 farm grains, which are not well-balanced in composition. Pasture crops 

 are also rich in mineral matter, particularly lime and phosphorus, which 

 are needed in large amounts by young animals. Last, but not least im- 

 portant, green pasture crops are rich in all the vitamines, which scientists 

 have recently found to be necessary for the growth and health of animals. 



Due to the fact that good pastures furnish a large amount of feed of 

 such excellent character, far greater gains are made on a given amount 

 of grain or other concentrates when fed to pigs on pasture than to those 

 not provided with pasture. Moreover, only about half as much expensive 

 protein-rich supplements, such as skim milk, tankage, linseed meal, or 

 wheat middlings are needed by pigs on pasture. Therefore, they make 

 much cheaper gains than those less fortunate ones which have none. 



Pigs on pasture not only make cheaper gains, but the green, succulent 

 feed and the exercise they get aid greatly in keeping them thrifty and 

 in good condition. Merely from a sanitary standpoint, it is highly 

 important that swine, and especially pigs, be out on uncontaminated 

 pasture all thru the growing season. Nothing is more important than 

 this in preventing serious trouble from worms and filth-borne diseases. 

 (1039) 



Another important advantage of having swine on pasture is the fact 

 that then the manure is evenly distributed over the field and none is 

 wasted, as is the case when pigs are fed in dry lot. 



Because of the many virtues and economies of pasture for swine, every 

 one who expects a profit from pork production should provide an 

 abundance of good forage for all his hogs from early spring to late fall. 

 There should be pasture for the brood sows and their litters in the 

 spring ; pasture for the growing, fattening pigs from weaning time until 

 market or until frost kills the crop ; pasture for the brood sows and boar 

 in summer ; and good pasture for any fall litters. 



The choice of forage or pasture crops for any particular section will 

 depend primarily on the soil and climatic conditions. The following 

 paragraphs, which discuss the merits of many forage crops, show that 

 alfalfa, the clovers, rape, soybeans, cowpeas, blue grass, rye, and several 

 other crops all have decided merits and provide valuable swine pastures 

 in various sections of the country or for certain seasons of the year. In 

 general, those pasture crops are best in a given section which give high 

 yields of palatable, nutritious forage over a long season, at a low cost for 

 growing the crop. The forage should be rich in protein and also in 

 mineral matter, especially in calcium and phosphorus. It should also 

 endure grazing well, and not merely furnish pasturage for but a few 

 weeks of the season. As will be noted in the following pages, over much 



