l66 SWINE IN AiMERICA 



pounci per clay; they gaineu, however, 1.04 pounds per 

 day. Those fed on a one-half-grain ration gained .70 

 pound a day per hog, instead of .61 pound; and those fed 

 on a one-fourth-g-rain ration gained .49 pound per day, 

 instead of the theoretical amount, .30 po'ind a day. In 

 fact, the amount of food obtained from the pasture must 

 have been much more than is indicated, as the food of 

 support is a constant factor and makes up about two- 

 fifths of the full-grain ration. The hogs getting the one- 

 fourth-grain ration, therefore, did not receive enough 

 grain to support the life processes of the body, and must 

 have made up this deficiency from the pasture grass and 

 also have eaten enough extra to make a gain of practi- 

 cally half a pound per day. In the earlier tests made in 

 feeding on a pasture of mixed grasses, there were four 

 trials in which ten hogs were used. These showed that 

 the hogs gained one-third pound per day on pasture 

 alone. 



"When fed a limited grain ration on pasture, the hogs 

 ate less grain for each pound of gain than when fed 

 the full-grain ration. Using round numbers, a three- 

 fourths-grain ration saved one-third pound of grain ; a 

 one-half-grain ration, one pound of grain; a one-fourth- 

 grain ration, lYi pounds of grain for each pound of in- 

 crease in live weight. Or, at 75 cents per 100 pounds of 

 ihe grain, this would be a saving in cost of production of 

 /4 cent, M cent, and i^^g cents for each pound of gain 

 respectively, if nothing is charged for the pasture. 



"Our experience shows that the hogs fed on a limited 

 grain ration on pasture gained quite rapidly when later 

 put on a full-grain ration, and made those gains at a 



