Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-27
The Strawpile
Raisinn Pics in Winter.

SO great are the responsibilities in
Cured in attempting to raise pigs dur
ing the winter. time that comparatively
few men attempt it. preferring that
their pigs should be farrowed either in
the fall or during the early spring, gem
eral preference being given to the lat
ter season of the year. There are how
ever. q good many pigs farrowed in the
dead of winter.
AS a rule when sows are intentional-
ly bred to farrow In the winter. the
owner feels that he possesses advan-
tages for bringing the ltters thru
without unusual loss. Otherwise 1t is
not probable that an experienced swine
breeder would care to take the risks
and responsibility. 1t is true also. to a
degree. that the men who raise winter
pigs are among the small swine ra1s-
ers, for the reason that man with
large number of sows has not the fac
ilities for bringing litters thru success
fully. He appreciates this fact. so that
what advantage he might derive by
having filters dropped In the winter.
and thus getting the pigs we'll started
before spring. is more .han offset by
For the hog raiser doing business on
an extensive scale where great many
filters are annually farrowed, 1t is de-
sirable that a large number of pigs OF
about the same age should be fitted for
market in one batch and 1t is import
ant that they should be raised about the
same time II man breeds forty, sixty.
eighty or more sows to farrow and
should happen to hit such weather as
is now freezing the entire corn belt and
neighboring sections, it is evident that
serious disaster might accompany the
narrowing, simply because very few
men, indeed, have any facilities what
ever for giving the attention necessary
both to sows and filters to safely bring
them thru the critical period.
1t is possible. however, to raise pigs
In the winter time and in the coolest
weather If the raiser has the facilities
to do the work properly. The exper-
fence of hundreds OF breeders amply
iustifies this assertion. The essentials
are warm quarters, careful attention
and suitable feed.
In the springtime or late fall 1t is
possible to give a sow the sunny side
of a strawstack for her narrowing pen.
and perhaps satisfactory results VII.
attend her delivery. and with very lit
tie attention she will bring the litter to
weaving; but in cold weather this pro-
cedure would certainly mean death to
the litter and might include the SOW.
Warm quarters are essential in the
winter time. The man who has large
hog house. properly divided, setting
close to the ground or else with a stone
foundation to prevent the wind getting
in beneath, has start toward prop
err building. His walls must be air
tight to keep the animal heat IN and
prevent the outside elements from en-
tering with their chill. Besides this
there should be apartments in which the
various sows may be placed at farrow-
ing time, and where they may be re-
tanned for some weeks if necessary UNI
til. the pigs have gotten a good grip on
life and sufficiently we'll acclimated SO
that they can withstand the rigors OF
winter atmosphere.
These pens must be as warm as 1T is
possible to make them to insure sue
cess. Warmth may be secured in var
ious ways. One of the main essentials
is plenty of dry bedding, tho care must
be taken that there is not an oversup-
ply at the time Of narrowing or the pigs
may become entangled, and thus injur-
ed if not killed outright.
Instead of endettvoring to give
warmth by filling the pens with bed
ding it would doubtless be good idea
to batten the sides Sc that cracks are
filed If convenient, packing the sides
with straw, with possibly covering OF
the same material on top, will have an
advantage. 1t is anything to get
warmth for the SOW and litter. and the
liberal uses of straw for packing pur-
poses may not be very elegant, but It
will certainly have the advantage Of
Improving the prospects OF rearing the
pigs.
Ground-Wire the Fences.
Every season we hear of a great
many losses of live stock by lightning.
During a storm stock usually drift to
a fence and if it is wire fence it will
be charged with electricity and the
bodies of the animals form good con-
ductor and they receive the charge
with fatal results. A barbed wire
makes a very good battery during an
electric storm, as the points of the
barbs serve to collect the charge. In
every neighborhood where barbed Wire
is used there is this loss.
T.. G.. Kniffen, a Stock Yards BUSH
ness man, was in the Drovers Journal
office yesterday and mentioned the
fact that just recently an instance OF
this kind came to his notice at Naper-
vile, Ill, where friend Of his lost
some very valuable stock in a recent
storm. Mr.. Kniffen says: at is much
cheaper to put perpendicular wire up
and down the posts, connecting each
fence wire to the ground, than to run
the lightning down the legs Of cattle.
Every third post fitted with wire
about six feet long, the wire penetrat-
ing to the moist earth at the foot of
the post and connected to the fence
wires by driving staple in the posts
over both the barbed wire and the
ground or safety wire, would save
thousands of dollars in losses of cat
tie by lightning each year"
The recent misfortune Of farmer
at Greencastle. Ind, in the loss of
seventeen choice grade Angus year.
lings by lightning IFS sufficient argu-
ment to him at least that it would pay
to ground the fence wires. An expert
ence of this kind, while it costs dearly,
is in many cases the best argument.
The cost of putting in the ground wires
is very insignificant as compared
with the value of a. choice steer ar