112 BEEF PRODUCTION 



Second, as to method of determining the best num- 

 ber to use. This is, perhaps, the most important factor 

 in connection with the problem and yet one that has 

 hitherto received but little consideration. The first 

 point to consider is whether or not ether feed than 

 that in the droppings is to be given the hogs. If so, 

 this largely simplifies the question. Judging from a 

 large number of inquiries on this subject at least eighty 

 per cent of the cattle feeders give hogs following fat- 

 tening cattle feed in addition to that secured from the 

 droppings of the steers. It is thought that this practice 

 is common because it does away with the necessity of 

 closely watching the pigs and droppings to see that just 

 enough and not too many hogs are provided and the 

 number of hogs which the cattle feeder wishes to fatten 

 is in excess of what would be required to consume the 

 undigested portions of the feed given the steers. This 

 being the case it is usually much more convenient to 

 run all the fattening hogs about the farm with the fatten- 

 ing cattle. The fact that the fattening of hogs has been 

 more generally followed with profit than the fattening 

 of cattle has also had its influence upon the somewhat 

 general adoption of this method. The writer is not 

 familiar with any experimental data upon the subject 

 as to whether or not greater returns are secured from 

 the droppings alone where pigs are restricted to them 

 or where fed additional feed. At the Illinois Experi- 

 ment Station an effort has been made in each of the 

 extensive cattle feeding experiments to determine the 

 relation of the hog following the steer to the general 

 proposition of cattle feeding. In each instance the 

 number of hogs following the steers was regulated in 

 such a way that they would thrive on the droppings 

 alone. Some of the more important facts brought out 

 in these experiments are that there is very little hog 

 feed in the droppings of steers fed silage. Silage is 

 usually supplemented with corn in some other form and 

 in such instances the approximate amount of available 



