The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-06-05
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE SWINE PEN.
a Few Hints ON the Growing and Feeding
of Hogs.

ton about the work of growing and
feeding hogs. We seldom know o man
who, having once learned it, quit the
business, but followed it more or less,
generally more, all his life. There
seems to be no work on the farm that
affords such genuine satisfaction as
the ripening of bunch of good hogs
In the fail. Hogs that have always
been kept thrifty, not fat, and for such
length of time as to build up a good.
strong frame, will, when put on full
iced in the fall, lay on flesh very rap
Idly This putting on full feed, when
not properly done, is often attended
with serious re sults. Too many pigs
are kept on strictly squeallng rations
all summer, but when corn is ready to
iced they are suddenly changed to all
OF tails they will eat. They try to sat
isfy their unnatural appetite by gorg-
ing themselves to the utmost. The re-
snit is that the digestion is so impaired
that they are about worthless for
profitable feeding.
The change from feeding for growth
TO feeding for flesh should be SO grad
unl that neither the feeder nor the pig
could tell just where the grass and
stops were left off and the full feeding
OF corn began. The man who, having
hcgs that have been fed for growth all
summer, and can in reasonable time
orlng them up to feed on the new corn
without getting one off, may consider
himself a passably good feeder. l be-
heve that feeding fattening hogs
o1tener than twice a day on corn is not
only waste OF time and feed, but q
real injury to them. If hog be given
reed OF corn in the morning, slaugh-
tered at noon and the con tents of the
stomach examined, it will be found
hat filled with masticated corn still
undigested. At evening it will not be
more than empty and the digestion
ready to use a fresh supply. Even
when fed twice a day they should be
given all they will eat up clean before
leaving it, and no more. 'sThe hog has
an appetite beyond his power of diges-
tiop.n
Any practical feeder need not be told
thatif hogs have corn by them all the
time they soon become stalled and
do not eat nearly as much per day as if
led just what they want twice a day.
More than all, what they do cat is not
well digested and assimilated. 1t is
not whata hog eats but what he di-
gests, that makes pork. Hogs when
fed should be watched for few min
otes to see if they all come to their
feed. II each one comes quickly to his
feed and bites off his corn vigorously,
he is all right. But if he comes I'D
slowly and smells around before taking
bite or takes few bites and then
goes away, he needs looking after.
The trouble usually comes from over
feeding or may be from want of some
thing to regulate digestion, mot liver
pills" but salt, charcoal, wood ashes,
etc., which should always be supplied
in abundance. 1t is best to have lot
of the mixture placed in box under
cover where they can get it when
they want it, which will be
quite often. Some coal is also
good for them, owing to the sulphur in
It, This watching and supplying every
want is the secret of the success of the
''lazy man who sits on the fence to see
them eat" They should always be
supplied with an abundance of pure,
fresh water. 1t is astonishing how
much water a hog will drink when on
full feed.
The question now is, at what age is
it most profitable to sell our hogs? 1t
has been proven time and again that
the younger the pig is the more he
makes out of feed consumed; that each |
day added to his life increases the cost !
of pork made. Hence it follows that |
the sooner he can be made to reach $50 !,
to 200 pounds, the cheaper it will be |
done. Farmers reach their conclusions |
in "a general way" and not from actual |
experiment. For data in this matter,
to reach conclusions in any way salts
factory, we must refer to the results
obtained by the experimenters at
the stations. There is no doubt
in my mind of the ability of
the farmer to obtain better results
than the experimenters at the stations,
because they (stations) are limited to
certain foods fed to animals in confine-
ment, while the farmer can give q
greater variety of feed and allow all
needed exercise.
Now will give detailed statement
of account had in feeding two-grade
Poland-China pigs which L bought on
the 18th day of December, 1855, and
sold on the 2lst of February following.
l was at that time living in Ohio:
To first cost 40 pounds Mt Ave cents Ann
49, ~, ,'d On -, Il, sai
COra ana mil fecu Observation-Disclosures. 837
lct'h cost $40 SO
By 100 pounds at Al cents................. II %
The pigs were fed 20 days and gained
10 pounds each in that time. The corn
cost me SO cents per bushal at the mill
and / paid drayage ON all / fed. 1
sca!ded the chop, but fed the corn dry
in the ear. 1t will be seen from the
above that the pips cost me < cents y,a,.