34 DEPARTMENT BULLETIN 1492, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
The composition of the rice bran here shown is very similar to the 
averages given in tables of feeding standards. Rice bran as com- 
pared to rice polish has a decidedly higher ash and fiber content and 
usually a slightly higher protein and fat content. Rice oil becomes 
rancid very readily, and when this occurs it makes the feeds some- 
what distasteful to animals. In addition, rice bran when it contains 
excessive amounts of rice hulls is not a desirable hog feed. The ad- 
mixture of rice hulls is usually indicated by the high fiber content. 
Excellent feeding results have been obtained in many instances by the 
use of good-quality rice bran just as was the case with rice polish. 
It has been observed, however, in the present investigations, and is 
amply substantiated by previous tests at the experiment stations, that 
the results on rice bran as shown by the gains and general thrift iness 
of the hogs are usually inferior to those on rice polish. Both feeds 
require a protein supplement for best results. 
Variations in the oil content of different consignments of the same 
feed probably cause wider differences in the softness of the hogs than 
does the average difference between rice bran and rice polish. 
THE EXPERIMENTS 
Results from a total of 32 hogs fed rice bran as the basal feed have 
been summarized. In the four experiments presented, rice bran and 
tankage were self-fed, free choice. In one test in which the hogs 
were fed for 112 days by the Iberia Livestock Experiment Farm the 
hogs had access to a mineral mixture and received a daily allowance 
of 5 pounds of skim milk per hog. In another test of 56 days' dura- 
tion at the same station the same method of feeding was followed 
except that the allowance of skim milk was reduced to 3.14 pounds. 
The Arkansas station fed hogs for 56 days in dry lot, supplementing 
the rice bran and tankage with a mineral mixture. At the Missis- 
sippi station the feeding period was 56 days and the hogs grazed on 
rye pasture. No mineral mixture was fed. The average initial 
weight of the 32 hogs was 77.25 pounds. The actual range of weights 
was from 43 pounds to 97 pounds, inclusive. 
SOFTNESS OF THE CARCASSES 
The softening effect of rice bran is shown in Table 17. Data on 
the four experiments are given, with the general averages for all the 
hogs. The wide range in the firmness of check pigs killed at the 
beginning of three of the experiments was largely attributable to 
differences in the rations fed previous to the experimental feeding 
period. The pigs in both Iberia farm lots received brewers' rice and 
skim milk as the principal components of their preexperiment rations. 
As indicated by the results on check pigs from the 1925 lot, this 
resulted in the formation of firm body fat at a stage of growth when 
pigs raised on the more common ration of corn and tankage have 
soft fat. The results given in the table strongly suggest that the 
firmness of the fat before the feeding of rice bran affected the degree 
of softness developed on this feed. Thus, with a range from hard to 
soft in the condition of the pigs at the start of the experiments, there 
resulted at the close of the experimental period a comparable range 
