The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-06-21
SUMMER PIGS.
Arc They ProStabic?-views OF FArmer
WHO Thlnks Tint ThaY Arc.

Are They Pro6tabie?-views of n FARMER
Who Thinks That They Arc.
No effort is made, says Farm and
Home, to secure lot OF summer pigs
usually. There is a feeling with breed
ers and farmers that they will not do
we'll during hot weather-that there Is
danger of the sows dying at farrowing
time and that tho pigs will perish from
heat. 1t is also thought that such a
lot of pigs will be too young to put on
the market before severe winter sets in
and that they must be wintered and fat.
tened the next summer, when a fall lot
would answer just as well-when the
dangers of parturition are not so great
Let us look at this matter.
If through losses of March or earlier
farrowing we have sows that can be
bred for summer litters we do not hesi-
tate on account of prospective heat but
when farrowing time comes we are care.
full to know that the sows have an
abundance of shade, with pure, clear
water and clean wallows in reach. Care
Is also taken to have the sows in good
thriving condition, although not fat, II
the sows have good pasture and are in
good condition when bred they will
keep up in flesh and gain some cas-
parturition approaches, without any
grain. 1t is unsafe to feed grain for
fear the flow of milk will be too great
and rich when the youngsters want it.
1t is good plan to start a young SOW
with summer litter. This will give
her time to regain the strength lost in
sucking before time to breed for spring
litter. The run of grass before and
after farrowing secures the best devel-
opment of the milk-secreting organs,
which is an important matter, and
bears on the future usefulaess of the
SOW. After farrowing, a SOW and litter
can be cared for with less expense than
at any other time in the year. The
grass being plenty, the SOW will do we'll
with a small ration of grain without
slop. The little family can also do the
cleaning of the stubble fields and are the
size to take we'll to pumpkins and re-
fuse fruit and early ripening grains.
The state of the weather makes 1t un-
necessary to provide any shelter other
than abundant shade. They can be car
ried along till grass is done and the
weather begins to get cold, without any
great care from the farmer. With Sep
tember or October pigs it requires the
best of care from the time they are far
rowed to bring them to winter quarters
in good shape, while the summer pigs
come to cold weather large and strong.
The majority of farmers do not think
of putting March or April pigs on the
market till February, which is serious
mistake. June and July pigs can be
marketed in February at as good a
weight as is usually made with the
early spring pigs. 1t can be done with
out burning out with corn, as many sup
pose, if an early spring pig is fed corn
in abundance all summer. A pig can
be crowded with food rich in albumin
oids without breaking down or burning
out the system. This is the way
handle my summer pigs. Breeding
stock can advantageously be selected
from summer farrowing. Sows so Sc
lected can be bred to farrow at four
teen months old, and they have more
time in the grass field than SOW Sc
lected from early spring farrowing.
This is most important point in the de-
velopment of breeding stock, and. be.
sides, they are more certain to do we'll
with their pigs than young sow bring
ing her pigs without grass range.