318 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



Chester White, 25; Razor-back, 6; cross-bred Poland-China- 

 Razor-back, 5 ; cross-bred Berkshire-Razor-back, 6. The various 

 breeds, cross-breeds, and grades were divided equally among 

 the lots receiving shelled corn and the lots receiving corn meal. 



The corn used for the experiment was, with one exception, 

 over a year old. For six years corn was imported from Iowa. 

 For three years old Wisconsin corn w^as used. During the 

 last year, 1906, corn was secured near Madison, grown the 

 same year. The results obtained with shelled corn cannot, 

 therefore, be attributed to the use of soft corn. 



The preceding table furnishes a summary of the trials from 

 year to year and the totals and averages for the entire period. 



The table shows that, in the ten years covered by the experi- 

 ment, eighteen trials were made with a total of 280 pigs, one- 

 half of this number receiving shelled corn as the principal por- 

 tion of the ration, and the other half corn meal. 



The feed required to produce 100 pounds of gain varied 

 from 360 to 820 pounds. The poorest gains for feed consumed 

 were made in Trial 14 where corn alone was fed to young pigs 

 averaging 84 pounds in weight at the beginning of the trial. 

 This emphasizes what is a common experience among hog 

 raisers, that an exclusive diet of corn is not desirable with any 

 class of hogs and is especially to be avoided with young pigs. 

 The evil effects of this kind of ration were shown in the de- 

 creased thrift, appetite, and gains, and in the large amount of 

 feed required to produce a 100 pounds of gain. 



The best gains for feed consumed w^ere made with young 

 pigs in Trial 16, where the grain, consisting of equal parts, by 

 weight, of corn and middlings, was supplemented with a small 

 allowance of skim milk. The pig feeder is warranted, not only 

 in using a variety of grains, but will find it to his advantage to 

 add skim milk to the ration whenever he can get it. 



The total and averages for ten years show that the 140 

 pigs receiving shelled corn as the principal ration ate 46,736 

 pounds of shelled corn and 22,590 pounds of wheat middlings, 

 or a total of 69.326 pounds of grain, on whicli they made 

 13,828 pounds of gain. 



