The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-03-26
FARMERS COLUMN.
from the American Stock journal.
Wy Experience in Raising Hogs.
ny UNCLE JOHN.

WY Experience in Raising Hogs
BY UNCLE JOHN.
MEssRs. EDIToRs when I frs
commenced farming for myself, | bought
some hogs that were said to be "gOod
Breed" but what that breed was, car
not tell, and as to their being good, the
only good quality could discover, was
their being able to subsoil the ground
for me with their long snouts. kept
them on good pasture, and gave them
the kitchen slops, sour milk &c, and
occasionally a little corn, until they
were year and half old. Then put
them in a small yard, and fed them for
two months an average OF ten ears of
corn, three times day to each hog,
Zone hundred of such ears of our west
ern corn will make one bushel of shelled
corn.) This makes just | 8 bushels of
corn, fed to each hog, and | could have
sold it at 75 cents per bushcl, in the
crib. This makes the cost of fattening
each hog $3.50. The. largest one
weighed nett (head and feet left on)
925lbs., which sold at six cents per
pound, amounting to $3.50, Now
how am to get pay tor the food con-
sumed during the year and-a-half of
their lives, before they were put up to
fatten, and for the labor of feeding and
slaughtering
The next spring bought couple of
little pigs that had the misfortune to
lose their mother at the age of three
weeks. These pigs were a cross of
Suffolk and China stock; about half of
each. They were very young to wean,
and very small of their age, but as |
had plenty of milk, | thought | could
raise them. They were fed on milk
and slop from the kitchen, until fall,
when they were allowed to run in the
wood lot, as there was an abundance of
acorRs, and there they fattened very
fast. l gave them two and half
bushels Of corn, each, to harden the
meat, killed them at nine months old
and they weighed 200 lbs, each, nett.
The value of the corn and pork was
the same as the year before. The q
bushels Of corn, fed, would have sold
for $l.77I and the pork at six cents
per pound sold for $1,000, leaving
$lo.e24 on each pig, to pay for the
milk, kitchen slops and labor of feeding
and slaughtering. At the time Of fat
tening these pigs, one of my neighbors
proposed to me to take some hogs of
his to fatten and take part of the meat
as payment. His hogs were about 18
months old, large, and though not fat,
were in good condition. l put them
in the woods to eat acorns with my two
pigs, but to my surprise, they did not
tatten very fast. After the acOrns
were oil gone, and had killed the pigs,
/ put them in q yard and fed them on
corn. measured the corn aud fed
just ten bushels to each hog, and then
killed them. Their average weight
was 2l0 lbs. The corn that each hog
eat, would have brought me at rs cts.
per busnel, $3.50 The 21O lbs of
pork at 6 cents would bring SIC 60
Now you say there is quite a profit, but
not quite so fast, for as the hogs were
to be fattened principally on acorns /
had agreed to take one-third of the
pork, for my part, and one-third OF
1890 is S4.20, which taken from the
value Of tho corn shows a loss of SO. 80,
on each hog, not counting the acorns
of any value, and not counting my Ia
Dor. Now "fgures wont lie" and with
the exception Of the two Suffolk pigs,
pork making with me thus far, was q
losing business.
! determined to sell all the long
nosed hogs on the farm, at whatever
price could get, and send to you for
pair Of Chester Whites. They cost me
$40, delivered on my farm, and were
only six weeks old, and if ever O man
was laughed at, my neighbors laughed
at me, but "let those laugh that win,"
can take few spring pigs, and give
thOm the waste from the Kitchen, sour
milk dc. and finish off with five bush
els Of corn, to each, and kill them when
nine months old, and make $50 lbs, of
pork, nett, from each pig. This l have
done this year. Corn is now worth 70 |
cents per bushOl, and pork cents per
pound. The FIVE bushels of corn would
bring $3.50. The $50 lbs Of pork would
bring S24.50, leaving a balance Of $2l,
on each pig, to pay the cost Of killing
and for tho sour milk, and kitchen slops,
which would have been wasted If not
led to something.
The pair bought Of you less than
Two years ago, now weigh over 6O0lb
zach, and do not exceed three ears Of
corn or its equivalent per day. l have
raised two litters of pigs the first eight,
Tho second nine, in number. The weight
,f those is stated above. Verify pork
'aising will pay, If you feed Hogs in
'tead Of Alligators, and the $40, paid
or the pair Of Chesters only six weeks
I'D have come back 10 me, but the
leighbors "can't see II" for a hog is a
lOg here, If he can only squeal, no mat
er about the breed.