Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-03-19
BROODING PENS.

ants for pedigrees may nurse often and
accumulate strength to enable them to
keep out of the way of the mother
when she gets up and walks about.
The noise and commotion of the other
animals in the house prevent the new
mother from remaining quiet; on the
contrary, it makes her restless, uneasy,
irritable and reckless, and the result is
that the little, weak, awkward, stag
:gering fellows are, or at least large
per cent. of them, trampled under foot
and either crippled or killed. Fourth,
the large hog-house can not be made as
warm as small one without great ex-
,pense. Fifth, the large house is more
expensive than the same number of
narrowing pens constructed separately.
L present above an illustration of a
system of small lots and the location of
the sleeping and feeding pens, together
with place for cribs, we'll, etc.
The illustration explains itself, and
but little need be added except to give
dimensions, mode of construction, etc.
In size it is 25ox500 feet. The widths as
they center on the feeding circle are Is
feet The dotted line is designed to
show how the entire pens may be made
in the form of half-circle. If the
square form is used each lot contains
nearly half-acre, Nos. 2 and being a
little over and the two others less than
a half-acre. The two largest lots can be
used for the two largest litters. The
feeding half-circle is at it's widest place
1875 feet, and the largest width 6211z feet.
This gives room for large crib or grain
room and for a we'll. P. P. P. P. P. P.
are the sleeping pens, 6xS; F. F. F. F.
F. F. are feeding floors, 1Ox12 feet;
S. S. s. S. S. S. are places for shade if
there be no natural shade in the lots,
and may be constructed as follows:
Place four forks or posts in the ground,
leaving above ground three to three and
one-half feet. and ON these posts or
forks place rails or poles, and on top Of
them about three feet of straw. Such a
structure makes an excellent and cheap
shade.
All outside fencing should be at least
four feet high, and the inside partition
fences need not be over three feet in
height. To construct six pens on the
above plan takes 5,o75 feet of plank one
inch thick, six inches wide and eighteen
feet long, or twelve feet in length takes
same amount If the panels are only
twelve feet long it takes 24s posts; if
eighteen-feet panels are made then
only 164 posts will be needed. The
total cost of the six ns.including slee p
ing pens, feeding floors, and all materi-
al, labor, etc., with lumber at 81. so per
hundred, is $159.50. If the lumber can
be obtained at 81 per hundred, and the
'terial will cost $94.67. The advantages
of the separate-lot system are many, but
few of them may be named without
extending this article unduly. First,
each sleeping and farrowing-room is of
to itself and away from the feeding
place, and the occupant of one need not
be disturbed by the noise or restless
ness of the occupants of the other lots;
Isecond, the pen can be made warmer
and more comfortable, and if necessary,
as it frequently is, can be made quite
dark; third, it is cheaper in it's construc-
ton; fourth, each litter can in that way
be kept by itself until weaving time,
and still have plenty of room for exer-
else, and in addition avoids the smaller
and weaker litters from being robbed
by the older and stronger ones. 1t does
away with the necessity for ear marks
to designate the members OF the several
'litte-s from each other, for at weaving
time the SOW may be turned out and the
pigs kept in the lot until they are ready
I1oy the market