The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-01-26

telllgent breeders ana specialists hold
their stock up to a high standard of
excellence, and even improve it. Nor
is it difficult for the intelligent farmer
20 keep his stock where it will yield
satisfactory profit. First of all there
must be a careful discrimination be-
tween the hogs rised for breeders and
those intended only for feeders. Breed
ing from immature stock must be
avoided as much as possible, for this is
probably one of the greatest sources of
the present lack of constitution. TO
fatten brood sows after they have far
rowed OF litters once or twice, is
practice, most unfortunately, altogeth-
er, too common. Good mothers should
be held for breeders as long as possible.
The care of the pig must begin before
it Is born, by not only giving the dam
comfortable quarters, but supplying
such food as is essential for the build
ing up of the bodies of her Young.
During pregnancy the sow should re-
ceiye plenty of protein food, in the
shape of blue grass or clover pasture,
bran, shorts, middlings, shipstuff,
slxim-milk and peas. 1t is impossible
to keep brood sows through the winter
on Indian corn alone, and have good
results at narrowing time. Even if
large litters of pigs are successfully
brought into the world by dams so fed.
there must be weakening of constitu-
ton which sooner or later will bring
disastrous results. Since it is the
cheapest food on the list, corn very
properly may form part of the ration
of hogs at at all times, but to cause
brood sow to not only maintain her own
life, but to grow the bodies of litter
of young from the elements contained
in the daily ration of corn is simply
out of the question. There are not
enough bone and muscle elements in
the corn brood sow can consume to
suffice for building up the bodies of
her young.
"Unless the farmer has the proper
buildings and conveniences for attend
ing to the wants of brood sows it is
better to have the Digs born in the
summer time, when the mothers are
running on pasture, for with pigs
brought into the world under such
conditions the risk is reduced to the
minimum. When born, it is profitable
tt push the pigs forward as rapidly as
possible by feeding the mother heavily
on nutritious diet, which should con-
tain very considerable amount of pro-
tein and ash elements, since the bodies of
young pigs expand rapidly and should
he, n. 4
not fat. The cheapest grain made by
hogs at this station was when feeding
sows with young pigs, so heavily that
they even gained in weight while
sucking their young. Less than three
pounds of feed then made pound of
gain. Having grown n strong mus
cular frame the time comes when the
stock from the remainder of the herd
and give it different treatment. Breed
ing stock should be kept out of doors,
on pasture as much as possible, and
every attention given towards keep
ing the animal natural and healthy.
The final purpose to which hogs for
the market are intended must direct
the way in which they are ham
died. With well grown car
cass of 100 pounds for a basis,
hogs which are intended for the
general market can be fed almost ex-
clusively on corn, adding ground a
little oats, shorts, sbim-milx or other
protein food. As far as possible, how
ever, in these times of low prices, hogs
should be grown on pastures, and corn
used only to ripen up the animal. On
our western farms land is the cheapest
and labor the dearest thing we have.
The hog that runs in clover field or
bluegrass pasture waits on himself,
and makes a healthy growth, if not a
very fast one. This growth is usually
more profitable than that made from
entire grain feed. Usually part ra-
ton of grain can be probably fed to
grazing hogs to hasten their growth.
where the general market is the
destination, one can not be over par
ticular about the pork product, but
must manage it at all points in the
very cheapest way"