CHAPTER XXVIII. 
FATTENING. 
Many of the problems connected with the fattening of 
hogs have already been discussed under experiment station 
work. Corn may be used much more freely for fattening hogs 
than for those intended for breeding, but experiments show 
conclusively that corn has its limitations, even for fattening, 
and that it is greatly improved by having some feed richer in 
protein combined with it. The importance of using some 
sort of supplementary feed with almost any meal ration in order 
to give bulk and variety has also been demonstrated, and the 
important place which pasture may play in the fattening of 
hogs has been quite fully dealt with. There are a few general 
facts of more or less importance remaining to be given under 
this heading. 
Winter Feeding.—Generally speaking, winter feeding is 
more expensive than summer feeding. Part of the extra feed 
required in winter is probably due to the fact that more feed 
is required to keep up the heat of the body during cold weather. 
There is little doubt, however, that much of the advantage of 
summer feeding is due to more sanitary surroundings,—that is, 
more fresh air and out-door exercise, coupled with more suc- 
culent feed, which seems to aid digestion. The man who feeds 
hogs in winter, therefore, should aim to approach summer con- 
ditions as nearly as possible. He cannot get summer tem- 
perature, it is true, but he can provide a fair amount of fresh 
air, and feeds that will keep the digestive organs in good 
condition. It is just here that the man who grows a few roots 
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