| Show SELF value demonstrated in Rec recent LIlt experiments at beltsville PLAN IS VERY practicable grade berkshires uniform in size averaging 93 pounds were used ample room for exercise was given animals from the united states department ot of agriculture the value of the self feeder method of fattening pigs was demon demonstrated tra td in an experiment recently carried out at the experimental farm of the bureau of animal industry at beltsville md inid the object was to determine the value of this system as compared with aith the or binary method of hand feeding the pigs used in the experiment were grade furrowed farrowed far favro rowed wed in the fall of 1915 they averaged 93 pounds per head when the experiment started the liand hand fed lot were fed three times dally daily the amount being governed by the appetites the ration given the hand fed hogs was composed of 5 parts cornmeal 4 parts and 1 part the cornmeal and supplements were mixed dry just before feeding the amount to be fed was weighed and then mixed into a ta thick lie k slop enough water being used to make t v 1 n 3 al t inexpensive self feeder the slop pour out of the bucket without sticking the feeding was done at 7 and 1130 in the forenoon and in the afternoon the lie self fed lot had free access at all times to cornmeal and in separate compartments of a self feeder close watell watch was kept on the feeder and a supply of each feed maintained both lots of pigs were kept in dry lots a quarter of tin an acre in size the pigs were given ample room for exercise and sufficient lelent shelter the pigs in both lots had access to a mineral mixture composed of charcoal bush el I 1 hardwood ashes bushel I 1 salt pounds 8 air lime pounds 3 sulphur pounds 4 pulverized copperas pounds 3 summary of results feeding period feb 22 to may alay 2 1 1916 70 days liand hand fed self feeder IOL loix number t of pigs 9 9 average initial weight pounds 92 01 average unal final weight pounds 1650 ao average gain per pig pounds average dally daily gain pounds im feed eaten dally daily by pig corn meal pounds bag pounds 81 pounds 4 12 23 28 average dally daily ration pounds pounds of feed per pounds gain 0 cost of pounds gain 6 24 mgt ration 5 parts corn meal 4 parts I 1 part cornmeal the cost per ton of feed used in the experiments experiment 3 was as follows cornmeal 27 30 50 all the pigs in the self feeder lot maintained keen appetites during the 70 days of feeding the liand hand fed pigs 1 I X 41 I 1 F C 1 self feeding hay rack averaged 94 pounds per head and the self fed pigs 92 02 pounds per head at th the beginning of the test at the end of 70 days the hand fed pigs averaged 1075 1675 pounds and the self fed pigs pounds pounds more than the hand fed pigs the self fed pigs consumed a greater quantity of feed per head the test than the liand hand fed pigs but it took only pounds of feed to produce pounds at a cost of while the haud hand fed pigs produced pounds of gain at a cost of 0 the self fed pigs made a better show ing surpassing the hand fed lot in both rate and economy of gains the results of the experiment clearly show that for quick fattening the self feeder Is very practicable |
