Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 217]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

209

DECREASED GAIN DURING FATTENING.

The decreased gain during the process of fattening, for the amount of food consumed, is illustrated in the case of ]ot A, in Table IV. During first period of three weeks it required 3.627 pounds of corn to produce a pound of pork, or 15.4 pounds of pork to bushel of corn, During last period of three weeks it required 7.873 pounds of corn to produce 1 pound of pork, or 7 pounds of pork to bushel of corn. For the period of six weeks it required 5 pounds of corn to produce a pound of pork, or 11.2 pounds of pork per bushel. As these hogs were in a marketable condition at the end of the first period, it would, other things equal, have been better economy to liave sold them at that time. Although this is only an illustration of a well established fact, the result was probably to some extent affected by the weather. During the first period of three weeks the weather throughout was comparatively mild, while during a portion of the last period the weather was intensely cold, the thermometer reaching 20° below zero.

NUTRITIVE RATIO.

By reducing the amount of corn and corn meal consumed 15 per cent.—the per cent, of water found to be contained in a sample analyzed for the purpose—and estimating 10 per cent, for the solids contained in the skim-milk—the average per cent, of solids in skim-, milk—it is found, as shown in Table V, that for corn meal, with a nutritive ratio of 1:8, it required 3.520 pounds of solids to produce a pound of pork, while for corn meal and skim-milk, having a nutritive ratio of 1:5, it took 2.802 pounds to produce a pound of pork, or .7 of a pound less in the latter case. An important difference in the effect of foods is in their respective proportions of proteids, fats and carbhydrates, or nutritive ratio. It would appear, so far as this experiment goes, that a food with a nutritive ratio of 1:5 is better for hogs than one of 1:8, but it must be borne in mind that digestibility plays a very important part in foods, and it is presumable that the solids of milk are more digestible than those of corn meal. There is another element, probably as important, if not more so. It is the same point that was mentioned in considering the effect of corn meal and shelled corn; namely, the amount eaten in a given space of time. When milk was fed with corn meal more solid food was consumed in the three weeks than when corn meal was fed alone. A less proportion of the food eaten was necessary to supply the normal waste of the body. The palatability of food, therefore, is important, by increasing the amount an animal will consume in a given space of time.

CATTLE FEEDING AND MANAGEMENT.

The great increase in the number of cattle within the last few years, not only in the States and Territories of the further west, but in many of the older States, has caused, or has been followed by, considerable changes in management. The competition is greater and the margin for profit is less than in former years. The fat cattle markets in 1886 have been less satisfactory than for many years past. Ind.—14.