COMMON PRACTICE OF FEEDING 139 



during recent years because it saves labor. It has its ad- 

 vantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that it 

 saves the labor of gathering the corn for the pigs, fur- 

 nishes the grain to them in its natural and therefore most 

 palatable form, and distributes the manure on the field, 

 thus saving all of it and saving the expense of hauling it 

 out. The disadvantages are that the corn in this form is 

 not always available at the proper time. Corn cannot 

 be used successfully as an exclusive feed for swine ex- 

 cept during the fattening period, which should not occupy 

 more than about eight weeks at the close of the feeding 

 period. During this time, corn may be given in this man- 

 ner to good advantage, but when fattening hogs are al- 

 lowed free access to a corn field, they are likely to waste 

 a considerable quantity. If younger pigs are allowed to 

 run with the fattening hogs to pick up the part that the 

 older hogs waste, this may be saved, but growing pigs 

 will not develop properly under such conditions. 



If a pig or a growing hog is allowed free access to the 

 corn field there is great danger that he will eat more than 

 he can use to the best advantage. The hog must have a 

 suitable quantity of protein as well as mineral matter, 

 besides the carbonaceous concentrate, corn. If he eats too 

 much corn, he will have a decidedly unbalanced ration 

 and will not develop as he should. If at the same time 

 he is given free access to nitrogenous concentrates like 

 soy-beans or peas, he may eat either the corn or the 

 nitrogenous concentrate, according to the way he has 

 been trained or as his appetite dictates. Hence he will 

 not do well in either case because neither one nor the 

 other of the two above mentioned feeds will allow the 

 hog to develop normally. It is only by furnishing the 

 proper quantity of the various food nutrients per hun- 



