488 



Pig Feeding Experiments. 



order to find out what proportion of the grain passed through 

 the animals undigested the excrement was carefully collected 

 for twenty-four hours and washed ; from 14 lbs. of grain fed, 

 2 lbs. 6 ozs. of undigested oats were obtained, weighing 

 22I lbs. per bushel, and when tested for vitality 11 per cent, 

 germinated. The average live weight of the pigs when killed 

 was lyol lbs. ; a gain of 87 lbs. 



With the barley four pigs, weighing 97^ lbs. each, were fed 

 for twelve weeks on unground barley soaked in water fifty- 

 four hours, all they would eat, with 3 lbs. of skim milk per day 

 to each pig. It required 3*64 lbs. of barley and 2*52 lbs. of 

 skim milk for each pound of increase in live weight. From 

 1 7 lbs. of barley fed in twenty-four hours, 2 lbs. 2 ozs. of 

 undigested grain were separated, which, when dried, weighed 

 35 lb. to the bushel, but none of the kernels sprouted. The 

 average gain in live weight was 100 lbs. 



Four pigs were fed for twelve weeks on unground pease 

 soaked in cold water for fifty-four hours, as much as they 

 would eat, with 3 lbs. of skim milk per day to each pig. These 

 pigs consumed 3*33 lbs. of pease and 2*35 lbs. of skim milk for 

 each pound of increase. From 17 lbs. of pease fed in twenty- 

 four hours, only 2 ozs. of undigested grain were separated. 

 The average increase in live weight was 107 lbs. 



Three pigs, of a live weight of 72 lbs., were fed for thirteen 

 weeks on unground Indian corn soaked for fifty-four hours, 

 with 3 lbs. of skim milk per day to each pig. They con- 

 sumed 2*90 lbs. of corn and 2*31 lbs. of skim milk for each 

 lb. of increase. From ij lbs. of corn fed during twenty-four 

 hours there were separated 8 ozs. of undigested grain, which, 

 when dried, weighed 40I lbs. per bushel. The average in- 

 crease in live weight in this lot amounted to 118 lbs. each. 



Three swine were fed for thirteen weeks on a mixture of equal 

 parts of unground oats, barley, and pease, with 3 lbs. of skim 

 milk per day to each. They consumed 3*20 lbs. of this mixed 

 grain and 2-60 lbs. of skim milk for each lb. of increase. In 

 this lot the average live-weight gain was 103 lbs. 



The increase in live weight was found to be greatest in the 

 lot fed with maize, and these pigs also showed the least 

 shrinkage in dressed weight. 



