SKIMMED MILK AS PIG FOOD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 8

SKIMMED MILK AS PIG FOOD.

A further estimate of the value of skimmed milk as a food for pigs is given by Mr H. W. Potts, principal of Hawkesbury Asjricultural College, Sydney. He was asked (1) what wae the value of 50 gallons of separated milk as pig-food, in comparison with pt)llard at Is per bushel, bran at lOd per bushel, and mill sweepings at 5s per 1001b; and (2) what foods should be mixed with separated 1 milk to make a properly balanced ration. He replied as follows:— "I* should be noted that analyses of bran, pollard, and separated milk vary considerably, and this will make the comparison only a general one. Mill-sweepings cannot be taken into account, as they are in no way a standard 1 article, and would differ gxeatly in food constituents even from the same mill. Only an analysis of the particular sample could enable a comparison to be made. Food values are separated into three classes — viz., protein (or the nitrogenous portion), carbohydrates (starches, sugar^ etc.), and fat, and a general idea of the composition of the foods mentioned may be gained from the figures given in Henry's standard work on "Feeds and Feeding": —

The above are the digestible nutrients only. Perhaps the easiest method of comparison i 3 to give the amounts of these nutrients for the quantities mentioned: — Protein. Carbohydrates. Fat. 20lb bran .. .. 2.44 7.94 0.541b 201b pollard .. . 2.56 10.60 0.681b 501b gep. milk . . 14.50 26.00 1.501b Thus it will be easily seen that the milk contains roughly six times as much protein. 2j, ■times as muoh carbohydrates, and 2i times as much fat as pollard ; and if the latter is worth Is, the 50 gallons separated milk, apart from qwetions of handling, sweetness, etc., should be worth somewhere about 2s 9d. All of the foods mentioned have a narrow nutritive ratio — i.e., the proportion of protein as compared with the carbohydrates and fat is high. Bran stands at 1:3.7, pollard 1:4.7, and separated milk about 1:2. To supplement the separated milk with a view to making it a properly-balanced diet for fattening pigs, grain of some eort should be used, according to availability ancl market values. Maize (with the wide nutritive ratio of 1:9.8, barley 1:7.1, rye 1:7.1, or wheat 1:5.6) may be used. Feeding teats have shown that wheatmeaJ and: maizemeal arc of the same value in feeding pigs, with a decided improvement if used in combination, equal parts of each. Barley and rye are al=o of about equal feeding value, and about 8 per cent, more of either is required than of corn or wheat to produce the same increase in weight. Ifc may also be of interest to note that from feeding experiments conducted with pigs, both in Denmark and the U.S.A.. 51b or 61b of separated milk has replaced lib of maize meal in the ration, andi with corn at 3s 6d per bushel the skim milk, in a properly- balanced ration, is I worth a-5 hi^h as l^d per gallon.

Vheat-bran „ 'ollard .. .. ieparated milk Protem.CaTbohydr ates. F«t. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. .. 12.2 39.2 2.7 . 12.8 53:0 3.4 2.9 5.2 0.3