FEED AND CARE OF SWINE 691 



0.8 to 1 Ib. of concentrates daily per 100 Ibs. of live weight will be suf- 

 ficient during the first 10 to 12 weeks, and from 1.2 to 1.3 Ibs. during the 

 last 4 to 6 weeks of the gestation period. 16 As sows will eat much more 

 feed than this if it is supplied, and will usually squeal lustily for a more 

 liberal allowance, one must not pay any attention to their desires, but 

 feed only enough to keep them at the proper weights and in the desired 

 condition. It pleases an experienced hog raiser to see his sows in- 

 dustriously hunting for the last grains of corn, for he knows that they are 

 securing the exercise which is so essential for a good pig crop. Further- 

 more, he knows that his feed bill will be much less than if he had allowed 

 mistaken generosity to rule in feeding the sows. 



Yearlings and especially gilts should receive more concentrates in 

 proportion to their live weight, in order to provide for their growth. 

 As a rule an average allowance of 1.4 to 1.6 Ibs. concentrates daily per 

 100 Ibs. live weight in addition to legume hay will be plenty for yearlings, 

 and 1.6 to 1.7 Ibs. daily per 100 Ibs. live weight for gilts. 



1022. Methods of feeding brood sows. The use of self-feeders for brood 

 sows is sometimes advocated, and without question this method may be 

 used successfully if great care is taken to feed a suitable mixture which 

 includes just enough chopped legume hay so that the sows will not, on 

 the one hand, become too fat, or on the other hand, fail to make the 

 desired gains. To regulate the mixture properly takes considerable 

 experience as well as much care and bother. In 3 trials at the Wisconsin 

 Station by Morrison and Bohstedt 17 feeding gilts ear corn with a little 

 tankage and with alfalfa hay in a rack proved decidedly preferable to 

 self -feeding a mixture of chopped alfalfa and ground corn, with tankage 

 self -fed separately. The sows did not over-eat on tankage, but there was 

 much difficulty in shifting the proportions of alfalfa and corn to keep 

 them in the desired condition. As a rule 30 to 40 per ct. of the mixture 

 consisted of chopped alfalfa. For older sows the proportion of hay 

 should be larger. 



In trials by Snyder at the North Platte, Nebraska, Substation, 18 mature 

 sows were successfully wintered by self-feeding a mixture of 3 parts by 

 weight of chopped alfalfa hay and 1 part of ground corn. 



Occasionally self-feeding ground oats to sows is recommended, but in a 

 trial at the Wisconsin Station gilts self -fed a mixture of 75 parts ground 

 oats, 23 parts standard middlings, and 2 parts tankage became entirely 

 too fat and produced unsatisfactory litters. 



Many writers recommend feeding brood sows their concentrates in the 

 form of a slop. In certain cases there may be some advantage in this. 

 For example, sometimes sows waste quite a little of a fine concentrate 

 mixture fed in a trough. This may be avoided by slop feeding. Also 

 in very cold weather sows can be forced to take more water than they 

 otherwise would by feeding a slop with the chill taken off. However, if 



"Smith, Pork Production; Robison, Ohio Monthly Bui. 48. 

 "Unpublished data. 18 Nebr. Bui. 162. 



