Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-26
Pig-FeedIng In Winter.


The average pig-feeder has improved.
no doubt, during the last decade.
There is not SO large a proportion OF
pigs obliged to dive six inches In mud
TO find their corn, but the number of
pi so fed still wou d astonish the
model pork raiser. Think of throwing
corn, worth one cent per pound, into
the IN d, TO be fished out in that way,
simply to save the labor and expense
o. a feeding Iico- of plank, where grav-
el is not found or that purpose.
Perhaps we may help s. me reader
by mentioning a way of making con-
venient floor for pigs, where p ank are
not cas- " obtained that is. take rails
with one smooth side. and lay this
smooth side up. for a foor. Lay these
rails on stringers. some eight to ten
inches from the ground. and Law them
so close together that pigs will not get
their feet through. and this will be
self-clean M floor until it fills up I'M
derneath, which VIII not be for several
months.
For forty pigs. make this floor TWEEN
ty-four feet square, and for this only
one hundred and lwenty ordinary-si ed
rails are requ red. If regularly spl t
rails are not at hand, spl t fifty good
sized po'es in the ddle and you have
the material for the % +. Holes caused
by the irregular shape of the raj can
easily be stopped bv twist NJ a large
straw rope and cauik ny these spaces.
The whole cor could be laid and
caulked bv two men in one day. The
small spaces Will 1t all the lquid
through, and most OF the solid drop
p nos. When this clean and conven-
lent foor is ni>hed, a few posts set up
around the on s dc, wi h tier OF poles
on the TOP for plates pole roof put on
and covered or matched with corn
salks. and the ndy sides protected
W Tn bundles OF corn-stalks. will give a
warm. clean shelter for hogs in any
climate.
The pigs can be fell on the floor, or,
letter, trOughs can be placed on two
sides. and the corn fed in these. The
cost of this floor and shed will be so lit
tie. that no pig-leeder would feel il.
and the l.rst lot o hos would pay for
IL twice over in extra profit. If the
hogs d sturb the stalk bundles on the
sides. short stakes can be dri zen close
together, and let three feet OH, so as
to rrevent them from reaching these
on the inside.
Ii hogs are to be fed through the
whole winter. corn alone will not be
found mo proiita lie TOR growth and
he 18th. We have no doubt that an ex-
elusive corn diet tends to disease; that
IL soon creates a feyerish cond ton of
the system. and often avs the founda-
ton Tor the most dreaded cholera.
Hogs lean in llesh vii get along very
well for a lew months on clear corn.
but there is great danger in continuing
it too long. The hog being naturally a
graSs-eating animal, can not be healthy
on such con entrated food as corn.
Fairly cut and nicely cured clover hay
will be eaten with good relish bv hogs
in winter, in small uantity. If hogs
are in n pen so warm that 1t does not
Tree G. then the best way is TO cut the
clover in iced cutter. moisten this
hay, and mix the meal for each hog
with two quarts of cut hay, and let il
lie in mass aud warm up for twelve
hours be ore iecding. The hay will all
be eaten with the meal. and this will
prevent any lever in the omach and
keep the hogs healthy. This is not n
fancy ration but practical one we
have tried with much sat sfaction.
Never had better gain than with
clover h ", cut, mostened and mixed
with corn meal in III way. The hogs
gained ten pounds 10 each bushel of
meal fed throu ia n cold winter. When
two or three months pigs are fed. there
- still GRE ter reason for feeding other
food with corn. We have had uniform
success with an equal III xture by we chit
OF corn, oats and bran. Pigs grind
their era n very well. and this miXtu @
W II be well digestcd Where nseed
meal is easily. obtained this might
pro tably be substituted or the oats,
or part of them. This meal conta ms
SD large proportion of muscle forming
matter. and phosphate of lime for the
bones. and in so di estih'e form that
one-half to one pound will produce
"a id growth in the pig.
In the South, where decOrticated cot
ton seed cake or IN al can be had at a
low rate. tn $ should be fed. in connec-
ton with corn and other grain. to devel-
op pigs rapidly. The decorticated
cake is not safe to feed to- p s. because
of the sharp scales or the tough nd
mixed in. And even the decOrti, ated
mnst be fed in very small quantity to
Young pigs. 1t is not so eas w dige ted
~ linseed meal. but in small uantity,
il is a very valuable pig food. The
snail amount Of oil found in linseed and
cotton seed meal has a most beneficial
ect upon the digestive organs We
do not be ieve pigs would er have
cholera with one half TO one pound OF
this ad ed TO the daily ration. unless
taken bv contagion. This question of
foods can not be too thoroughly studied
by pi feeders. Their best profits lie
in this direction. National LirS Sloc&
Journal.