Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-05-01
Feed and Care of Swine.

Cloonel F. D. Curtis, in Rural New Yorker
Wheat is the most complete grain
food of all varieties, and ranks next
to milk as a perfect food To attaiu
this completeness in nutriment, it
should be ground with the bran and
all. In this form it will make Su-
perior food for swine of any age. It
should not be ground as fine as for
Touring, but at the same time it is
important that it should be fine
enough so that it will be readily ab-
sorbed or assimilaSed in the stomach.
If this is not the case much of it would
be voided ia an undigested state. No
condition of soaking or even boiling
the whole grain will insure a complete
digestion, and the loss when put in
either of these forms will vary from
one-fourth to one-half. Close obser-
walton has convinced me of this, and
the cost of one-tenth for grinding is
therefore very small per cent, COM
pared with actual waste when not
ground.
Soured to the first degree (made
simply sOltrO is the best form in which
to give food to hogs. Why it is so
may not be fully understood; but it is
to be assumed that in this condition
there is less fermentaticn in the sto-
mach, which gives it a better tone,
and the partial fermentation before
hand also aids in the digestion. One
thing is certain, that hogs fed unfer-
mented food are more troubled with
hatulency; and anybody knows that
this condition of the stomach is not
o611n1un tn rood -
good digestion. The most successful
feeders get the food for hogs as
near the first degree of fermentation
as they can, and the men who fail are
those who do not regard these things,
or, at all events, who do not practice
them. By leaving a portion of the
old or fermented food in the vessel
each time new quantity is added,
fermentation will take place much
sooner, as the old part starts the work
at once, and the whole mass is soon
affected thereby. Twelve hours are
usually long enough, but ia hot
weather six may be sufficient, and in
very cool conditions it may require
twenty-four hours to reach the same
condition. At first it may be reees-
sary to taste the food to know how it
is; but, after a little experience, by
close observation the degree of fer
mentatlon will be apparent When
food is fernented beyond the first de-
gree it is injurious, and care should be
taken that it is not either acetic or
alcoholic.
The best way to handle young pigs
is to let them run with their mothers
until their mothers dry up, and allow
the young ones to go into an inclosure
by themselves, where they can be fed
extra on milk. or wheat ground and
mixed with milk or oatmeal. Any of
these grains are good, and so is barley
ground and mixed with milk, or fer
mented slightly. By feeding and
sucking at the same time there is no
sudden change, and the pigs will
hardly miss the mother, and, IN fact,
they may be weaned when six or
eight weeks old by being fed in the
manner described, and they will be
content in their feeding pen when
kept entirely away from the mother.
Wheat, oats or barley meal may be
cooked for young pigs, but it is not
necessary to do SO; but it is essential
to have it fermented. The feelings
should be often and little at time,
and this should all be eaten up clean,
or less should be given.
To feed young pigs six times day
is better than to do So less often. By
"a little" is meant enough to fill the
stomach moderately full. but in no
case to the extent of stuffing or gorg-
ing. This latter manner of feeding
will destroy the appetite or produce
an inflated or poddv condition, and
stunt the pig. Blind staggers" are
caused by disordered stomachs. Rub
bing turpentine on the top of the head
causes an active evaporation, and no
doubt has stimulating effect on the
whole system; but the best remedy is
more care in feeding, and feeding ia
such a way that the stomach is kept
in a vigorous and healthful state, and
then there will be no rush of
blood to the head, but it will be equally
distributed all over the body, and the
stomach will retain its portion. Young
pigs should have an opportunity to
get to grass or some sort of green food,
as it helps Them wonderfully. They
like to root I'D the ground and this
too, is natural condition.
They will eat more and thrive bet
ter when they can have these benefits.
A sensible farmer will try to have the
surroundings and food for his pigs
conform to their nature as much as
possible, and in so far as he does he
will benefit himself. A pig appreci-
ates all of these things as much as any
other animal, and far more SO than
most others.
A New York Bible canvasSer has
been arrested for obtaining goods on