Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-24
Feed and Care of Swine.

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 perfect food To attain
this completeness in nutriment, it
should be ground with the bran and
all. In this form it will make SUI
perior food for swine of any age. 1t
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 alb
sorbed or assimilated in the stomach
If this is not the case much of it would
be voided in an undigested state. No
condition of soaking or even boiling
the whole grain viii 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 sour 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 fermentation in the sto-
mach, which gives II a better tone,
and the partial fermentation before
hand also aids in the digestion. One
1 thing is certain, that hogs fed infer
mented food are more troubled with
aatulency; and anybody knows that
1 this condition of the stomach is not
conducive to a good appetite or a
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 fermcnted food in the vessel
each time a 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 In 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 neees-
sary to taste the food to know how it
is; but, after a little experience, by
close observation the degree of fer
mentation will be apparent. When
food is fermented 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, aRd allow
the young ones to go into an Enclosure
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 a 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 stut1ing or gorg
ing. This latter manner OF feeding
will destroy the appetite or produce
an inflated or poddy condition, and
stunt the pig. "Blird staggers" are
caused by disorderod 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 in
such way thai the stomach IS kept
in a vigorous and healthful state, and
then there will be no rush of
blood to the mead, but it viii 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 in the ground, and this
too. is a 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 hls pigs
q conform TO their nature as much as
possible. and in so far as he does he
, will benefit himself. A pig appreci-
ates all ofthese things as much as any
other animal, and far more so than
most others.