Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 March 1911 — Winter Months on the Farm [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Winter Months on the Farm

How to Improve Them

Profitable Pork Production Breed. Breeding end Feeding die Foundation of Success. Management of the Sow and Young Pigs

By PROF. G. C. HUMPHREY

IVitcanMn College of Agriculture

Conrriaht. loio. br Western Newspaper Union

At the present time there Is considerable controversy as to the merits ■of the lard type and the bacon type ■of swine. The long, narrow, thinfleshed bacon tyfce, which dresses 70 to 75 per cent on butchering, as compared with the lard type, which •dresses 84 to 83 per cent.,'meets with little favor in some sections. In fact Immature and unfinished lard hogs satisfy most of the bacon demands. On the other hand, the lard type, which is low, deep, brOad, heavily-fleshed, and including the Poland China, Duroc Jersey, Berkshire and Chester White breeds, is always in demand. Selection of Breed. The selection of a breed is due rather to personal preference than to any superiority of one of the four varieties of lard hogs. Efficient managemen will sueceed in the long run, no matter what breed is selected as the foundation stock. , The market itself does not differentiate between breeds but rather requires uniformity in type combined with superior finish and ■ duality. The best plan for each farm-j'-er to follow is to select the breed that I most closely corresponds to his particular conditions as determined by personal preference, method of production, local popularity of the breed and the market demands. Due to the fact of the rapid responses to the introduction of superior blood and the ready retention and transmission of acquired characteristics among the swine family, the upgrading and Improvement of the scrub herd is a relatively simple matter. There Is no excuse for any farmer maintaining a herd of inferior scrub hogs on his farm. By the use of a good, purebred sire anyone can, in a few years and at little expense, establish a grade herd equal to a purebred herd as regards pork production. Of course, this necessitates the rejection of all inferior animals from the breeding herd and the maintenance •of only the Improved types. Importance of the Boar. The herd boar should be a purebred, prepotent sire strongly evincing bis breed'characteristics and possess!lng the necessary market tion. He should be short and broad

Bn face, broad between tbe eyes and possess short, broad ears. His neck should rise rapidly between tbe ears and widen Tnto a body which Is long, -uniformly wide and deep. Massive forequarters and narrow hindquarters with insufficient depth In hams and twist should he avoided. Refinement in the head 1b essential, supplemented by a broad, strong, slightly arched back, a wide loin and wide deep hams. The legs and feet of the boar should be short, strong and sound. Having selected a boar corresponding to the above type,, it is best to quarantine 'him for three or four weeks to eliminate all danger of the introduction into the herd of parasites and' diseases by way of the newlypurchased sire. A boar should not be used for service earlier than the age of eight months and then should be only allowed to serve one female a day, preferably in the early morning, before feeding. The sow should correspond closely to breed requirements, although she can be a little more refined in features and bene. She should possess ten to tweive sound teats, also a quiet, docile temperament indicative of a good mother. Both the boar and sow should be in good condition for the breeding season and should be grown rather than fattened. During pregnancy the sows should be forced to exeVclse by scattering their feed In different places or by making them root for their feed mixed with litter. Rations for Breeding Swine. Some of the best swine rations used at Wisconsin college of agriculture are about perfect. The only objection to them is that they are too expensive for long-continued feeding operations. A good ration consists of 100 pounds of mixed feed fed as slop, composed \as follows: Commeal !30 pounds, ground oats 30, wheat middlings 30, oil meal 8, salt 3. This ration is particularly adapted for swine from the weaning period until they reach 300 pounds in weight All the com that the pigs will clean up can also be supplied where they

are being fattened for market, without danger of causing digestive disorders. The oil meal in this ration not only gives consistency and uniformity to the slop, but it also regulates the digestive organs and improves the quality of Bkln and half. V A good brood sow ration consists of coromeal 23 pounds, ground oats 23, wheat middlings 23, wheat bran 23, oil meal 6 and salt 2. This is an excellent .ration, the wheat bran giving it bulk and lnpreasing its laxative effects, A good ration for small plgd Includes ground oats (free from hulls) 35 pounds, wheat middlings 35, cornmeal 20, oil meal 8 and salt 2. This should be supplemented with warm skim-milk for young pigs, fed just before and after weaning time. A good

plan Lb to feed small quantities of this ration to dour-weeks-old pigs for two weeks and then wean them and gradually accustom them' to the growing ration. In the case of the first two rations oats may be omitted and the same amounts of corn and wheat middlings increased or barley may replace the corn, as it is excellent for bacon production. Corn and clover pasture produce excellent gains towards the end of the fattening process. In the brood sow ration bran may be replaced by roots and oats may be omitted, providing the sows have abundant exercise. After the farrowing period sows need the growing ration for the maintenance of large litters. Care at Farrowing and Weaning. The sows should be housed in com-

sortable, sanitary quarters and fed as usual up to the date she is to farrow. Knowing the date the sow iwas bred, and that the period of gestation for swine is 112 to 11$ days, ft is easy to approximate \the date of farrowing. When the sow’s lidder becomes , distended and milk can be drawn from her teats she is due to farrow within 24 hours. After farrowing, the sow should be fed the slop ration and laxative feeds to keep the bowels open. She should be bedded with oat straw qr shredded corn fodder, which furnishes a dry, dustless bedding. Dust of any kind will cause coughs or pneumonia among the little pigs. Keep the sow quiet immediately after farrowing, allowing her only cold water, and at the end of 24 hours give her a light bran mash. After this the feed can be increased gradually up to the fifth day, when a liberal ration may be fed. Judicious feeding prevents milk fever in sows and scours in pigs. At the age of four weeks pigs begin to eat, and it is well to have them feeding well before weaning time. Fresh milk added to the small pig ration satisfies their demands. The ration should be fed in an easily cleaned V-shaped trough. Shelled com should be kept in a dry place before the pigs, and they will soon learn to eat H. The main point to be considered in feeding young pigs is to grow them and not to fatten them. They should thrive on a well-relished ration and grow steadily. Weaning can be completed at six to eight weeks of age. Where only one litter of pigs is raised annually it ia possible to let the pigs run with their dam for ten to twelve weeks, while in other cases only part of the Utter Is taken away from the sow and the rest left with their dam to gradually dry off her milk flow.

A Good Type of Brood Sow for Producing Market Pigs.

Fattening Swine Can Be Kept Most Economically In Lots With Individual Houses for Each Dozen Hogs. A Feed Wagon Is a Labor-Saver.