214 RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS IN SWINE FEEDING 



ordinary circumstances, it is the safe course. According to a 

 compilation of experiment station results, by G. M. Kommel 

 (Bulletin 47, U. S. Dept. of Agr.), the average saving effected 

 by grinding small grains is 12.20 per cent, which is double the 

 saving effected by grinding corn in the Wisconsin experiments. 



Wet vs. Dry Feed. Considerable experimental work has 

 been done with wet and dry feed, and results are very con- 

 tradictory. On an average, the two methods of feeding show 

 practically equal results. The writer's experience is that when 

 hogs can be fed dry meal in such a manner that they cannot 

 waste it, they make as good use of it as when it is wet. There 

 is more tendency to waste feed when fed dry, especially when 

 many feed at the same trough. Troughs arranged so as to pre- 

 vent crowding will tend to lessen waste. In cold pens, dry meal 

 feeding has some advantages, a good ration is to mix dry meal 

 with an equal weight of pulped roots. Under ordinary condi- 

 tions, it is difficult to see much advantage from dry feeding. 



Soaking. Soaking feed is another practice which seems 

 to give variable results according to experimental data. There 

 seems little doubt, however, that, in the case of dry hard grain 

 fed whole, soaking is to be commended. As to meal, freshly 

 mixed feed will likely give as good results as soaked feed. 



Fermenting. The practice of fermenting feed for swine 

 \vas formerly much more common than it is at present. In the 

 case of cottonseed meal, it will be remembered that the Texas 

 Station recommends mixing the cottonseed meal with other 

 meal and allowing the whole mass to sour. The New Hamp- 

 shire Station obtained better results from fermented bran than 

 from unfermented. With feeds well adapted to pig feeding, 

 it is not likely that fermentation would be of any benefit 



METHODS OF FEEDING. 



Self-feeders. A self-feeder for hogs consists of a box or 

 hopper so constructed that when filled with meal or other feed it 



