The Grit-advocate., 1906-07-06

y /.
meadow has been pastured consider
ably. but with so much care that it has
steadily improved. The orchard, also,
OF ! " acres, is in clover
The northwest field, a, is to be in
corn this summer The whole upper
half of the farm furnished rye pasture
all winter, and to May, when the fat
tening hogs were restricted to the barn
lot and soil-fed with fresh alfalfa and
clover. With the advent of spring the
slop feed Of the fall pigs is gradually
changed to whole grain, and during the
last few weeks of feding the variety of
grain gives way to corn alone. All of
ashes and charcoal.
Toward the latter part of the winter,
the brood sOws were separated from
the younger hogs and confined to the
lane. When the ground was not soft
they were allowed to run by them
selves in one of the fields. 1t is al
ways planned that the spring pigs shall
come between March Is and May l.
Until the pigs are weaned the brood
soWs are kept in the grassy lane and
allowed to use the pens which are
t1oored. During this time they are
supplied once a day with all the green
alfalfa and clover they will eat, provid-
ed with an abundance of water to
drink and stopped heavily morning and
evning. Oats and corn, with little
bean meal, are used for the slop, which
is never cooked, but is made with
warm water on chilly days.
When the pigs are old enough to
begin eating they are fed skim milk in
trough by themselves. Water and
ground feed are added whenever the
milk is insufficient
During April May and June a small
opening in the fence will give the
spring pigs a chance at the meadow
providing them with pasture, adding
fertility to the field, and not materially
Tightening the hay crop. By the middle
of June the youngest litter will have
been weaned. AS each SOW is taken
from ner pigs she is removed to the
orchard.
The boar receives less corn than the
sows, but otherwise is fed about the
same. Most of the lime he is kept by
himself and usually with mere than
one fence between him and ,he other
breeding stock. The lane is his run
way sevral months in the year At
other times he occupies the orchard,
eats blue grass in the COW pasture, or
occasionally has 10 be confined to his
pen for short periods.
Before hot weather the fattenine
hogs go to market, and after the barn
lot has had rest and the cleansing of
several rains, the slotes are transferred
to it. Ten acres n the northeast cor
ncr of the farm are to be used this
season fer a number Of different Soil
ing crops. A variety of green stuff will
be cut daily and fed in racks.
During July and part Of August the
shotes will be confined to the barn lot.
but for time in the latter month, they
will be allowed to pasture on peas and
beans in the corn field. They will en-
joy this freedom as long as they do not
molest the corn. After that they will
spend several weeks in the barn lot
again, with Some opportunity Of CLEAN
ing in the field Of soiliEg crops.
During the hot weather The swine of
all ages have an abundance of shade.
AS at other times, they also have
plenty of water to drink, but none in
which to wallow The breeding ami
mails are fed grain. but not much corn
except when it is needed to put or keep
them in fair flesh. The growl::g pigs
are given slop until new corn is ready
The constituents Of this slop are varied
to make with whatever soiling crops
are at hand, balanced ration.
The barn lot and the lane, which
contain some forest trees, are always
available for the hogs and there is a
constant supply of alfalfa and clover
for any emergency. While at times
nearly all the swine run together, yet
| their grain feed is given to them in
the stationary troughs Of me pens in
the hog shed. Every animal is pet
and each one knows to what bunch he
| belongs. In this way, those Of like age
and size are fed together and special
attention is given to the ones that
need it, in order TO have 4 fairly even
drove at selling time.