St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-01-19
FARMER AND PLANTER
FEEDING SWINE.

4 -
FEEDING SWINE.
The Old and the New Methods OF Produce
| ing Pork.
As much interest is manifested in
discovering the most economical and
safe plan for raising pork in Texas.
| thought your many readers would be
glad to have anything that might
throw additional light upon the sub
ject. am aware leading members OF
the Swine Breeders association have,
through your paper, given much valu-
able information, yet l contend the
subject is one of so great magnitude as
to be practically beyond the capacity
Of any set Of men to fully explore. We
live in progressive age, and we must
study and practice those economies in
our business which will best protect
our interest. We must learn to appro-
pirate the scientific knowledge of 9TH
erts. The point wish to advance is.
that there is choice of foods for feed
ing swine, and we should try to learn
which kinds are the best, for. con-
sidering the margin of profit is
SO small that great economy and skill
in every direction are required. 1t is .
mistaken notion that swine are grain
eaters only, and that what may be
termed .'roughness" is unfit for them.
They are omniverous animals to some
extent, and will subsist on great va
riety Of foods. They are more natu-
rally grass eaters. and vary their diet
By digging roots, worms and insects
out of the soil. Doubtless they are pro-
vided with their singular rsnout-which
is SO wisely and ingeniously construct
moved by strong tendons and muscles
for roofing down deep in the hard
soil in search of their food. And we
must observe that this kind of food is
not so heating and deleterious as the
grain upon which they are mostly over
fed.
1t unquestionahly is an error to sup
pose that because they are easily
taught to eat the concentrated grain
foods, that they will subsist and thrive
solely upon such without q great risk
of producing inflarnmatory diseases.
Then the question arises, can not
swine be more cheaply and BEAUTIFULLY
fed on mixed diet instead of all grain
foods? Successful northwestern pork
raisers say. emphatically, it can be.
Hitherto corn has been SO much
cheaper than any Of the other cereals
that it was the principal food used, not
ohly in the fattening process. but in
the growth as well. Now the low
price of wheat has brought it into use
as the best grain for feeding swine.
1t is true that the pig is an omniver-
Gus animal, but it will live and thrive
on grass, clover or oat pastures, or
other similar foods without any grain.
The use Of grain in feeding is for the
purpose of producing layer of fat un
der the skin. And as this grain food
is sure to produce an excess of fat, it is
thought rather q dangerous plan to
feed it exclusively to the pig in the
growing period. 1t is believed by COM
petent pork raisers that such feeding
has been the prime cause of producing
an inflammatory condition Of the
digestive organs, ending in that
dreaded disease, hog cholera. Then
we see the necessity of avoiding
such diseases by feeding swine on
coarser foods-clover, or oat pastures,
or other green crops, artichokes, pota-
toes and sorghum cane. Extensive
swine feeders have been very success
full in this way, and have raised pork
cheaper than by mere grain feeding.
OF course it would be unwise too feed
too much Of this bulky food, because
the pigs stomach is small compared to
the sheep or COW, and its digestive or
gans will not stand like crowding.
Mr.. Henry Stewart, a man who is con-
sidered good authority on feeding
swine. says that 1.-The more nitrogen
ous foods. such as cotton seed, or any
of the other oil meals, are unfit,
and should be wholly discarded
from the lists of foods for swine"
Then when we consider the choice
of the concentrated foods, we may
safely put down corn, wheat barley,
oats and wheat as the most valuable.
In days past corn was the staple food
for fattening swine, but since wheat
has become SO cheap. those who have
tried it have found that it is better
food than corn. making meat more
and of better quality, suiting
the change in the tastes of customers
for more lean and less fat. When
wheat is one cent q pound and oats
one and on-quartcr cents, the latter is
less valuable for feeding than the
owing to the greater amount
Of huslz. and higher price for weight.
The most economical way of feeding
wheat is to steep it in either cold or
hot water. and barley is a fine food for
swine when fed in the same
Farm and Ranch.