SWINE 



required to grow pigs from birth to ma- 

 turity, that is, to eight months of age, 

 when they were ready for market and 

 slaughter. The hogs consisted of Po- 

 land-Chinas, Berkshires, Razorbacks, and 

 crosses between these. The net gain 

 made by each pig and the average cost 

 of feed per 100 pounds of gain is shown 

 in the table below for weekly periods: 



AVERAGE NET GAIN OF PIGS AND AVERAGE 



COST OF FEED PER 100 POUNDS 



GAIN FROM BIRTH TO 



MATURITY. 



First four weeks 8.8 $1.17 



Second four weeks ....12.6 1.71 



Third four weeks 21.4 2.06 



Fourth four weeks 20.0 2.74 



Fifth four weeks 23.3 3.34 



Sixth four weeks 29.1 3.19 



Seventh four weeks 29.3 3.95 



Eighth four weeks 32.4 4.20 



Average 176.9 $2.80 



The table brings out clearly the in- 

 crease in weekly gains made as the hogs 

 increase in age to the eighth month. 

 For the first four weeks it will be seen 

 that the gain is but 8.8 pounds, while 

 the eighth month the gain is 32.4 

 pounds per pig. The cost of gain, how- 

 ever, per 100 pounds, increases regularly 

 with the age of the animal. In the be- 

 ginning it costs but $1.17 per 100 pounds 

 of gain, while for the eighth month the 

 cost is $4.20 per 100 pounds, the average 

 being $2.80 for the whole period. 



In the above work Carlyle fed four 

 different rations to the different lots of 

 pigs. The following table shows the 

 kinds of foods fed, the amount of diges- 

 tible nutrients they contained, the gains 

 made on each ration, the amount of 

 digestible material required per pound 

 of gain, and the nutritive ratio of the 

 different rations. 



DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS CONSUMED AND GAINS MADE BY PIGS FROM 

 BIRTH TO MATURITY. 



Ration, Corn Corn, shorts, 



corn and skim Corn and and beef beef meal, and 



milk 1:6.25 shorts 1 :1.5 meal 2 :1 milk 8:6:2:25 



Pounds nutrients fed ,...3,536.4 2,214.3 2,714.3 3.335.3 



Pounds net gain 1,251.4 927.2 877.0 1,192.0 



Pounds nutrients for each pound 



of gain made 2.82 2.38 3.10 2.80 



Cost of nutrients for 100 pounds 



gain $3.29 $2.36 $3.61 $3.24 



Nutritive ratio in rations fed 1:4.5 1:5.4' 1:2.6 1:3.4 



GRAIN REQUIRED FOR 100 POUNDS OF GAIN. 

 Corn Kafir corn Oats Peas Wheat Barley Mixed grain 



lbs lbs lbs 



485 



529 



472 



lbs 

 439 



lbs 

 452 



lbs 

 418 



lbs 

 432 



RELATION BETWEEN WEIGHT OF HOGS, GAINS MADE AND FOOD 

 REQUIRED. 



Feed 



Average Feed required 



No. of No. feed eaten daily Aver- to make 



Average states No. of ani- eaten per 100 lbs age gain 100 lbs 



weight reporting of trials mals fed per day live weight per day of gain 



Weight 

 of pigs 



lbs 

 15-50 

 50-100 

 100-150 

 150-200 

 200-250 

 250-300 

 300-350 



lbs 



39 



79 



123 



178 



• >•> 



ii 



209 

 322 



45 



112 



133 



110 



76 



51 



21 



190 



508 

 635 

 509 

 316 

 247 

 115 



lbs 

 2.41 

 3.62 

 5.03 

 5.98 

 6.60 

 7.34 

 7.54 



lbs 

 5.82 

 4.58 

 3.96 

 3.44 

 2.96 

 2.71 

 2.39 



lbs 

 0.78 

 0.94 

 1.20 

 1.26 

 1.35 

 1.48 

 1.47 



lbs 

 305 

 402 

 439 

 479 

 493 

 509 

 532 



In examining this table it will be 

 seen that the pigs fed corn and shorts in 

 the proportion of 1 :1.5 required the least 

 nutrients for a pound of gain. This 

 lot also makes the cheapest gain of any 

 in the test. The nutritive ratio of this 



ration is seen to be about 1:5.4, which 

 is the widest of any in the test. The 

 group fed the beef meal and corn in 

 the proportion of 2 :1 had the narrowest 

 ration 1:2.6, made the least gain, re- 

 quired the greatest amount of nutrients 



