The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-12-25
for the farmer.
WHITES TREATMENT OF HOGS.

There is no season Of the year SO hard on hogs,
and in.wbich they are much neglected as IN
winter. Many persons seem TO THINK tnat oe-
cause a hog is a hog he can stand any kind OF
treatment, at at the same time yield handsome
profit to his owner; but it is not the case. 1t is
said that the hog is a native of q warm climate,
aud his thin coat of brstes certainly affords but
little protection against the freezing cold OF the
bitter blast to which he is often exposed IL Is
not an uncommon thing for farmers 10 turn their
hogs into the street open roads to fhift for
themselves, with no other bedding than the fro
zen ground, on which they pile up and sgueal
and fight all night for the warmest place. Their
feed is carelessly thrown to them in the mud,
under the impression that it is pleasure for the
hog to root in the cold mud up to his eyes for
what little he gets. These farmers seem to think
that "there is more pleasure in pursuit than IN
possessIOn;" but il is my candid opinion THAT u
they were obliged TO take their breakfast SIX or
eight inches below the surface of the mud, some
cold morning. it would need no other argument
to convince them of the contrary. There IS no
other domestic animal that is so easily injured
by the cold as the hog, and if we wonld make
him pay for his keeping, we must keep him well.
During the winter season he should be provided
with warm. dry quarters, with plenty OF bedding,
such as leaves, straw, &c, and should have plen-
ty of nutritious food. He should be fed with
plenty of corn, or if corn is not so plenty, he
may be given more light food, snch as Stops,
swill, &c. hog requires a great deal of carbon
10 produce fat and heat, and for this purpose
there is nothing better than corn. Psychologists
tell us that the carbon that is in food warns an
animal in the same manner the carbon that is
in wood and coal warm a stove furnace.
Hence the less care expended in making the hog
pen comfortable the more food is required to
keep mp and maintain the proper amount of ami
NAL heat. The feed should be regulated accord
ing TO the temperature of the weather, inst as
we regulate fuel according TO the demands of
heat and cold. But il some should understand
me to mean, that the only object of feeding hogs
is to keep them warm, aud should think his hog
pen warm enough for his hogs to do without
feed, and thus starve them, should feel badly
TO say the least. Hogs should have a good sup
ply of water, and for this purpose they may be
given a large quantity of swills and Stops of va
rions kinds. always think that my hogs keep
in better health when constantly supplied with
salt, coal and ashes. These articles, think,
stimulate the appetite and invigorate the diges-
tive organs. This kind of treatment, | believe
is as good a preventive of cholera as anything
know of, for have known droves of hogs that
were constantly supplied with salt, charcoal and
ashes, to escape this disease, while those that
were neglected in this respect almost invariably
died. 1t is a bad plan to keep pigs or hogs mp
all winter in close pen, where there is no chance
for them to run ont in the woods and dirt. The
best place to winter hogs is in the woods or brush.
They shOuld have a warm shed or shelter in
which to sleep, and SD constructed that they can
go out and in at pleasure. Be careful not to
crowd large number of hogs into a small pen,
for when there are so many together they will be
very apt to overlap and smother some of them
The smaller pigs should be kept separate from
the larger ones, for if they are not separated
they will not get their share of the feed. Hogs
should never be allowed to lie ON pile of barn
yard manure, for, although it will keep them
warm, it will make them tender and sensitive to
the cold, and give them the scurvy before spring.
Cor. Journal Of agriculture, ST. Louis.