Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-03-10
Early Spring Pigs.

1t should be the study of the swine
grower to reduce the cost of pork to
the minimum. In these times of low
prices his profits depend entirely upon
the result Of his management in this
particular. The margin OF profit must
Of course lie between the cost of the
article to the producer and the market
price for the same. The producer
must in the main take the market as
he finds it. Only by lowering the cost
of production can he increase his mar
gin of profit. Manifestly then he must
turn his mind to this direction.
The question is solved to this, how
to get the greatest weight of pork with
the least expenditure of time, labor
and food. The item Of time alone is of
much greater Importance than is COM
monty attached to it. No farmer can
afford to wait sixteen months Tor re-
turns that might have been made in
eight months. For often the farmer
has his working capital locked up
in such way that his whole enterprise
suffers for want of it. The farmers
profit like the merchants depends
much upon the frequent turning Of his
capital or stock in trade. Even sup
posing that the increase Of weight Of a
pig kept over from November when he
is months old until the next May,
when he is 13 months old, will pay for
the food and labor bestowed, which it
certainly will not, it will by no means
pay to keep him unless, indeed, the
owner is sure Of a more favorable mar
ket at the later date mentioned.
Some other department of the enter
prise must suffer for lack of the very
capital here locked up for 90 long q
term.
Were there no attending risks in car
rying stocks for long terms, as before
mentioned, the matter of increased
labor for attendance might very fairly
be offset by the value of manure left
upon the farm by such holding of
stock. AS it is the farmer can hardly
afford to carry the risks for the
manure that he gets. His labor is g.
non paying investment.
Most important of all, perhaps is
the question of economy in food in fat
tening hogs. Looking at the matter
from this standpoint everything is de-
cidedly in favor OF the spring pig that
is grown andfattened before the follow-
ing winter.
Pigs to be fattened and turned off
the same year should be narrowed in
late March Or early April. Theseveri-
ty of the winter is then past, and they
will not have to be fed long before
being turned out on the young tender
grass. If they are to be turned into
pork the following autumn they must
be pushed from the start, and that is
the true way with all animals. No
animal should be allowed to lead g.
scavenger like existence during GER
tain period Of his life under the pre-
tense OF building up @ frame or laying
a foundation for it to fatten on. To
be sure the grower does not want to
commence fatGening until the animal
has attained fair growth; but this
growth may be accelerated by an early
and constant good feeding. The sum-
mer pasture is an important factor
here, and if it is judiciously supple
mented by the addition of such food
as will induce q rapid growth of frame,
astonishing results may be obtained.
The real fattening process may COM
mence at the usual time in autumn
and be completed before winter sets.
Pigs so grown may be brought up to
$50 pounds each. The meat will be
sweet and Observation-Disclosures
Stockman.