Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1915 — Small Grains and Alfalfa for Hogs, [ARTICLE]

Small Grains and Alfalfa for Hogs,

The growing of swine and the production of pork are industries that today are claiming increasing attention throughout the northwest. Experiments with grains which may take the place of corn for feeding purposes are of the greatest interest to farmers in this region, because the shiall grains are often grown in abundance and form the basis of all rations. A great amount of wheat, barley, and rye is fed in the form of mill products, and is of course ground. In common practice, also, these grains are ground more generally than corn, as they are, usually much harder. The greater liability of small grains to pass through the animal undigested shows the correctness of such practice. Best Results With Wheat-Chief among the small grains is wheat, and it,appears to be the food best adapted for long-continued hog feeding. The advisability of feeding wheat or any other grain, however, depends upon market prices and other economic conditions, it could hardly be regarded as economical to use wheat as stock feed at the 'high prices now prevailing. A bushel of wheat properly fed to reasonably well-bred bogs should produce, approximately. 13 pounds of gain in weight. The results of a number of feeding tests show that there is comparatively little difference in feeding valuer between .. wheat and corn : for

swine. In comparing various rations in which corn, wheat and rye were fed alone or in , combination with each other, it was found that drv 1 , ground wheat gave the greatest returns and required tile least amount of grain to make 100 pounds of gain. Wheat should be ground and mixed with some supplement, such as tankage, peas, or soy-bean meal. The results obtained from a number of tests have proven this to be a good practice. Barley Produces Best Pork—ln Great Britain and northern Europe barley takes the place of corn for pork production, leading all grains in producing pork of fine quality, both as to hardness and flavor. Considerable study in the United States has been made of the value of barley as pig feed, and the results have shown that it compares very favorably with, corn, but has & feeding value somewhat below that of wheat. What grain may lack in feeding value, however, it more than supplies in its effect on the carcass. As a high-grade pig feed it far sui passes any other grain, and this fact makes possible the production of pork of the first quality in regions where barley is produced abundantly. Ground or rolled barley is best fed in combination with wheat middlings, skim milk, roots, alfalfa, etc. Value of Rye-—Rye mgal ranks a little below corn and about equal to barley meal as ,a feed for swine. Rye produces satisfactory pork, especially when it is fed with other grains. It is an extremely heavy, concentrated feed and will usually give best results when fed not to exceed one-third of a ration. In many sections rye is much esteemed as pasture, especially where the soils are rather light, and in such instances ‘ hogging off" proves profitable. Alfalfa Pasture and Hay—Since, economical pork production depends largely upon the consumption of a great deal of cheaply grown feed, the pasture should be managed so that the forage produced will be clean, tender, and palatable. Many successful hog raisers prefer to use such 'crops as alfalfa and clover . for both pasture and liay at the same time. The number of hogs generally turned into a field is so limited that the usual crops of hay are made. The newer irrigated sections have thousands of acres in alfalfa which ma.y be utilized by pasturing with hogs. Alfalfa, while adapted to the same territory as clover, has a much wider range of usefulness, for it succeeds with less rainfall and on lighter soils than clover. Where the land is to be used continuously for hog pasture for a number of years, alfalfa easily stands first. An acre of alfalfa will keep frorir 15 to 20 pig's during the summer, and with grain in addition will make Very profitable gains and a high quality of pork. Alfalfa bay is often used for feeding to hogs in the dry lot. It-may be fed whole, chopped or ground. The results of five years’ work at the j Nebraska station indicate that for fattening hogs the way to feed alfalfa. hay mo.st satisfactorily is without grinding or chopping. While the cost of producing pork may be reduced, materially by the use of alfalfa hay, or alfalfa pasture, it is desirable to . feed other concentrated feed in addition. Alfalfa is too one-sided for a ration unless supplemented with grain. Mature hogs, however, are maintained in apparently satisfactory condition on alfalfa, alone. Amount- of Grain Fed With Pas-ture—-Hog growers differ quite widely regarding the quantity of grain that should be fed while on pasture. Some feed a full gain ration; that is,

all the hog will consume. Others feed a medium ration, one that is equal to about 2 to 3 per cent of the live weight of the hog. Still others prefer a light ration, one that is equal to about 1 percent of the live weight of the hog. No definite rule can he laid down, as the amount of grain which should be fed with green pasture depends upon! (1) the price of the grain, (2) the amount and quality of the pasture, and (3) the age at which the hogs are to be marketed. However, the feeding of 2 pounds of grain per day for each too pounds of live, weight will usually give satisfactory results. r~ When the supplemental grain ration is expensive there is great temptation to place the hogs upon an exclusive pasture ration. This seldom pays, because it takes as much concentrated feed in tfrfe end, and sometimes more, to fit hogs for market which have been on a pasture diet as is required for hogs fed grainwhile on pasture; however, mature breeding stock, or hogs .vliich are nearly grown, can be carried on good pasture until cheap concentrated feed can be supplied.

Hogs feeding upoh require slightly less concentrated feed than when grazing upon lionleguminous pasture. When a farmer has more hogs than his pasture is capable of supporting, it will be more economical to feed a full grain ration, for the grain a «ftog consumes the less he will feed upon the pasture; To finish hogs for market when 7 to 9 months old it is necessary to give them about all the feed they ill consume, in addition to pasture in order to make them reach the.weight demanded by the market, 170 to 225 pounds. Hogs that are to be marketed when 10 to 12 months old can be maintained on pasture combined with a light grain ration during the grazing season and fattened later. Slow daily gains will result, but most of the growth will be made from cheaply grown forage. Crops for 'Hogging-Off—ln the regions where the small grains and alfalfa flourish it is also possible to provide crops that may be hogged off during several months of the busy season. The crops generally used for this purpose are wheat, field peas, corn and li&rley, By supplementing well-managed pasture with the proper grain rations and utilizing the ability of the hog to harvest grain crops for himself, the average cost of producing pork in the northwestern states may he materially reduced.— IT. S. Dept, of Agriculture Weekly News Letter. .