612 Feeds and Feeding. 



except tliose in tlie last stages of fattening. While tlie pig gets 

 some nourishment from the hay, much of the advantage is doubt- 

 less due to the normal distention of the digestive tract effected 

 by this material. (876) 



92S. Pasture. — Experienced feeders appreciate the value of 

 pasture for swine. Doubtless the returns from an acre of past- 

 ure-land have been overstated by some writers, but its advan- 

 tages, on the whole, have not been overdrawn. The results at 

 the Utah Station (873) show that a gain of one-third of a pound 

 daily is possible with thrifty shotes on good alfalfa pasture. For 

 pasture, alfalfa and red clover doubtless lead aU other plants of 

 the field, (875) white clover, blue grass and rape following in 

 value. Pasture plants, to be satisfactory with swine, must be 

 short and tender, aU effort to mate them eat the long stems being 

 useless. Booting in pastures tends to lengthen the skull, racrease 

 the size of the animal's head and enlarge the muscles running 

 along the back of the neck. (832) Where health and lean 

 meat are the objects sought, pigs should have no rings in their 

 noses, and should be allowed to govern their own actions as to 

 how much they tear up the sod in search of animal and vegetable 

 food. All means for preventing rooting are at best necessary 

 evils. When on pasture pigs should be fed grain, the amount of 

 green forage consumed about supporting them, leaving the addi- 

 tional food to be utUized in increasing their weight. 



929. Administration of feed. — Suckling pigs take nourisliment 

 from the dam about every two hours, and we may accept Nature's 

 guidance for the frequency of feeding very young animals. At 

 weaning time the pigs should receive feed at least three times 

 daily, with water always accessible. Since the digestive tract of 

 this animal is of limited volume, probably the best results in fat- 

 tening can be obtained with three feeds daily; but habit controls 

 here as elsewhere, and stockmen can easily accustom their ani- 

 mals to expect feed morning and evening only, meanwhile being 

 content. 



Since meal when dry is more slowly masticated than whet 

 moistened, it might be supposed that the greater addition of saliva 

 consequent upon slow eating would increase the digestibility of 



