390 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



feeding cattle. One who has pasturage and a quantity 

 of roughage and grain grown on the farm may profit- 

 ably use it by converting it into beef. 



Feeding Swine. Hogs will convert the products of 

 the farm into flesh more economically than any other 

 farm animal. Besides this, many by-products of the 

 farm and of the dairy that would otherwise be lost may 

 be used in producing pork. Formerly hogs were kept 

 until they were one or two years old before being sent 

 to the market; this made an animal, when fattened, 

 from 300 to 500 pounds in weight. The market now 

 pays quite as much per hundred for the smaller hog, 

 weights from 150 to 250 pounds being accepted by the 

 pork packers. There is much more profit also to the 

 farmer in fattening these smaller pigs for the shorter 

 period. The greatest profit is secured by utilizing 

 pastures for early growth with a relatively small 

 amount of grain and then finishing the hog on grain, 

 preferably corn. 



To produce the fat pig, a wide ration containing a 

 relatively large supply of carbohydrates should be fed. 

 For the growth of bone and of body and to make a 

 healthful condition of the body protein foods should 

 not be neglected. 



Dairy Wastes. Skim milk and buttermilk are 

 probably the best means of furnishing the nitroge- 

 nous element necessary for raising young pigs most 

 economically. Whey contains milk sugar, which 

 provides carbohydrates. If with the dairy wastes 

 there is added corn or barley, we probably have 

 the ideal feed. In dairy regions the growing of pigs 

 from the by-products of the dairy makes a very profit- 

 able business. 



