268 Experiments with Dried Blood. [June, 



Expenment I. — The pens of seven pigs were fed as follows : — 

 Lot I. received wheat offals only. 

 „ II. maize meal only. 



III. ,, wheat offals and dried blood. 

 ,, IV. ,, maize meal and dried blood. 

 In addition, each pig received | oz. bone meal daily. 

 The amount of blood fed to each pig in Lots III. and IV. was 

 2 oz. per day to begin with, rising gradually to 6 oz. per pig 

 per day, an average of 4 oz. per day ; an extra 5 lb. per pen was 

 allowed so as to bring the total to 1*25 cwt. in all for both lots 

 of blood-fed pigs. It took two or three days before the pigs 

 tolerated the blood, but after they became used to the mixture 

 they took it willingly, and apparently liked the taste. 



The blood used was a mixture of equal parts of blood supplied 

 by two different firms. The two samples were rather different 

 in composition, as shown by the following analyses : — 



Percentages. 



A - ■ _ 



A B 

 Water .. .. .. .. 7-27 .. 8-30 



Ash .. .. .. .. .. 8-6o .. 3-63 



Protein (N X 6.25) .. ..50-00 .. 82-78 



It will be seen that the samples varied considerably in compo- 

 sition, as A was whole blood while B was partly clot from 

 serum production. Both, however, were well dried, free from 

 smell, and finely divided. 

 Each lot of pigs received altogether 1-25 cwt. of blood during 

 the eleven weeks of the experiment, and the corresponding pen 

 had a weight of maize and offal added to make up an equal 

 total weight of ration. During the last fortnight but one the 

 pigs in Lot IV. received 28 lb. more maize than those in Lot II. 

 and 112 lb. more during the last fortnight, as it was obvious 

 that they were needing an extra ration. In the other cases, 

 however, the total weights of food given were similar. Lot II. 

 occasionally refused food, and 37 lb. of maize in all were 

 weighed back and carried on to the ne^t meal, when an equal 

 amount was deducted from the weight of food fed at that meal. 



During the experiment the ration was fixed by the maximum 

 which could be fed to the control pens. In both diets the 

 blood-fed pigs were much livelier and more hungry than the 

 controls, and had the former been on an ad lib. diet they would 

 have taken much more food than the controls. 



It was orginally hoped to keep the nitrogen ratio constant 

 by substituting pure starch for some of the maize and offal 

 in the blood-fed lots, but this was found to be impossible in 

 practice, owing to the difficulty in obtaining starch in sufficient 

 quantity, and it is not in accordance with farming practice 



