You are raising hogs for market, and your veterinarian
recommends that you switch the type of feed given to the mature
hogs. The vet is concerned that the present feed is too high
in protein. While a high protein diet is recommended for
young, growing hogs, food too high in protein can cause kidney
problems in the adult animals. You switch feed and notice
that the weights of your mature animals drop. You want
healthy animals with maximum weight, but you do not know how to
solve the problem. You design an experiment that would help
you solve this problem. You think that the higher protein
ration is the best way to maintain your weight gain. You have
40 hogs and you divide them into two groups. To one group,
you feed the high protein feed, to the other, you feed the lower
protein ration. All 40 hogs were born within 10 days of each
other. They are all about the same weight when you begin this
experiment. Each group of 20 hogs is in the same size pen in
the same barn. You weigh all hogs before the experiment,
place them on feed for 3 weeks and weigh the hogs again.
What is the scientific method for this scenario?