WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ADEQUATE RATION 115 



To Balance a Ration. In balancing the ration we must, after 

 selecting the right feeds feeds that, properly compounded, sup- 

 ply the main essentials of the ration pay attention to the mixing 

 of the feeds, so that they will be rich enough in protein to do what 

 is expected of them. We must take into consideration other essen- 

 tials, such as the quality of protein, the presence of fat soluble A, 

 and water soluble B, and so on, but by using certain feeds we can 

 be fairly certain that we are supplying these main essentials ; hence 

 with the right feeds, if we combine them so as to have the ration 

 rich enough in protein, we shall get along pretty well. It must be 

 remembered, though, that we must " mellow*' our figures with the 

 learned results of experience experience which is one of our most 

 valuable teachers. 



In the table of analyses we give the corn ratio as 7.9, which 

 really means that with every pound of protein present in corn there 

 is mixed with it 7.9 pounds of carbohydrates or their equivalent. 

 The ratio, which in this case is a crude ratio and not nutritive (be- 

 cause it is based upon crude and not digestible nutrients), is se- 

 cured by dividing the number of pounds of protein into the carbo- 

 hydrate equivalent, which carbohydrate equivalent is secured by 

 adding the carbohydrates (68 pounds in 100) to the fibre (2 pounds 

 in 100) and to the fat (4 pounds of fat in 100, times 2.25 equals 

 9 pounds of carbohydrate equivalent, because we find that in 

 practice that a pound of fat is equivalent to about 2 1 / 4 times a 

 pound of starches or other carbohydrates in feeding value). 



Add these figures, 68 plus 2 plus 9, and we have 79 pounds of 

 carbohydrate equivalent in 100 pounds of 14 percent moisture corn. 

 The 79 pounds, which in this case includes very little fibre, will 

 give practically the same results as if all were carbohydrate. Of 

 course we must remember that the fibre for pig feeding is really of 

 practically little value, hence not the equivalent of starches or 

 sugars. Now, take this 79 pounds and divide by 10, the number of 

 pounds of protein, and we have the figure which is the ratio, 7.9. 

 Now this corn ratio is called a "wide" one, being unsuitable for 

 growing pigs or suckling sows or young boars because there is too 

 little protein in proportion to the fat-forming elements, or, stated 

 conversely, too much carbohydrates or their equivalent for the 

 amount of muscle, hide, hoof, nerve, hair and bone builders, or 

 namely, protein, present. 



There is one class of hogs fattening brood sows discarded from 

 the breeding pen which in addition to the real heavy, well-grown, 

 mature stock or store hogs, that can do quite well for a short time 

 on such a wide ratio. This wide ratio is also all right for mainte- 

 nance of mature swine. We find in practice, and this is borne out by 

 experiments, that corn alone for the finishing off period on such 

 heavy, well-grown sows or other fairly mature stock in the swine 

 lots is all right for a limited period. Generally speaking, however, 

 practically for all swine classes, more protein must be added to 

 corn, and incidentally more of the other essentials of a good ration, 

 to get ' ' results that count. ' ' 



