APPETITE OP SWINE 
401 
Undoubtedly the kind of feeding stuff offered to growing and 
fattening swine determines to a considerable extent the relative 
quantity of the different feed constituents, — ^proteins, carbohy- 
drates, fats, minerals, water, and so on, — which is consumed. On 
a milk diet for instance, in which buttermilk is allowed at free- 
will in conjunction with such feeds as Indian corn, 60 per cent 
protein meat meal, wheat middlings and' rock salt, the amount of 
protein eaten tends to be quite high as compared to a similar ra- 
tion without the milk, — but it is yet to be demonstrated that a 
lesser milk allowance (limited) under such circumstances would 
be an improvement judged from the physiologic viewpoint ; it is 
entirely likely that economic considerations would preclude the 
possibility of allowing such large quantities of milk, yet that, too, 
depends upon the relative value of the different feeds in question. 
When buttermilk can be had for nothing and the other feeds are 
charged at normal com belt (1915) rates, then the maximum con- 
sumption of the milk would likely be attended with greatest eco- 
nomic profit regardless of the physiologic aspects, unless they be 
unhappily and extraordinarily unfavorable to the milk addition, 
which development, however, is not probable. The point to this 
paragraph is this : The source of the different constituents, — ^pro- 
teins, carbohydrates, fats, and so on affects quite materially the 
best physiologic standards to be formulated. In other words, to 
be specific, it is quite probable that a different standard would 
need to be used in order to secure the greatest physiological re- 
turns if buttermilk and Indian corn are used as a general source 
of these constituents than if meat meal and Indian com be de- 
pended upon. This theme, however, awaits much more investi- 
gation before it is possible to make positive statements, statements 
that can be backed up with the evidence. 
In the formulation of human dietaries much effort has been 
expended in determining what different people actually eat 
under varying conditions of life. In the production of swine- 
feeding standards, however, this feature has been, to our knowl- 
edge, almost wholly neglected.^^ The pig has not been given an 
^^See Stabler, A. L. : Pig Feeding Experiments, 1911, Maryland Agr. Exp. 
Sta. Bui. 150. pp. 108-118. Stabler self-fed five young growing pigs for 77 
days, giving them corn meal, wheat bran, linseed meal, and meat meal in 
separate troughs, but the results are presented without significant comment. 
In part he says, — “It is worth noting how regular these pigs were in their 
habits of feeding”, and “the pigs ate much more of the corn meal than of 
all the other feeds combined”, and, “these pigs made very satisfactory gains 
for feed consurhed.” The experiment was discontinued on the eve of “possi- 
ble striking developments.” 
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