500 Feeds and Feeding. 



their pigs, 1 sow lost and 2 gained in weight. The table shows the 

 feed required for 100 Ibs. of net gain with sows and pigs before and 

 after weaning: 



Feed for 100 Ibs. gain Toy sows and pigs before and after weaning. 



It is shown that 237 Ibs. of grain, together with 475 Ibs. of sepa- 

 rator skim milk, produced 100 Ibs. of combined net gain with sows 

 and their unweaned pigs. Reckoning 6 Ibs. of skim milk equal to 1 

 of the mixed meal, it is shown that 316 Ibs. of meal equivalent pro- 

 duced 100 Ibs. net gain with sows and their unweaned pigs. For 

 the 7 weeks following weaning the pigs required 384 Ibs. of meal 

 equivalent, or 27 per ct. more feed, for 100 Ibs. of gain than before 

 weaning. It thus appears that young, unweaned pigs are fed more 

 economically thru the sow than after weaning. The table shows 

 that, after their pigs were weaned, the sows required the surpris- 

 ingly large amount of 947 Ibs. of meal equivalent to make good each 

 100 Ibs. of flesh lost while suckling their pigs. The prudent stock- 

 man always feeds both sows and pigs liberally before weaning, realiz- 

 ing that the sows should not be allowed to grow thin thru scant 

 feeding. The good brood sow will usually lose weight despite the 

 best of feed and care. (472, 722) 



817. Maintenance of sow. At the Wisconsin Station 1 Davies, re- 

 cording the feed eaten by a 394-lb. Berkshire sow and her 7 suck- 

 ling pigs 10 weeks between farrowing and weaning, obtained the fol- 

 lowing results: 



Concen- Skim 



trates milk 



Lbs. Lbs. 



Total feed consumed by sow.. 660 1,381 



Calculated amount needed to maintain sow alone : . 



Feed given to sow that went to nourish her pigs. ... 418 897 



Additional feed given to pigs 100 



Total 518 1,210 



Feed to sow and pigs for 100 Ibs. gain by pigs 146 339 



Feed required to maintain sow 1 day. _ 3.5 6.9 



1 Rpt. 1904. 



