296 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



from the droppings. When grain is fed extra, the number of 

 hogs to each steer will depend on the amount of grain thus fed. 

 The common practice is to put a 100-pound hog behind each 

 steer and feed grain in addition. If, however, grain is not fed 

 in addition, one hog to two steers will be sufficient to pick up 

 the grain of the droppings when the grain is fed to the steer in 

 the whole form, and one pig to four steers when the grain is fed in 

 the form of meal. There is much less available material for the 

 hogs when the grain is fed in the form of meal than when fed 

 as shelled or ear corn. 



The gains that may be expected from hogs following steers 

 will depend on the method. When meal is fed, the gains will 

 be less than when the grain is fed whole; and when grain in 

 addition is fed, the gains will depend entirely on the amount 

 of grain that is fed to the hogs. When one 100-pound hog is 

 placed behind each steer and grain fed in addition, as is the 

 common practice, the cattle feeder expects to secure at least 

 one pound gain on each hog daily for a period of 100 days. By 

 this time the hogs are weighing over 200 pounds and are too 

 heavy to make good rustlers, so they are withdrawn from the 

 feed lots and another drove of 100-pound hogs placed with 

 the cattle. The 200-pound hogs may be marketed at once or 

 fed extra grain for two weeks, by which time they average 

 better than 225 pounds each when they are put on the market. 



GETTING CATTLE " ON FEED " 



There is no more important question connected with cattle 

 feeding than that of getting the cattle on a full feed of grain, 

 meaning by full feed all the grain they will consume. Opin- 

 ion differs widely as to the time that should be required, some 

 very successful cattle feeders employing the so-called short 

 method, that is, getting the cattle on full feed in one to two 

 weeks, whereas others equally as successful employ the long 

 method, taking one to two months. Which of these methods 



