The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-03-05
PROFITABLE METHOD OF RAISING SWINE
Prof. W. B. Richards Gives Farmers Some Excellent Advice
an Important Matter.

OlA 0ll llllPO
w. B. Richards, assistant professor
OF animal husbandry at the agricul-
tural college, greatly interested the
farmers of the, three states during the
recent Tri.State Grain and Stock
Growers convention with a mastery:
paper on IA Profitable Method of
Growing Swine Under North Dakota
Conditions" Most of the farmers Of
the state are realizing the great value
Of swine as one Of the farm products,
and each year witnesses an increase
OF the number of these animals in the
state. Prof. Richards paper set forth
some Of the principal economic rules
which have been worked out at the
college. and put on practical basis.
Following is Prof. Richards ad-
dress in full:
'The production of swine is quite
extensively practiced in this state,
and the industry gives promise of be.
ing one of the most profitable for our
farmers to engage in. Unquestionably
there are more hogs produced each
successive year on the farms of this
state for the reason that our farmers
are beginning to realize that they can
be raised profitably. On the farms
where grain raising is largely engaged
lunches Of hogs can be grown and pre-
pared for market on the feed that
would otherwise go to waste or little
could be realized for it on the mar.
ket. On most farms little attention
has been given to growing them rap
idly and getting them to market at
an early age, thing that is neces.
sary in order to make the most profit
in raising them, even though one has
plenty of range for them. and con.
siderable waste grain to dispose of.
When hogs can be sold at Sc a hun
dred and over, as they could one year
ago, 1t is not very difficult to raise
them at profit, but it will be more
Of task to produce them profitably
when they are selling for less than
$3.50 per hundred, which is the case
at present. l believe, however, we
can produce work under our condi.
lions and sell it at this price with a
small margin of profit at least, unless
the price Of grain is abnormally high,
as 1t has been during the past year,
providing the proper methods are EN-.
ployed in growing them and feeding
them for market. l also think our
markets viii lsoon make distinction
between the corn belt grown pork
and that produced in the Northwest,
where less corn is fed, and as result
produces better grade of pork. The
people Of this and other countries are
demanding a superior quality of pork,
and without doubt it will result in
putting premium on pork produced
from muscle-producing feeds or those
with higher protein content. This
is the class Of feeds we are obliged to
use under our conditions, consequent.
ly our pork is of much better quail
ity than that produced in the corn
belt. For that reason we may expect
higher price for our product before
very long than is paid for pork pro.
duced in the corn belt.
Granting that the farmer is breed
ing good type of swine, neverthe-
less, II he succeeds in producing them
profitably, he must do it largely by
growing his pigs through the extern
sive use of forage crops and avoid
feeding as much grain as possible.
This is true for the reason that green
forage crops can be grown very sue.
cessfully here. Crops that can be
hogged off should he grown also, be.
cause it reduces the labor, both in
harvesting and in feeding. Where
labor is such large item of expense
in the cost of raising farm products
Of this nature. IL any system can be
practiced that will reduce this item
Of expense, it should be considered.
1T is my object, for the reasons
stated above, to outline a method of
handling pigs from birth until mar:
keted, based on the use of forage
crops or mature crops that can be
hogged of. In discussing the plan we
will assume that 100 pigs is the num-
Der that is to be raised and the areas
devoted to the different crops that
will be needed to be grown will pro-
vide for this number.
Provide an acre of bronze grass
and turn the pigs with their dams
into it about May Is or as near that
date as possible, depending upon
weather conditions. The pigs need
not be over two or three weeks old
when turned out, providing shelter is
furnished in the lot. This can be
done by the use of movable cots.
These cots will also serve in the 9th.
er lots that are devoted to the growth
of other forage crops to be turned into
later. Bronze grass starts early, and
will furnish pasture earlier than any
of the other varieties of grasses. Dy
getting the pigs out early they will
thrive much better than they will in
pens or yards where they are apt to
suffer from lack of exercise. The
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