SCIENTIFIC SWINE FEEDING 



247 



appetite of a pig for water is not a safe guide as to the amount 

 of water that is necessary. If a pig has free access to water and 

 is given dry feed or a thick slop, it will not drink water enough in 

 winter. In the hot days of summer in a warm climate when a 

 pig is kept in a lot that does not have very much shade it will 

 drinlc too much. Either condition will prevent a pig from 

 making the largest and most economical gains. The winter 

 problem, however, is by far the more important of the two. 

 It has, therefore, become necessary to feed a certain definite 



Fig. 67. — Water requirement of market pigs. 



quantity of water in accordance with the age of the animal and 

 the purpose for which it is being developed. 



For Market Pigs. — ^The amount of water necessary for the 

 growing, and fattening pig that is started at two months of age 

 and finished for market at eight months is given in the following : 

 The pig for market should have 13 pounds of water daily for 

 every 100 pounds of live weight at two months. This is 

 gradually reduced during the following three and one-half 

 months or sixteen weeks to 10 pounds. Following this it is 

 reduced at a more rapid rate to 5 pounds at eight months of 

 age. At this time the pig should be in prime condition for 

 market. 



For Breeding Pigs. — Pigs intended for breeding purposes are 

 not fed to carry so much fat as those that are fed for market. 

 Consequently they require more water. The amount neces- 

 sary from available data at present is shown in the following: 



In this chart the curve starts at the same point as in the one 



