Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-10-18
THE BROOD SOW.
The Type That VIII Raise the Most and
the Best Pigs.

~SPS @s-eso w III Aeniso tho NhOst ouC
the Best Pigs.
1t certainly needs no argument tc
prove that every hoggrower should
have definite object in view and select
his breeding stock with view to at
tanning this object. If he is growing
thoroughbred stock, to be sold at fancy
prices for breeding purposes. he must
breed for fancy points and appearance.
that his stock, when brought into the
show ring, may score way up" and
sell for price that will repay him for
the extra care and expense that are re-
quired to grow these fancy show ami
mails.
With the farmer who raises hogs for
the pork they will make the case is
quite different. The strictly fancy brood
sow is of little value to him except for
ornamental purposes. He should make
his selection with an eye to the infiu-
ence she will have on her offspring On
this subject a correspondent of Ohio
Farmer says:
l believe it best to defer the selection
until some growth has been attained
that pretty correct Judgment may be
formed as to what her form and general
makeup will be when she has matured.
To make the best possible selection
we should have sharply defined ideal
in our mind, and it should be about
perfect, for the real brood SOW is not apt
to be better than and seldom as good as
the ideal. Let me try to describe mine.
She should be long and roomy, of rather
loose and open build, the opposite of
compact, yet broad On the back, with
well sprung ribs. She should have
limbs of medium length, strong foot
and pastern, deep sides, full flank and
broad, heavy hams. She should have a
short, fine head, heavy jowl, large girth
back of fore legs and II we'll developed
teats.
Coarseness is allowable in the sow,
but there must be symmetry in form,
a well developed female appearance and
good, kind, intelligent face. She must
be good feeder, have great powers of
assimilation and be of healthy stock
Above all else, she must be of stock
that is well known to be prolific, as this
characteristic is without doubt hered-
itary. She should not be lazy and indo-
lent, but nearly always on the move
hunting for something to eat.
l will select such SOW as here de-
scribed even if she is trifle "off' in
her back.
You may say that such sows are ex-
tremely hard to find and so they are. l
generally keep three brood sows and
raise five or six litters each year and am
always on the lookout for such pigs,
but cannot find enough for my own use.
1 have never seen more than dozen in
my life that suited me exactly, but have
been fortunate enough to own three of
these see by consulting my book of
farm accounts that from two of these
saved 1872 hogs The other is young
sow l own now, and she started off last
fall with first litter of nine even,
thrifty pigs.
Such animals are almost invaluable,
but if compelled to keep them until
they are 5 Or years old would not
(for growing hogs for pork take the
risk and accept as gift sows that come
of unhealthy stock, or are the result of
inbreeding, or that are short and COM
pact, though perhaps excellent feeders,
nor one that is lazy and sluggish and
lays on fat overeasy. Neither would l
pay much for one that had been pam
pered from early pighood and exhibited
from Maine to California, even if TAX
ing first in class and sweepstakes over
all" at every big show Oh the road.
In conclusion, let me say that no brood
sow should be kept by the common
farmer except for the real merit there
may be in her, and such a one is not
produced on an exclusive corn diet
Such animals are the result Of long con-
tinued selection from animals that have
been properly bred, fed and cared for
for many generations -EXchange
Live Stock Points.