﻿DRY-LAND PASTURE CROPS FOR HOGS. 7 



RESULTS IN 1917. 



RYE. 



In 1917 a scarcity of suitable hogs for this pasturing work allowed 

 but six Duroc-Jersey fall pigs to be used on the rye plat. s These 

 began the grazing period on May 1 1 at an initial weight of 499 pounds. 

 At this date the rye was about 6 to 7 inches high and well tillered. 

 The forage appeared to be very palatable and was eaten readily 

 by the animals during the early part of the season. The small 

 number of pigs to the acre was not sufficient to keep the pasturage 

 grazed down. By June 19 a large part of it had become too coarse 

 to be palatable and the animals were confining their feeding to small 

 areas where the rye had 'been kept short and new growth was appear- 

 ing. The coarse forage was clipped, and a new growth came on 

 immediately. This was consumed, but the gains made from it 

 did not equal those made earlier in the season. The animals were 

 removed on July 17. A total weight of 762 pounds was recorded 

 on this date, showing a gain of 263 pounds for the 67-day period, 

 or an average of 0.65 of a pound per pig per day. The corn fed totaled 

 910 pounds for the period, or a ratio of 3.46 pounds of corn per pound 

 of gain. 



The poor growth of the rye toward the end of the period would 

 have justified removing the hogs- at least 10 days earlier. 



Rye on the check plat yielded 10.4 bushels per acre. 



PEAS. 



The crop of peas was seriously affected by a cold wet spring, which 

 so reduced germination that the stand was estimated at about 30 

 per cent. The forage was further reduced by a hailstorm on July 

 4, that stripped pods and leaves from the vines and beat them into 

 the ground. 



The pigs were held on the rye pasture longer than the forage war- 

 ranted in order to give the peas a chance to recover. On July 17 

 the plat was stocked with six pigs from the plat' of rye. At this 

 date the few peas remaining on the vines were in the- green-pea 

 stage and therefore younger than was the case in 1916. The per- 

 centage of grain to vines was very small, and the 2 per cent ration 

 of corn was again deemed advisable to supplement the pasturage. 



The six pigs harvested the plat in 22 days and were immediately 

 removed to the acre of beardless barley. A total gain of 174 pounds 

 was made. This was at the rate of 1.32 pounds per pig each day 

 and was made on a corn ratio of 1 pound of gain for each 2.06 pounds 

 of corn fed. 



The acre check plat returned 2.3 bushels of thrashed peas. An 

 estimate made at the time of harvest was to the effect that about 

 50 per cent of the peas had been beaten from the vines and could 

 not be gathered for thrashing. 



In spite of the hailstorm and other factors the 1 acre of peas 

 with the corn supplement furnished continuous grazing for six pigs 

 for the 22 days between the rye and barley pastures. 



3 One of these animals was found to be with pig after the experiment started and was removed from 

 the plat at the end of 61 days. A weight equal to the average of the other five hogs is used for this ariirnal 

 in all calculations made for rye. This hog was replaced by another on the pea and barley pastures. This 

 substitution accounts for the discrepancy of 21 pounds in the weight of the lot at the end of the rye ard 

 the beginning of the pea pasture. 



