APPETITE OP SWINE 
393 
vestigation, Dietrich^^ was able to produce pigs that weighedwheu 
251 days old, or really eight months and seven days, 308 
i)ounds.^^ These were the heaviest for this age of any pigs he 
produced in all those years. Peculiarly enough, these “free- 
choico” fed pigs we are discussing, so chose their own ration 
that they weighed eight pounds more in three days less time 
with the best lot (II) ; the other two groups likewise were 
slightly heavier for their age than the Dietrich-fed pigs above 
mentioned. Then too, it is well to note that these pigs fed by 
Dietrich at the Illinois Experiment Station received milk during 
a considerable part of the feeding, which advantage was not 
enjoyed by the ‘‘appetite” fed pigs. These comparative figures 
are simply given to show that these pigs which were given a 
fair opportunity to eat a variety of feeds according to their own 
free-choice developed to exceptionally good weights in a very 
reasonable minimum of time. 
Evidently the free-choice system whereby pigs have access to 
suitable feeds enables and encourages maximum development; 
in other words actually permits the inherited specifications to be 
fulfilled to all intents and purposes. Grood breeding, and good 
feeding, and good environment are the three great requisites 
necessary in maintaining the maximum development possible. No 
one of all of these conditions should be omitted nor neglected; 
they should all receive the greatest consideration in order to en- 
courage an animal to grow and thrive to the fullest advantage. 
A free-choice fed pig (see Plate XLV) , a female, made a won- 
derful record in so far as weights for age are concerned in one 
of the free-choice fed groups, namely, group II, which received 
these feeds ad libitum : shelled corn, meat meal, linseed oil meal, 
whole oats, limestone, charcoal, common salt and water. This 
female swine weighed 405 pounds when 247 days of age; an 
average pig this old usually weighs from 200 to 250, a very good 
one, 300, and the exceptional one, 350 pounds. A normal growth 
in weight is about 250 to 275 pounds in this time, this being 
very satisfactory indeed. What would have happened had this 
pig been hand-fed according to the ordinary “hit-and-miss” 
method? Observation would teach us that the chances would 
have been that we never would have known that “here is a 
record gaining pig.” Of course, it is entirely possible that if 
3^Dietrich, William: Swine, 1910. 
35Communication from W. J. Carmichael, Illinois Experiment Station, 
December 10, 1914; also verbal communication with H. S. Grindley, same 
Station. November. 1914. 
