Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-04-11
MANAGING THE HOG.
TYPE OF ANIMAL BEST SUITED FOR
BREEDING PURPOSES.

Long, Loose Make Up Rather Better
Than the DumplinR shspe-Feed-
Ing Brood Sows Care of Young
Pigs-yaIue OF Pasture.
Discussing the hog problem In The
Breeders Gazette, A. j. Lovejoy or
Iowa says:
In the first place II is all important
that one should start with as good
quality of breeding stock as his purse
will procure. The sows should be CT
long, loose make up rather than the
plump dumping type, for In this type
one will find more prolific sow and
more motherly disposition. She should
be coupled with a boar that is little
more compact in his make up and yet
not enough TO be extremely different.
Both should be well proportloned, wide
in chest, full in heart girth, good strong
back slightly full or arching a trifie,
broad and full in the loin and with
good hams, legs short or medium, feet
strong. nose short, face wide, neck
short and well filled and jowl medium
to full. With about this type of sows
and a boar of the same general type
one should be ready to begin the opera
ton OF raising first class hogs for any
and all purposes.
To get the most out Of them will de-
pend entirely on the breeder and feed
er. He must first have a liking for the
business or he will never succeed. As
to the feed problem the nearer one can
come to raising the greater part of the
feed on the farm the better. No man
should undertake the growing Of hogs
TOR profit without a good hog pasture,
as this is not only one of the most
healthy parts of their diet, but one of
the most economical The breeding
sows should have this pasture during
all of the season that grass can be had,
and when the winter comes something
should be furnished that will In a
measure take the place OF grass.
Among the better substitutes we have
found either sugar beets or sorghum
to be quite satisfactory. Hogs or
shoats will eat both with relish. These
feeds are only to be used in conjunc-
ton with grain as a general thing.
During the season that the sows are
carrying their young they should have
slop composed of ground oats or
, oats and corn equal parts ground fine
ly. If the oat bulls are sifted out, so
much the better.
Wheat shorts or middlings mixed
with either or both Of the above foods
will make them all the better. All
should be made into a good rich Stop
and In very cold weather fed warm.
We have practiced feeding warm feed
| for many years and can see no reason
to change, especially for young pigs or
shoats. For hogs that are being fed
for the market this will not be neces-
sary. rs the more corn one can. get
them to eat the last 60 or 80 days the
| better. Corn fed on the ear IL fed on q
| floor will be just as satisfactory as IL
ground for fattening swine, but for
breeding sows and younger pigs 1t is
| not as good.
First. a SOW during the period of
CESSATION should have feed that will
| make muscle and bone for the pig that
IL to come. The same Is necessary for
| the fall pig or late summer one that
| Ia being carried over. Sows fed In
| the above manner will produce strong
hearty filters and more Mt birth than
| IL fed wholly ON diet Of corn. Corn.
while producing fat more cheaply than
| any other feed, will not do for a brood
| SOW. 1t will bring her to the time of
| narrowing In feverish condition. and
when the pigs arrive they will be small,
weakly and puny. The mother will be
| irritable and likely to devour the pigs
at the first squeal.
But few sows should be allowed to
nest together when getting on toward
| narrowing, and when close up to this
j, period they should be separated to two
| or three In a place-if but one In O
| place, better still. II the owner has
| done as he should and knows when the
| different sows are due to farrow he
should day or two prior to this time
| put the sow In warm dry place by
herself and feed her rather lightly, but
| on the same feed that she has been
having. After the pigs are born the
! SOW should have nothing for "a hours
! except a drink of water. This she will
| need surely. IL the litter is large and
| strong, the feed can be commenced on
the second day by giving only little
slop and increasing gradually, until at
! the end of the first week she can have
/ about all she Will eat up clean. Partic-
| ular notice should be taken that the
| feed is the same as she has been hay
| ing. as to change feed at this time will
! be very likely to produce scours In the
! youngsters. During the next three
! months feed the sows all they can eat
! that is, of n milk producing character.
IL one has milk to mix with the ground
feed or middllngs, he will have an al.
most perfect feed.
| As the pigs grow and show signs of
! wanting to eat place should be pro-
vided where they may so by them
selves and drink little milk or a rich
| slop, with little shelled corn to crack.
! Carried on In this way, together with
the pasture, IL In season, they Will at
3 months of age be ready to wean or
will then have practically weaned
themselves. Continue the same feed
adding corn with pasture, and push
them along as fast as possible till they
are 6 months old. and they will be
ready for any market or II pure bred
to sell to farmers and breeders. Pigs
fed from sows cared for In the above
manner should make fully pound per
day till months old and are very of.
ten made much heavier.
|