Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-01-03
SWINE BREEDING
Martny of Chippewa Falls Wisconsin Farmers Institute Bulet

that you are to blame and not the
breed.
Some Points to be Noted In Type.
No matter which breed we choose,
they should all have about the same
type and standard of conformation,
for they are all intended for the
same purpose, namely the production
of pork. We would note the different
breed characteristics In the different
breeds, such as a black color with
nicely dropping ears in the Poland
China, dished face and upright
ears In the Berkshire, and the white
color In the Chester Whites, but the
best individuals OF these breeds
should be very nearly alike in shape,
type and conformation.
The first thing we should look to in
the improvement and selection OF
our breeding swine should be the sire.
This is very important, as 1t Is a law
in breeding that the progeny partakes
more of the conformation of the sire
and more OF the disposition and tenn
permanent of the dam, so 1t is very i'm
portant to have a well bred, good in
dividual for the sire.
The first thing / would note when
looked at him would be that he was
strong, vigorous, growthy fellow.
with plenty Of energy and lots of
vigor. I like to see nice head, not
coarse but showing strength. Nose
not too long, face nicely dished, wide
between eyes and ears. We like
them wide between the eyes and show
ing good broad forehead, because
any animal that has a wide forehead
usually has plenty OF brains and in
telligence. Some may ask why we
want brains and intelligence in hog;
he don't know anything and Is always
on the contrary side anyway. We
have found by experience that the
most intelligent hog Is the best dig
positioned hog, that means he Is the
best feeder. A hog that is long In
the head, narrow between the eyes,
Is usually bad dispositioned hog,
and we know restless dispositioned
hog is never good feeder. Such
hog converts too much of his feed in
to energy and energy never weighs
anything.
We want a wide. straight back,
and We want this hog to be of even
width throughout his entire length:
not cut In back OF the shoulders, or
at the loln, or running to a point be-
hind. He should be as nearly par
allel In his top and bottom lines as
possible. 1t would be a serious te-
feet to have droop behind the
shoulders. or dropped rump. He
should be well let down in the tanks
and not tucked up between the fore
legs, as we so often see.
In selecting the females, should
like to have them as near the type
of the sire as possible, little longer
IN the neck, more roomy In the body
and not so massive In head and
shoulders.
Breeding Animals Should be Of Fine
Quality.
| have given brief description OF
some OF the essentials a hog should
possess. but there is one thing that
Is as important as all of the Others.
and that Is the quality of the an,
NAL.
think the average farmer, and
some breeders, are very much mis-
taken in what constitutes quality in
a hog, or they don't want any DUAL.
ity at all. l get so many letters in.
curing for coarse hogs. Now. this
Is q mistake. We do not want a
coarse hog any more than we would
want feeding steer OF a coarse con-
formation. Any one knows that a
steer with big head and big. coarse
horns. long. coarse legs, with a
thick hide, Is a poor feeder and no
one would go out to buy a horse with
big head and ears. big. meaty legs.
with hair growing all around them
and showing coarseness of con.
formation all through, but when It
comes to hogs that Is just the type
some people seem to be looking for.
like hog with plenty of size;
In fact, have been called a crsnk on
size by some Of my fellow breeders, but
like a certain amount of quality.
We want large. heavy-boned hogs. but
they should be OF a fine quality.
So many farmers select a coarse hog
with big legs, saying they want
SOmething that iS rot .xo,..- - AN
uown when they come to finish II
ior market. Now. do not consider
that the size of hogs leg has near
~ as much TO do with its strength
as Its quality, and We cannot Judge Of
Its strength by its size.
! The first thing would note in de.
/ termining the quality of a hog would
; De TO see that he is covered with a
mick coat OF fine, silky hair. and that