SWINE 



545 



Skim milk i s one of the most valuable 

 adjuncts of the farm for fattening swine. 

 Used with corn, kafir corn or any of the 

 common grain by-products an almost 

 ideal ration is formed. Hogs like it and 

 relish rations mixed with it. As a re- 

 sult of five years' work in feeding skim 

 milk at the New York station at Cornell, 

 it is concluded that the most economical 

 returns are secured when the milk is 

 fed with corn meal. The proportion of 

 corn meal to skim milk may be varied 

 without apparently affecting the result, 

 but in no case should the amount of 

 skim milk fed be greater than the pigs 

 can quickly and easily consume. 



At the Kansas station skim milk when 

 used to supplement a ration of kafir corn 

 increased the gains made over 109 per 

 cent, valuing hogs at 3 cents per pound 

 live weight, the skim milk at a value of 

 29 cents per 100 pounds. In another 

 experiment the increased gain from the 

 use of skim milk was 58 per cent, giving 

 the milk a value of 15.7 cents per 100 

 pounds, which is more nearly its normal 

 value for hog feeding. 



The Massachusetts station reports the 

 results of 19 experiments in the use of 

 skim milk for pigs. Based on this work 

 the following proportions of milk to 

 grain are recommended for the produc- 

 tion of pork at minimum cost : 



Pigs weighing 20 to 80 pounds, 2 

 ounces corn meal to each quart of skim 

 milk; pigs weighing 80 to 125 pounds, 

 4 ounces corn meal to each quart of 

 skim milk; pigs weighing 125 to 190 

 pounds, 6 ounces corn meal to each quart 

 of skim milk. 



That station holds that when skim 

 milk can be sold at 1 cent or more per 

 quart it is more profitable to sell it than 

 to use it in the production of pork. 



In feeding growing pigs skim milk at 

 the Wisconsin station, about 5 pounds 

 of skim milk has proved equal in feed- 

 ing value to 1 pound of corn meal. 

 Skim milk has produced the strongest 

 bones in hogs of any food given them. 

 The most economical mixture of skim 

 milk and grain has been 1 to 3 pounds 

 of skim milk to one pound of corn meal. 



Many experiments have been reported 

 by the Ottawa station with general con- 

 clusions as follows: "Skim milk may 

 form the largest part of the feed for 

 young and growing pigs with advantage 

 and economy. For the fattening of 

 swine weighing on the average over 100 



pounds each, live weight, it is economi- 

 cal to give an allowance of skim milk 

 not exceeding 5 pounds per head per 

 day." It is most effective when it forms 

 a comparatively small part of the total 

 food fed. Milk-fed hogs in every in- 

 stance, have been lustier, more vigorous 

 and healthier in appearance than swine 

 fed wholly on grain. Generally speak- 

 ing, skim milk is worth from one-sixth 

 to one-fifth as much as mixed grain. 

 At the Ontario agricultural college the 

 use of skim milk has uniformly re- 

 sulted in the production of firm bacon. 



As to whether the milk should be fed 

 sour or sweet the Michigan station re- 

 ports that in one test hogs weighing on 

 the average 74 pounds each at the be- 

 ginning of the test and fed sweet skim 

 milk for five weeks gained 63 pounds 

 per head, while hogs averaging 73 pounds 

 at_ the beginning and fed sour skim 

 milk gained during the same time 54.6 

 pounds each. These figures are consid- 

 erably in favor of the sweet skim milk. 

 This is probably a larger difference than 

 will usually be obtained unless the sour 

 skim milk is old and putrid, in which 

 case it should not be fed to hogs. At 

 both the Vermont and Ohio stations 

 sour skim milk has given better results 

 than sweet skim milk. Generally speak- 

 ing it is equal to sweet milk in feed- 

 ing value. 



The average of many experiments 

 show that pasture with skim milk is not 

 of much value when grain is fed, the 

 average gain on skim milk, pasture and 

 grain being 291 pounds and on skim 

 milk and grain without pasture 301 

 pounds. 



Buttermilk at the Wisconsin station, 

 in one test, proved about 80 per cent as 

 valuable as sweet skim milk in produc- 

 ing gain. Generally speaking, butter- 

 milk is considered about three-fourths 

 as valuable as skim milk for hogs. Ex- 

 periments at the Iowa station indicate 

 that there is nothing saved by adding the 

 wash water from churns to buttermilk, 

 as it is too weak to be of any value as 

 food. The hogs lose more in drinking 

 the excess water than the little milk it 

 contains is worth. 



Whey — I n experiments at the Wiscon- 

 sin station it required about 7.6 pounds 

 of whey to equal in feeding value 1 

 pound of corn meal and shorts as a par- 

 tial ration. That station was not suc- 

 cessful in maintaining pigs on whey 



