The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-11-13
CHEAP SHELTERS FOR SWINE.
A Gain so Great that 1t Should Never Be
Neglected.


The gain from sheltering farm stock
in winter is so great that it should new
er be neglected, and no animals give
larger return for shelter than swine.
When exposed to the weather, these an
imals will huddle closely together, and
in their struggles to get to the center of
the heap, where it is warmest. some
may be severely injured. They win be-
come heated in the heap, and when they
get up the cold air strikes their bodies,
and producing congestion, induces the
fatal diseases so prevalent during the
latter part of the winter. There is q
great saving in food by sheltering; ex-
periments have shown that in severe
winter weather, sheltered hogs will,
from the same amount of food, lay on
nearly twice as much flesh as those ex-
posed. The hog seems to be the least
adapted of all farm animals to endure
exposure; it has not the thick skin and
coat of the OK, or the warm fleece of
the sheep to retain bodily heat and to
protect them from the piercing cold.
The farmer who has a few logs or
large poles, and straw for roof, need
be at no expense for materials in making
a a
eastern slope, when possible, and if
wooded, all the better. Build up with
logs or poles a square pen four feet high.
Any sized logs or poles may be used, but
the best are foot or fifteen inches in di-
ameter for the lower ones, using lighter
ones (say six inches in diameter)
towards the top, where it would be
difficult to place logs as heavy as those
used in the bottom. The logs must be
notched, or else the chinks between
them stopped with boughs or slabs, to
make the sides tight for two feet from
the ground; above this, notch the poles
only enough to make them lie solid, and
leave the chinks open. The lower logs
must be nOtched enough to keep them
from rolling. On the upper side of the
pen, dig a shallow trench a foot or so
from it, and bank up earth from this
against the logs, to prevent surface
water from running in. Lay poles
across the top and on these build a roof
of straw. In the east or south side saw
a doorway three feet wide, mailing
boards to the ends of the logs to keep
them in place. No door IS required.
Give no litter; the animals will be warm
enough without it. The roof should
project a foot beyond the poles all
around, to keep the snow from drifting
in at the crevices; this can be done by
making the poles which support the
roof sufficiently long. This pole shelter
protects the swine from rain and snow,
and the lower part of the walls being
solid, from cold winds. Hogs sleeping
in a shelter soon cOntaminate the air;
as their bodies and exhalations heat
this air, it rises and passes out at the
openings in the walls, while the cold
outside air enters and gradually settles;
this allows the hogs to constantly have
pure air, while cold wintry blasts do
not strike upon them.
An excellent shelter may be made on
a hillside, sloping towards the south or
east by digging down the bank perpen-
dicularly to form wall four feet high,
making the floor level. Ten or twelve
feet from this wall set a row of fOrked
posts, upon which lay pole for the roof
to rest upon. Upon this pole smaller
ones or rails may be laid, and upon
them a straw roof is built, or a board
roof may be laid from the wall to the
pole. In this case it is best to have
pole in the middle also. If there is to
be a straw roof, the pole in the forks
and the top of the wall must be on a
level, but for board roof the pole must
be six inches lower than the top of the
wall. Dig a shallow ditch along the
upper side. The lower side is left open.
The two sides win be partly open, and
are closed by driving down stakes and
banking straw against them, which is to
be covered with earth Leave an open
ing along the top for ventilation. This
is as good swine shelter as can be
made, and requires little labor and
material, as the walls are of earth.
Another good shelter is made by set
ting on three sides (north, west, and
south or east) a row of stout stakes four
feet high, the corner ones being forked.
Against these pile straight brush with
the leaves on if possible, and cover this
with earth. Place poles in the forks Of
the corner stakes, and on these make a
roof of boards or straw, as directed for
the other shelters. The bank of brush
and earth should not reach quite to the
roof, but leave openings for ventilation.
If desired, portion Of the open side Of
these shelters can be closed in the same
way that the other sides are closed
american Agr1culfWTTst