Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1918 — SUNSHINE WARMS THIS HOG HOUSE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SUNSHINE WARMS THIS HOG HOUSE

Provides Quarters Based on Scientific Principles. SANITATION TAKEN CARE OF Modified Type Saw-Tooth Roof Is Fit ted With Special Windows for Direct Sunlighting—Help Raise More Pork. Mr. William A. Radford will answer questions and give , advice FREE OF COST on all subjects pertaining *to the subject of building work on the farm, for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all inquiries to William A. Radford, No. 1827 Prairie avenue, Chicago, 111., and only Inclose three-cent stamp for reply. “Raise more pork,” the food administration says; and the American farmers are responding valiantly by putting their hog-raising quarters Into firstclass shape for doubling up their production without hiring an extra man.

Most important is to have a winter pen house where the first litters can be safely farrowed in February and early March; and then repeat in the fall. The design illustrated is the speciat American Builder type of modified saw-tooth as designed for roof windows. These are placed in such a way that the direct rays of the sun shine directly into the nests at farrowing time. There are several different makes of these special roof windows —all constructed on much the same principle. They have galvanized sheet iron frames which carry their own flashing, and so can be easily set in place on the roof and made water tight. For the sake of sanitation, saving of feed and the lessening of labor the pen floors and also the outside run yard are constructed of concrete. In building a hog house it is necessary to consider convenience* in getting the hogs in and out, to provide means for loading them into wagons and a place for heating water and for feed cooking and mixing. When built on sloping ground, as is generally the case, this plan offers an opportunity to back the wagon up to the rear door for loading and a room in the front end away from the pens is arranged for a feed room.

Provision is made for moving hogs from one pen to another by having cleats in the alley for holding sliding doors, Hogs thrive better when animals of the same size are penned together. Some grow faster than others and it is sometimes desirable to select out one or two from certain pens. That is the time when the alley door will be appreciated. Another good thing about this hog house is the swinging front of the pens which swings back over the trough and prevents interference when putting in the feed. The partitions next to the feed room run to the ceiling, but the partitions between the pens are only four feet high. This hog house will accommodate about 100 hogs by housing from six tc eight in a pen, which is thick enough; if more are penned together they pile up and smother each other. This hog house contains 16 individual pens, with an alley through the center. It is 24 feet wide and 57 feet long, with two main entrance doors at the ends of the feeding alley. Each pen on the south side of the building has an outside door to connect the inside stalls with the outside exercising pens. The foundation is of concrete, and there is a solid concrete floor the full size of the house. This floor is carefully made and given a smooth waterprodf finish, so it >may be kept clean with the least possible expenditure oi .labor. The concrete wall extends up 18 Inches above the grade line to pre-

vent the possibility of a draft of cold air on the nests. All doors are carefully fitted to shut tight in the wintertime. Each pen has a concrete feeding trough and a swinging gate opening in* to the center alley. These gates are very convenient when transferring from one pen to another. They are also handy at breeding time, because the presence of the attendant inside of the pens is frequently necessary. The construction above the concrete consists of studding, outside boarding, strong building paper and drop siding. So far as the sides are concerned, it is important that the work should be thoroughly well done. The shape of the roof is Intended te adniit all the light and sunshine possible during the farrowing season, which’ usually varies a few weeks in the different latitudes. This pitch of roofi is intended for the northern sections of the country. Metal ventilators are provided to carry off the foul air, which is a necessary precaution, because the health! of breeding stock depends greatly upon the supply of fresh air. Improved winter hog houses have helped to eliminate disease and to put the hog business on a better paying oasis than ever before. The fact is oow recognized that hogs require as| careful handling in winter as other! rinds of live stock. Hogs have been) mown to winter through in poorly-con-

structed buildings, but it pays to house ind feed good breeding stock in a ihoroughly scientific manner. " A few’ breeding sows, say three or tour, may hustle for themselves around! the barnyard and make themselves fairly comfortable at night by rooting their way into the haystack, but there Is not much profit to a farmer in keeping three or four sows. A larger number demands different treatment, so that some kind of a winter hog house Is necessary to raise pigs in paying quantities. Theoretically, a sow will farrow seven pigs twice a year. It is easy to figure that each pig will sell for S2O to S3O at 200 pounds when it is eight months old. Almost any farmer can realize such figures on one or two litters, even when raised under the oldfashioned -methods. But no farmer alive can make anything like such satisfactory profits on a large scale unless he is equipped with the proper facilities for handling the breeding stock in all kinds of w’eather. Weather is a great factor in the success of the hog business.