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Show BB r f Alfalfa as a Food for Swine. H (By R. W. Olarlc, Prof, of Animnl BH Industry, A. 0. U. ) BH ' During tho summer of 1005, nn BH experiment, consisting of 121 days, BB was onrrlod out at tbo Agricultural Bfl Gollcgo to dotormino tho value of BB growing nlfalfa for pigs. Tbo pigs BB woro farrowed in March and April, BB woro ton weeks old, and weighed BB about fifty lbs. onob when wonnod BB I , and turned on tho alfnlfn. Thoro BB I woro twonty four of thorn on ououore, !aud tboy woro a ohoioo lot of grade and puro bred Tumworths, Poland Ohtnns and Yorkshires. In tho early M f part of tho senaou immediately aftor Bfl f weaning, thoir food, asldo from pas- BBJ i turo, consisted of llvo parts of skim BBJ milk to ouo of shorts. Later in tho f ' soason tho proportion was reduood to ( ono and two parts of skim milk to ono of shorts, and Anally tho skim milk was dropped from tho ration. BBJ Tboy woro provided with plenty of BBJ ehado and good water, and enro was BBJ takon to keep thorn always on good BBJ pasture by moving them about. BB J Tboso pigs received very llttlo of BB the first orop of alfalfa, hi thoy were BH ' not put upon It until the fore part of BH I Juno. Tbo first orop was largely H J grazod by tho oldor swlno. On tho B t second and third crops of this noro, BB- with skim milk and aborts ns indicated Bl abovo, not gain was mado of 250 BB '' ' poutids. In addition to tho paaturo, BB ouo pound of gaiu required 24 pounds BB -""x, , - of shorts and 6.2 pounds of skim BB milk. Shorts worth (1 a ton and BB skim milk 15 cents per hunrdod IB ' pounds, one pound of gain, oxoluslvo of pasture, would coat 2.7 cents. In making 2500 pounds of gain, 13125 pounds of skim milk and G113 pounds of Bhorts woro oonsuniod in addition to tho paaturo. Tho gan per pig por day was .84 pounds. Larger gains BB would bavo been secured had more BB grain and milk boon given, but the H- 1 idea was to restrlot tho grain and milk Bv ration in order to get a larger con- BL. 1,,. sumption of alfalfa. Whenever the BBJ r "" "J bund dlnr waa liboral, thoy took BBt Jess of tho pasture Bj"" "" r Tho Tamworth pigs proved to bo m" ospeoially well adapted for grazing. BH Notwithstanding tho faot that thoy B ' -woro tho youngest of tho bunob, thoy BB mado far the oheapost and largest BB, daily gains. Tho writer believes BB tbo Tamworth to bo an ideal hog for BB profit for seottons whero grazing is B ! m plentiful and grain foods high prlood. B ' Tho greatest profit is seourod by M! giving tho pigs a good start and by ( ' having alfalfa paaturo form a part of tbo ration. Qrnin food should bo roduood to minimum, but not at tho exponso of Btoudy growth. Swino, ospeoially growing pigs, will not do Hfp t muoh on alfalfa ns a single food. Br Some grain, or grain and skim milk jrc should bo added. Bh' Alfalfa 1b not fattening food; its H 0l. prinoipnl nso is in tho formatiou of B . Ba. bono and musole. Mature hogs, fed B ua Iu on growing alfalfa or on well cured T 0uio. alfalfa hay, will only sustain thoir H i rod n weights ; for fattoning, grain Is k Ma en. needed. Bli thoir f. |
