Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-08-02
Summer Care Of Hogs.

The principal diet OF hogs Ill summer
should be grass, rich slops, fruits and
vegetables, and some corn; these with
the worms and insects obtained on
range, are amply sufficient to sustain a
steady growth until the cool autumn
weather sets in, when diet of sound
corn with some slop should be contin-
ued until they are fat enough for kill
ing or for market. This process of tax
ing hogs through the summer applies
equally to hogs tnat have been wintered,
or to spring pigs, except that pigs
should be fed stronger on account of
their more rapid growth.
Summer is the time to make pork.
Making it in winter is much like run
ming boat against wind and tide. 1t
requires too much food to keep up the
supply of animal heat. If hogs have
plenty of grass in the summer, and
about half the grain they will eat, they
will fatten rapidly, and about three
pounds of pork can be made from less
grain in this way than one pound can
be made in cold weather with hog in a
close pen. The grass is cooling and
loosening, and counteraots the feverish
properties of the grain.
Another important consideration in
favor Of such diet is cost, which is
merely nominal as compared with grain
alone. Free access to pure water and
good shade is Essential to the comfort
and consequently growth and thrift of
the pig. The hog delights in a cool
damp locality, and is very sensitive to
heat and cold, and suffers extremely
from exposure to either. Any unusual
exercise will be fatal to hog that is
fat, on a hot day, if it has not free ac-
cess to water.
Hogs are not apt to root when there
is plenty of grass on the ground, but
rings in their noses have many great adj
vantages, and by all means should be
used. They should be allowed to have
all the grass they will eat as early in
the spring as possible, and clover and
timothy is good for them in the winter.
Hogs that have run to grass and slop all
summer can be shut up in a pen and
fed to advantage six weeks or two
months, but not longer.
A pig should never be allowed to stop
growing; in fact that rule holds good
during its entire life. A poor, NANCY
pig is Of no value; close confinement iQ
filth and dirt will check the growth,
however generous the feed; but if
starved at the same time, it will be a
mercy to both pigs and owner to send
them to the manure pile.
Milk is very cooling drink, and al
most indispensable in raising young pigs.
But very little corn meal should be fed
to young pigs before they are four
months old. The effects Of corn and
raw corn meal on young pigs are these:
The pigs will first be costive and then
they will scour. They will rub against
everything they come in contact with,
and rub their hair off. Their skin will
have red and dry appearance A dry,
black scurf will begin to form on Them
and the more of the corn they eat, the
poorer they will get The best thing
that can be done for pig IN this con-
dition is to give him thorough wash
Sour milk is best. Coarse -four or mid
dlings from rye or wheat, when made in
to a thin drinkable slop with milk, is
the best feed for young pigs except
bread and milk. Bread is good for
very young pigs because it has been
leavened. Food has to ferment before
it will digest, and if fed to young pig
before fermepted, it will overtask his
stomach and spoil him. Lettuce is
good for young pigs. 1t will stop the
scours on them. The middlings should
be put in the milk at night, after the
feeding has been done, and allowed to
be in the milk through the night, never
allowing the swill tub to get quite emp
ty, always leaving little in the bottom
for yeast. The swill should never be
allowed to get stale. Hogs or pigs
treated as here described will grow to
satisfaction and prove .proftable.-G. IN
Ohio Farmer: