The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-14
Selling Versus Pasture for Swine.

This is q point / would like to see
the experiment farms take up. The
fact that they never have done so would
seem TO strengthen the impression now
general among farmers that these farms
are of doubtful utility. The soiling Of
dairy cows has been experimental with
to some extent, but the system has not
become popular. Those, however, who
have practiced soiling and have re-
ported the result, speak highly of the
system. Selling COWS and sheep re-
quires, of course, great attention, and
the majority of dairymen prefer to pur-
sue the | sss irksome system of pasturing
or partial soiling at most. All admit
that fully three times the number OF
COWS can be kept by the soiling system
as by ordinary pasturing.
But the soiling of swine would not
seem 30 irksome, for pigs are soiled, as
ii were, in the maj ority of cases. When
pigs are fed in the pen, and not pas
tured, they are said in measure 10 be
soiled. What / mean, however, by
soiling is not feeding pigs in pen with
meal, milk, or boiled feed. Pigs on
pasture to attain early maturity must
not be allowed to depend on the grass
alone, but require an addition of meal
and grain. BY soiling then, l mean cut
ting the grass and feeding it directly to
hogs in large paddock in contra. dis
tinction to permitting the hogs to cut
and feed on the grass at their own
sweet will.
Pigs do very well, and probably al
tain greater weights by simple pen
feeding with milk, whey and meals
than by either soiling or pasturage.
But pen-feeding is expensive at the
prevailing prices of hogs. We want to
lower the cost of production to pay
ing point, and to this end endeavor to
supplement the feeding with green
feeding crops, to be fed either in the
pen, or allow the pigs to harvest the
crops for themselves. The meal fed
pig, in a close pen, does not make a
good bacon pig, because exercise is
precluded; the digestive organs become
inactive, and there is surplus of fat.
Green feed then is apparently indis-
pensable, either fed in the pen or al
lowed to be eaten on the field as it
grows. Which is the more effective
method? If heavy weights are to be
attained in the shortest interval, be-
lieve soiling the pigs in the pen will be
found the most satisfactory. Pigs hav-
ing the run of a pasture field waste a
good deal of energy, and make too
much muscle growth. 1t take hog,
even in The best pasture, quite while
to Craze the bulk of bundle of grass
that may be cut and thrown in the pen.
The obj act sought is another thing.
If the pigs are intended as breeding
stock, the exercise and fresh air OBJ
tanned in pasture field is quite essen
tiol. If breeding stock are soiled i. e.,
the green feed cut and carried to them,
they will make greater weights in a
given time, but they will require very
large yard and paddock. i would not
care for breeding SOW or boar that
was fed all its life in a small pen and
had gotten no soiling food during it's
growth. Good breeding stock can be
produced without pasturing if the pre-
caution is taken to have a large pad.
dock connected with the pen, and
green crops, such as rye, clover, peas
corn, rape and turnips cut and thrown
into these large yards, upon which
there should be a generous feeding
floor. Stock grown in this way should
be very nearly as good as those kept in
the pasture, and may be grown as
cheaply. Grown in this manner, the
pigs should make good breeding stock
and excellent for the packer. This
method of growing either breeding
stock or bacon pigs will cost little
more, but maturity will be attained in
shorter time.
Better breeding stock, however will
result from pasturage, and it is quite
essential that the brood sows have un'
limited pasture from spring to fall
do not think it we'll to have the pasture
lot too large; an acre lot is large
enough, and is quite sufficient fol-
thirty pigs. Pigs will not make much
of pasture before they are three months
ofage. A good rule is to have an acre
of pasture crops coming in in regular
rotation to each three brood sows. II
filters come in February, field of rye
will be right in the month of May
when this is eaten down, field oil
clover should be ready; after the clio
yer peas, and after the peas rape and
the second growth of the clover. The
rape would be grown on the rye ground
Allowing all acre for the pigs of three
brood sows, or thirty pigs, would NEAR
three acres to carry them through the
season, or, in other words, one acre o.
land to each brood SOW on the farm
These three acres of land devoted t
pasture crops would be equal to foul
tons of meal-that is, equal results
would be obtained with three acres o.
pasture crops, coming in regular rota
ton, as from the feeding of four tonl
of the best ground feed of a mixture O
shorts and corn, or barley, peas ant
bran.
At prices of ground feed in the oil lie
parts OF our country, the growing o
pasture crops makes quite saving il
cash laid out for purchased feed. Pig
grown on continuous pasture will no
come to maturity, or be ripe for thu
block, 30 quickly as If penned up all tn,
time, or even as if soiled. Even fairly
good herding stock may be produced
by soiling, and maturity will be attain
ed sooner. But this system does mo-
give as good results, and the cost Of
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