722 



Suggestions for Pig-Feeders. 



[dec, 



and muscular tissue, and for this purpose an adequate supply 

 of nitrogenous food is required; later, the object of feeding is 

 to cover the frame rapidly with meat and fat, when an abund- 

 ance of fat-forming foods should be supplied. 



In recent years a great deal of attention has been given to 

 the question of pig-feeding in the United States and Den- 

 mark, and as the Board believe that the results of experience 

 in those countries will be helpful to British pig-feeders, an 

 account of some of the conclusions arrived at is given below. 



Feeding Pigs before and immediately after Weaning. — 

 Experiments* conducted with several litters of pigs showed 

 that the sow and pigs together before weaning, and the pigs 

 alone after weaning, required almost identical quantities of 

 milk and meal for the production of 100 lb. net gain. The food- 

 stuffs used were maize meal, middlings, oats, barley, and 

 skim milk, weaning taking place when the young pigs were 

 ten weeks old, and feeding being continued for a further 

 seven weeks. The average of twelve litters showed that for 

 ioo lb. gain the sow and pigs before weaning required 231 lb, 

 of meal and 534 lb. of skim milk, while after weaning the 

 young pigs (eight litters) needed 230 lb. of meal and 539 lb. of 

 skim milk. 



Henry showed at the Wisconsin Experiment Station that 

 the weight at birth of a large number of young pigs averaged 



Weight at Birth and Average Weekly Gains of 

 Young Pigs. 



Before weaning : 10 weeks. 

 (Twelve litters, 86 pigs). 



After weaning : 7 weeks. 

 (Eight litters, 62 pigs). 



Week. 



Average 

 weight. 



Gain. 



Week. 



Average 

 weight. 



Gain. 



At Birth. 

 I 



2 



3 

 4 

 5 



6 



7 

 8 



9 



IO 



lb. 



4 "4 

 7-0 



9-8 



I2'5 



15-6 

 i8-6 



22*6 

 27-8 



33'i 

 38-5 



lb. 



1 -9 

 2-6 



2- 8 

 27 



37 



3- 0 



4- 0 



5*2 



5*3 

 5 '4 



IO 

 II 

 12 

 13 

 14 



16 

 17 



lb. 



41-5 



467 

 52*0 



58-3 

 64*2 

 69-8 



76-5 

 84-1 



lb. 



5 "2 

 5'3 



6- 3 

 5 - 9 

 5-6 

 67 



7- 6 



* W. A. Henry, Feeds and Feeding ; 1906, p. 541. 



