The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-03-07
DIVERSIFIED FARMlN0.
From third page

DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
From third page.
should not be used more than twice daily
and never run with the sows If you want
strong pigs Neither male or female should
be used for breeding till eight months Of age;
your young sows will then farrow at 4 year
old, which is quite young enough. SOW
carries her young about sixteen weeks. If
you have coarse, large boned sows, select a
hog to mate them of the feminine shape,
with a. rather fine ear. your SOW will then
give size and constitution and the hog con-
formation. have seen pigs from this kind
of mating that were equal in shape and for
feeding purposes to any full bloods, but re-
member not to save male from these for
breeding purposes, fer you will most likely
be disappointed in the outcome. Rather
than breed to a male of this kind, however
good looking, keep your old hog over and
breed him to his own daughters, If you can
not keep over your old sows. On the other
hand If your sows are ane boned, the result
of previous poor selection, or constant breed
ing from young sows. select your hog coarser
boned, wide through the shoulders and neck,
which indicates q vigorous constitution. 1t
is much better to stick to one breed Of hogs,
and breed all your sows a. near the same
time a. possible. then you viii have q more
uniform lot Of hogs. which always fetch the
best price. For this latitude, II one has 4
good place for his sovs. land II you expect to
be successful you must have.y your sovs
should be bred to come In the last Of March
OF the beginning Of April. The earlier your
pigs the better chance you stand Of getting q
good price in the fall. for hogs very fire.
Quentsys bring q better price early in the
fall before the bulk Is marketed. As to
whether one should raise one or two filters
from SOW in the same year. must depend
entirely On circumstances If you want to
feed your sows OF in the fall. of course you
can only raise one litter. but If you keep
your sows over and can breed them soon
enough after the first litter, to have your
pigs come early enough in the fall to get
good size before the very cold weather, you
can raise two filters; you can generally breed
your SOW the third or fourth day after far
rowing, in which case she will wean her own
pigs at about eight weeks old, but this
method is rather hard on the SOW. If you
let the pigs suck eight or ten weeks and then
wean them, you can then breed your SOW
about two weeks after the pigs are weaned,
but for this latitude pigs should not come
later than the first of September, to winter
over. If you have warm place and plenty
of feed. it may pay to raise fall pigs for the
June market, for the hog market is generally
as good then as at any time of the year, but
you must remember it will cost more per
pound to raise fall pigs than those that come
in the spring. Bear in mind your hog Is a
machine to manufacture the products" of
your farm into pork; it takes so much OF
those products to run the machinery and
the rest is turned into meat. 1t takes more
of these products to run the machinery in
winter than summer and in summer you
can also use less costly products to run your
machinery. My experience shows that the
amount of feed that will make ten pounds of
meat in summer will not make over eight in
winter, for a pig cannot stand close confin-
ment very long, and it is hard to warm all
out of doors with pig feed. As to whether
old or young sows will pay best, there is a
diversity of opinion and much can be said on
either side, In breeding young sows con-
stantly, your stock will have tendency to
get finer boned and smaller, but this may be
somewhat obviated by using strong, coarse
boned hog. You will also be likely to average
fewer pigs from young sows. but to Offset
this you only have to keep them over one
winter, and these sows will at year and a
half old, have raised litter of pigs and will
make nearly as much meat as barrow OF
the same age. On the other hand it is con-
| tended that sows from ~ to 4 years old raise
more and stronger pigs and that this will
more than Offset their extra annual keep,
1t is also contended that constant breeding
from young sOws weakens the constitution
and runs out your stock. This is only part
true. If you breed your sows at 1--we or
| six months of age. keep them shut in pen
and half starve them for fear they will get
too fat, there is no doubt but what your
| stock will run out, for it is natures protest
at violation of her laws; on the other hand
| If your young sows are large and we'll fed,
and don't como In before they are twelve to
sixteen months old you may expect reason
ably good success. Large old sOws, if ia good
!, flesh on coming in, are more likely to over
| lay or tramp their pigs. have had sows
that weighed from 500 to 600 pounds and
only raise three or four pigs. Such car
cass lying on or tramping small pig is
perfect extinguisher, for you never hear
| squeal think the better plan is to keep
| over some of your best breeders and make
these raise two litters in the year. they Will
not then get too large. and pay better for
their feed: See that your breeding stocs
have their noses well rung, for an improved
hog has not much more use for his nose than
| a COW, but be sure to do this with your sows
before they are half gone with pig or you
may have trouble.