Investigations with Swine. 



499 



a suckling pig to weigh 70 lbs. when 70 days old, and sometimes, tho 

 rarel.y, it may exceed that high figure. 



815. Gain from birth to maturity.— At the AVisconsin Station^ 

 the author recorded the average gains of 12 litters, containing 84 

 pigs, during 10 weeks between farrowing and weaning time. The 

 figures below the bar, derived from Article 819, are appended to 

 show the decreasing rate of gain until the pig is ready for the 

 market. 



Weehly rate of gain of pigs from hlrih to maturity. 



Average 

 weight 



Av. grain 

 in 7 days 



Per cent 

 gain 



At birth 



First week 



Second week 



Tliird week 



Fourth week 



Fifth week 



Sixth week 



Seventh week 



Eighth week 



Ninth week 



Tentli week 



Under 100 pounds. 

 Under 150 pounds. 

 Under 200 pounds 

 Under 250 pounds 

 Under 300 pounds 

 Under 350 pounds 



Lbs. 



2.5 

 4.4 

 7.0 



9.8 

 12.5 

 15.6 

 18.6 

 22.6 

 27.8 

 33.1 

 38.5 



1.9 



2.6 



2.8 



2. 



3. 



3. 



4. 



128 

 174 

 226 

 271 

 320 



5.8 

 7.7 

 8.7 

 9.3 

 10.2 

 9.8 



7.4 

 6.0 

 5.0 

 4.1 

 3.8 

 3.1 



It is shown that the average pig, weighing 2.5 lbs. at farrowing, 

 gained 1.9 lbs., or 76 per ct. of its birth weight, during the first 

 week. During the second week it gained 2.6 lbs., but the per cent of 

 gain reckoned on the weight at the beginning of the week dropped 

 to 59. The average 320-lb. pig gained 9.8 lbs. in 1 week, which was 

 but 3.1 per ct. of its initial weight. It thus appears that pigs gain 

 more and more in pounds each week until they are mature and fat, 

 while there is a steady decrease in the ratio of gain to body weight. 



816. Economy of young pigs. — In trials by the author at the 

 Wisconsin Station,- 5 sows and litters were fed 70 days on corn meal, 

 wheat middlings, and sour skim milk. The unweaned pigs were also 

 given all of the same food they would consume at a separate trough. 

 At 10 weeks the pigs were weaned, and the feeding continued for 

 7 weeks wdth the sows and weaned pigs separately. While suckling 



Epts. 1889, 1890, 1897. 



^ Ept. 1897. 



