OATS AS FEEDING FOR PIGS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 940, 23 April 1880, Page 3

OATS AS FEEDING FOR PIGS.

The abundance of the oat crop, coupled with the low price for this cereal, has caused several farmers to institute enquiries as to the value of oats for feeding pigs, aud tire relative value of wheat and barley for the same purpose. In answering questions of this kied there are many points which must first he ascertained, such, for instance, as to the price of the various cereals, weight per bushel of each, their component parts, the breed of pigs, and general management. Given wheat at 3s 6d per bushel of GOlbs, barley at 3s 6d pci - bushel of SOlbs, and oats at Is 6d per bushel 40jbs according to some agricultural chemists, wheat contains 4S!bs of nutritive matter per bushel ; barley 321bs per bushel of COlbs ; and oats 221 bs per bushel of 401hs, —accordingly' the same money's worth of oats should produce about equal results with wheat, and considerably more than the same money’s worth of barley. The American hog .feeders find that it takes slhs of Indian corn steeped in water to produce lib net of pork. Experiment has shown that it takes 5| lbs of crushed barley to produce lib net of pork, which at 3s 6 1 per bushel for the barley, would make the pork cost about 4Jd per potfffd. Assuming that the analysis' given above is tolerably correct, the result would be more favorable to the oats as feeding stuff,- owing of course to the low price. These results, it must be observed, arc simply a record of the meat producing power of the several kinds of corn experimented upon. Experience has shown that the same amount of grain given in conjunction with turnips, mangles, or potatoes produces more moat in proportion, and enables larger animals to’ he fattened at a less cost. It is a good plan to crush the oats, and if moistened with milk wash, or eveft water, so much the better ; numerous trials have proved that mixing the meal with water and given as slops, is a

wasteful plan ; many of the most experienced feeders of pigs use the meal dry, letting the animals have access to water, the theory being that the pigs had ts consume much more water when the corn was given in the slop state than was necessary, thereby weakening the action of the stomach, and rendering necessary the consumption of a certain amount of food for the purpose of bringing the water up to the temperature of the body; this IS particularly the case in winter time! These may to some seem Unimportant points, but they are far from being so, and the neglect or otherwise of such considerations must determine the amount of profit or loss attending the pig feeder’s operations. We believe that with a good stock of well bred pigs, properly managed, an I with oats at their present low price, and pork at not less than 4d per pound, a very handsome return ihay be realised.—N. Z. Country Journal.