552 FeedLs and Feeding. 



give reliable averages. The heavy-weight hogs reported in the 

 last three lines of the table were fed by the writer. They were 

 mature specimens, with large frames and in lean flesh when feed- 

 ing began, having been summered on pasture without grain. The 

 figures are introduced to show what may be accomplished with ma- 

 ture hogs when they are in thin flesh at the beginning of fattening. 

 We learn from the main portion of the table that from 105 to 

 495 pigs were employed in calculating each line of data. The 

 number of trials furnishing the data varied from 19 to 119, and 

 were conducted by from 3 to 13 Experiment Stations. 



842. Amount of feed consumed daily by the pig. — The sixth 

 column of the table shows the average amount of feed consumed 

 daily by pigs of different weights. From it we learn that pigs 

 weighing less than 50 pounds each, averaging 38 pounds, con- 

 sumed on the average 2.23 pounds of grain or grain equivalent 

 daily. As the animal increased in weight there was a gradual 

 increase in the amount of food consumed, until we find the 450- 

 pound hog eating 10 pounds of grain daily, or more than four 

 times as much as the 50-pound pig. 



843. Feed per 100 pounds live weight. — In the seventh column 

 it is shown that pigs weighing 38 pounds consumed 5.95 pounds 

 of feed daily for each 100 pounds of live weight. This is about 

 six per cent, of their live weight. As the pigs grew larger they 

 consumed less feed daily for 100 pounds of live weight, until 

 with the heaviest hogs the feed consumed was but little more 

 than two per cent, of their live weight. Here was a decrease of 

 about two-thirds in the daily feed consumption per 100 pounds 

 between early weight and maturity. 



844. Average daily gain. — In the next column are presented 

 data concerning the daily gain of the pig. It is shown that the 

 38-pound pig gained .76 of a pound, or 2 per cent, of its own 

 weight, daily. As it increased in size the pig made larger daily 

 gains, the maximum being reached with those weighing 271 

 pounds, which made a daily gain of 1.46 pounds. With large, 

 thin hogs the gain reached 1.98 pounds, or practically two pounds 

 per day, but these animals, because of their mature frames and 

 thin flesh, were fed under exceptional circumstances. 



