724 Suggestions for Pig-Feeders. [dec., 



tained in certain Danish experiments, in which the food 

 requirements in grain or its equivalent to produce 100 lb. 

 increase in pigs of various sizes were found to be as 

 follows : — ■ 



Average food 



Average weight required for 



of pigs. 100 lb. gain. 



lb. lb. 



35-75 376 



75-H5 435 



1 1 5-155 466 



155-195 5i3 



195-235 540 



From these figures it is seen that a pig weighing 195-235 

 lb. requires nearly 5J- lb. of food per lb. increase, while a pig 

 scaling 75-115 lb. requires rather under lb. for the same 

 gain, a difference which it is well to bear in mind (see also 

 table on p. 723). 



In a test at the Wisconsin Station (Bulletin No. 104) two 

 lots of six pigs were fed from birth for 32 weeks, and a record 

 was kept of the total digestible food consumed. The com- 

 plete results may be tabulated thus : — 





Total 

 digestible 

 nutrients 

 consumed. 



Total 

 net gain. 



Nutrients 

 per lb. gain. 



Nutrient 

 ratio. 





lb. 



lb. 



lb. 



lb. 



Lot A. Maize meal, 16 parts ; 











skim milk, ioo parts ... 



35364 



12514 





1 :4'54 



Lot B. Maize meal, 16 parts ; 











shorts, 24 parts 



2214-3 



927-2 



2-38 



i:5-38 



Cost of Feeding Pigs. — On the basis of the average prices 

 of feeding-stuffs and pigs quoted above, and the average 

 daily gain from birth shown in the figures already 

 given, we may approximately calculate the cost of 

 pig-feeding. Before weaning 2*31 lb. of meal and 5*34 lb. 

 of skim milk are consumed per 1 lb. gain (p. 722), and if 

 we suppose this to continue for 10 weeks the weight will 

 then be 38*5 lb. (p. 722), and the pig will have gained 36 lb. 

 at a cost of 83*16 lb. of meal and 192*25 lb. of skim milk. 

 The results will be practically the same even though weaning 

 may take place earlier, as it usually does. At the end of 

 17 weeks the animal weighs 84 lb., a further gain of 45*5 lb., 

 at a food cost of 104*65 lb. of meal and 245*25 lb. of skim 



