﻿DRY-LAND PASTURE CROPS FOR HOGS. 



23 



Table 7 presents the combined returns from the several systems of 

 the continuous pastures. 



Table 7. — Average returns from tfie several pastures or continuous pasture periods. 





Years 

 aver- 

 aged. 



Pasture period. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 pigs. 



Weights of animals and feed 

 (pounds). 



Pasture. 



Date on. 



Date off. 



Days. 



Gain. 



Daily 



gain 

 per pig. 



Orain sup- 

 plement. 





Total. 



Per 



pound 

 of gain. 





6 



. 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 



Mav 14 

 May 16 

 ...do 



July 30 

 July 11 

 ...do 



75 

 57 

 57 

 58 

 56 

 20 



10.2 

 5 

 6.8 



5.5 

 6 



5.5 



462 

 242 

 270 

 214 

 269 

 119 



0.60 

 .77 

 .69 

 .61 

 .7$ 



1.14 



1 1,701 



^724 

 2 882 

 2 851 

 2 895 



30 



3. 68 





2.96 





3.25 





May 11 

 ...do 

 Sept. 21 



July 7 

 July 5 

 Oct. 10 



3. 92 



Brome-grass sown broadcast. . . 



3.11 







1 Corn fed on rye and peas. - Corn. 



a Average yield of corn from the check plat, 865 pounds. This was converted into gains at the rate of 

 7.44 pounds of corn for each pound of gain. 



The 3 acres of forage, consisting of rye, peas, and barley, when 

 pastured consecutively carried an average of 10.2 pigs for an average 

 grazing period of 77 days. During this time the gain made averaged 

 462 pounds, or 0.6 of a pound per pig per day. This gain was made 

 at an expense of 3.68 pounds of corn for each pound of increase. 



Alfalfa in rows had a 4-year average of five pigs to the acre for a 

 56-day period. They increased in weight 242 pounds and consumed 

 724 pounds of corn. The average daily gain per pig was 0.78 of a 

 pound, and the ratio of corn fed to gain is 2.96 to 1. 



An average of 6.8 pigs were supported for 56 days on an acre of 

 alfalfa seeded broadcast. The average daily gain per pig was 0.69 

 of a pound. It required 3.25 pounds of corn as a supplement to make 

 a pound of gain. 



The acre of brome-grass in rows carried an average of 5.5 pigs 

 continuously for 58 days. The gains made averaged 214 pounds, or 

 0.61 of a pound a day for each animal. It required 3.92 pounds of 

 corn supplement to make 1 pound of gain. 



Brome-grass sown broadcast had a carrying capacity of six pigs 

 for 55 days. This lot made 269 pounds of gain, an average daily 

 gain of 0.78 of a pound per pig. Corn consumed was at the ratio of 

 3.11 pounds of grain for every pound of gain. 



The acre of corn had a 4-year average of 5.5 pigs for 20 days. 

 These gained 119 pounds during the period. The average daily 

 gain was 1.19 pounds each. When the yields of the check plat of 

 corn are taken as a basis for the grain ratio, 7.44 pounds of corn were 

 required for each pound of gain. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



It is fully realized that the data so far obtained from these experi- 

 ments are not conclusive and that the work must be carried on tor a 

 longer period of years before its value can become accurately estab- 

 lished. The diversity of conditions affecting the procedure and the 

 results of the experiment from year to year call for a careful studv of 

 each year as a unit. This is more necessary, perhaps, where the live 

 stock is a factor to be considered along with the crop production than 

 when only the crops are influenced. 



