Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-09
SWINE BREEDING
| MARTINS Of Chgp.r. Fam. u Wi.ses.;a F.rner Ia.sa BUM.

emma, ulSleQ lace ana upTiSnt
ears in the Berk- Lire, 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 impo, s2t, as it 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
diyidual for the sire.
The first thing l would note when
I I looked at him would be that he was
strong. vigorous, growthy fellow,
with plenty of energy and lots Of
vigor. like to see a 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 a good broad forehead, because
I 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 hos:
! he don't know anything and is always
on the contrary side anyway. We
/ have found by experience thai the
most intelligent hog is the best dis
positioned hog, that means he is the
best feeder. A hog that is long In
the head, narrow between the eyes,
| is usually a bad dispositioned hog,
and we know restless dispositioned
hog is never a good feeder, Such a
hog converts too much Of his feed in
to energy and energy never weighs
anything.
We want a wide, straight hack.
and we want this hog to be of even
width throughout his entire length;
not cut in back of the shoulders, or
at the loin, or running to point be-
hind. He should be as nearly par
allel in his top and bottom lines as
possible 1t would be serious de-
feet to have a 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.
I have given a 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 ami
NAL.
think the average farmer, and
some bree ders, are very much mis-
taken in what constitutes quality in
hog. OF they don't want any que,
itv at all. get so many lette.s in
quiring for coarse hogs. NV, thi:
is mistake. We do not want 9
coarse hog any more than we would
want feeding steer Of a coarse con
formation. Any enc knows that Z
steer with big head and big, coarSe
horns, long, coarse legs, with ;
thick hide, is a POOR feeder and M
one would go out to buy horse Will
a big head and ears. big. meaty legs
with LNir growing all around then
and showing a coaIseness of con
formation all through, but when 4
comes to hogs that is jIst the type
some people seem to be looking for
like hog with plenty of size
in fact, have been called crank OF
size by some of my fellow breeders, bu
like a certain amount OF quality
We want large, heayy-boned hogs, bu
they should be OF a fine quality
So many farmers select a coarse hos
with big legs. saying they want
something that is not going TO breal
, down when they come to finish Il
, for market Now, do not consider
that the size of hogs leg has near
ly as much to do with its strength
as its quality, and we cannot Judge o.
its strength by its size.
, The first thing would note in dc
termining the quality of hog would
be to see that he is covered with q
thick coat of fine, silky hair. and thai
his skin Is free from wrinkles II 4
hog is wrinkly, he is sure to he &
thick hided hog and thick hided hog
is always a hard feeder. / should
like to see. mis- ears medium sizet
and covered with fine, silky hair.
J Care and .edns.
In caring for our breeding stock
We should see that they are fed or
properly balanced rations. II is tust
as important that our breeding swine
should have a balanced ration as
our dairy cows.
So often we hear farmers com
planning that their hogs are getting
too fine, zoo small, lack constitution
and vitality and are not prolific
enough. This Ia due to two causes
first they have not the right kind OF
breeding stock, and second, they do
not care for and feed them properly
II any one will keep good
breeding stock and feed and care or
them properly, they are sure Of sue