GRAINS AND GROUND FEEDS 



345 



EXPERIMENTS IN FEEDING KAFIR-CORN MEAL TO PIGS 



"The table indicates that Kafir-corn meal falls from i8 

 to ;^^ per cent below corn meal in value for pig feeding. 

 This grain, though rich in carbohydrates, lacks protein, 

 and is therefore not suitable for feeding alone to young 

 pigs. The advantage of adding some substance rich in 

 l)r()tein to the ration of corn or Kafir-corn is shown in 

 the last trial, where the soy bean meal materially in- 

 creased the daily gain of the pigs, and cut down the re- 

 quirements of feed for too pounds of gain in a marked 

 degree. It is probable that if Kafir-corn were boiled it 

 would prove more satisfactory." 



Kafir-corn alone is a very constipating food and hogs 

 tire of it at times, especially voung ones. However, E. 

 TT. Lupton. of Sheridan county. Kansas, who raises 200 

 to 500 hogs annually, tells the author that he finds 

 Kafir-corn fed dry to pigs two to five months old supe- 

 rior to Indian corn, and that if necessary he would pay 

 a premium to secure the Kafir-corn. To guard against 

 constipation, using the Kafir-corn with some other food 



