Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-04-02
FARMER AND PLANTER.
A CHAPTER ON SWINE.

/
A Hoosier SWINE Breeder Tells How He
Prevents His Pigs From Losing Thrift
and Condition Before and After Wean-
Ing.
BROTHER SWINE BREEDERS l am
called upon to tell you how keep my
pigs thriving before and after weaving.
In discharge Of my duty ! will pre-
sent to you for your consideration a
part of my experience in raising pigs.
II there should be single thought
suggested whereby anyone might be
benefited, shall be simply repaid for
my trouble. lido not expect to tell you
of any new theory, or make known
any great discovery. l confess that !
know but very little that / did not
learn from some one else, and gener-
ally when learned something by ex-
perience, found out shortly that some
one else knew the same thing and
more. But we can renew our minds
with things that have been repeated in
word and practiced time and again,
with benefit to some.
In the first place l would say that l
would want to begin very early with
the pigs, If 1 should expect excellence.
Even before the cross is made that is
to bring about its existence. We want
the sire and dam from some of the SUBJ
stantial families, of good form and
well developed and in good thriving
condition at time of coupling. Now is
the time to feed the expected litter
Give the SOW plenty Of good, clean
range. Induce her to take as much eX-
ercise as possible. Be careful and not
feed her too much corn because it is
handy. Use more bran, shorts, oats
and roots. Have her in good condition
at narrowing time, but not over fat
We can reasonably expect an even
strong litter, one which any person
will feel like looking after. A pig well
born is half raised.
The first two weeks of the pigs life
consider the most critical, or at least
1t was always hard for me to get over.
Most people are inclined to want to
feed too much at this time. Better go
little slow on the feed and pay
more attention to bed and bedding.
Keep the bed dry and clean. Get the
little fellows out in the sun the first
day If it is possible to do so. Get them
to exercise. There is no medicine as
good as plenty of exercise and sun
shine for pig, boy or any other grow
ing thing. Come up gradually on the
feed, and Mt the end of two weeks have
the SOW on full feed. At about two
weeks old we begin to tempt the pigs
with something good, such as new milk
or shorts. 1t does not take them long
to learn to eat. If you get one started
the balance soon catch on. think
the best thing l have tried to feed
pigs is shorts and milk, though
we don't always have milk enough
to go around. So we supply the lack
with water and kitchen slop. make a
thick slop and feed sweet. Have a
place away from the SOW to feed the
pigs. Feed nearly all they will clean
up. AS rule we only feed twice a
day By all means give them the run
of grass lot. / like bluegrass best
in the forepart of the season, while it
is young and fresh, in the after part
clover. We let the pigs run with the
SOW as much as eight weeks, and if we
only want to raise the one litter in the
year, we leave them together as long
as the SOW will let them suck, which is
usually about twelve weeks.
One week before weaving time we
begin to increase the feed for the pigs
and feed the SOW less. At time of sep
aration we take the SOW away from the
pigs and leave the pigs at home in the
quarters they are used TO. Take the
SOW clear out of hearing. Then If there
is any fretting it will be done by the
SOW, which will be benefit to her on
causing her to dry up rapidly and in
good shape. At this time / feed tho
pigs literally with shorts and milk
three times day for awhile. In about
two weeks we drop back to two feeds
day. BY this treatment we
never notice any check in growth
at weaving time From this time
on we continue the former feed and
add bran, ground oat, some time
ground barley or rye and apples or
most anything | have that pig likes.
Do feed corn? Yes / most always
have crib with some corn in it and
use it at all seasons of the year when
think it advisable. But it is no use to
tell anyone to feed corn to hog.
Nearly all of us feed too much of it to
pigs intended for breeders. Many a use.
full prospect has been ruined as breed
err by feeding too much corn. We keep
on hand all the time and use at all sea.
sons plenty of wood ashes, charcoal,
lime and salt BY all means study your
business and attend to it every day.
l recognized the fact that in. this,
I as everything else in life, If one would
excel, or even succeed, it must be at
the cost of eternal vigilance. Don't
expect in the last few weeks to make
amends for whole season of neglect.
The paper brought out some discus
sion, mainly on the question of the
number of feeds day, two or three,
At the close of the discussion the stu
alton remained unchanged. Many
breeders, all successful, were repre-.
sented on both sides, and the general
opinion was that either method, sup
plcmented by good. judgment, was
equally as successful. Paper read by
J. M. Clawson, at the late meeting OF
! 4 r.
apolis.
THE PEANUT.