The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-06-30
Making Hogs Profitable.

Waldo F. Brown in the Practical Farmer
am quite sure that on one half the
farms of the country hogs for several
years past have given no profit, and
either different system of management
should be adopted, or else the keeping
of hogs, except for home use, be adams
doned A single good brood SOW to rear
two litters year is all that should be
kept on many farms. 1t is a slow pro-
cess for farmers to "unlearn' that which
they have practiced from boyhood, and
as corn las been the universal food of
hogs from time immeinorial, about 50
out of 100 still feed it almost exclusively.
and hundreds and thousands of rolling
upland farms have been overcropped.
wasted and nearly ruined by making
hogs and corn the principal products,
when the production of corn, and conse-
quently of pork, cost double what it
would On our bottom and prairie land,
besides, corn costing more than it is
worth for feeding on these farms, under
the system followed, all the fences on
the farm must be made pig tight, and
this calls for added expense.
A careful consideration of the question
of adaptability of the farm to the pro-
duction of hogs would lead many farm
ers who are now depending largely on
them for income, to give up keeping
them to any great extent. If but
70 liant If irlxy xr,;l /
pay to be at the expense of fencing all
the farm, so that they can be turned out,
but two small lots of half an acre each,
and two hog houses which need not be
expensive will be necessary. You must
have two lots SO as to be able to separate
the sows from the pigs at weaving time.
This does not involve keeping the hogs
on grain the entire time. for grass and
clover can be cut and fed in the pen, and
by successive paintings green corn can
be had to feed three months of the year.
A pig sly as ordinarily managed is nui-
sance, polluting the air for long dis
tance, but on farm where straw is abun-
dant there is no necessity for this, and
Ill a. CIld DtCl WIlClI Sltll WIItc idtcI L
will tell you how to arrange hog house
so that it will never be offensive, and
how it can be made to furnish large
amount of manure. AS a rule, think it
will not do for a farmer to grow tho
roughbreded hogs for meat, but do not
question the wisdom or profit of using
thoroughbred sires. We want also to
breed for early maturity; and the use of
mature sows and young bears will give
the best results in this line. have found
also that the use of a Berkshire or Essex
boar on Poland China or Chester White
sows give an excellent pig to fatten for
market at the age of or months.
Whatever the breed, the sows ought
to be large and ''rangy' and the boar
compact and of quick maturing strain
| Sows should only be bred for one litter
the first year, and may drop that litter
at one year old; but after they are two
| two filters a year, and, as it costs quite
a sum to feed a full>grown SOW year,
we ought to make the second litter pay
the expenses. The food of the SOW needs
to be liberal the entire year when she is
utilized for two filters, for we are during
most of the year feeding the embryo
pigs as we'll as the mother, but she should
not be fed exclusively on corn, as it is
too much of heat and fat-producing
food. Ny own experience and that of
some large breeders of my acquaintance
is very favorable to the wintering of
brood sows largely on roots. Beets are
the best, but turnips are also good; but
in either case a moderate grain feed
should be given each day. Sows win
tered in this way will have little trouble
at narrowing time and will usually save
large litters and suckle well, and there
is no question that it is cheaper to feed
roots than corn. Health in the herd
counts for more than any orall else, and
a bulky, loosening diet like this goes far
towards keeping them healthy. To get
the greatest profit from pork, the pigs
must be put on the market young.