The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-11-07
Care OF the Brood
Sow in Winter.
BY .. A. Gaumnitz, Minnesota
University Farm.
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AS the most important factor in
the business of pork production, the
brood SOW deserves, at all seasons of
the year, the greatest solicitude of the
pork-raiser for her bodily comfort and
healthy living. Particularly in winter
should he see to it that she is we'll
cared for in all the matters of feed,
shelter, bedding and cleanliness. For
of all domestic animals the hog is the
most poorly protected against the con.
tingencies of a winter climate like
that Of Minnesota. The custom being
that most of the pigs shall be farrowed
in the spring, the health and yigor and
fattening capacities Of the litter may
be largely affected by the condition in
which the SOW is maintained during
the preceding four months of gesta-
tion.
How much the young porkers, with
which the SOW is preparing to present
us. are to cost at birth, depends al
most entirely upon the way she is fed
and handled. A SOW that produces
and raises eight to ten pigs is worth
a great deal more than one which
gives us only three or four. If brood
SOW costs $40 year for feed and keep,
and she produces but four pigs, each
pig will cost $3.50. On the other
hand, if she produces eight pigs, they
will have cost but $1.25 each at birth.
Where one is growing 100 pigs, the
difference between the filters of two
groups of sows, respectively averag
ing as above, would amount to $125 at
the start.
Sows are not kept for the purpose of
eating feed, merely. Their business is
to farrow pigs and to nurse them to a
point where they can be fed for mar
ket. With this in view, the SOW
should be so fed and managed as to
enable her to do her work to the best
advantage. She must be kept in good
condition, but without fattening, and
should not be permitted to lie around
without exercising properly every day.
If she is properly handled, and fails to
fulfill her duties, the SOW has no bust
ness on the farm, and the quicker she
is found out and disposed of the bet
ter.
In feeding SOW, economy in the ra-
ton, supply of the proper nutrients,
and each in the proper amount, should
be kept constantly in mind Ad-
vantage should be taken of such fire.
quent happenings as that milk can be
had at a small price from creameries,
or that ground rye is cheaper than
shorts. or that corn and oil cake is
cheaper than shorts, or that clover hay
is cheaper than grain. The cost of
she ration should always be dealt with
most carefully.
Quantity and Quality of Feed.
Usually, as many of the farm grains
as possible should be fed. Frequent
ly, however, it is much cheaper to use
others rather than exclusively farm
produced feeds The amount to feed
depends upon the SOW. For her keep,
about 8 lbs. daily per hundred weight
is required; or for 400-lb. SOW, about
32 lbs. daily. If the SOW is in good
condition, and, carrying a litter, would
weigh OUU lDS., IL mSduS CndC the SOW
is to gain 100 lbs. in weight. This
gain should be made gradually, and
distributed through the time between
now and when she is going to farrow.
Suppose it were November list, and
that she we're to farrow April LIST
$50 days intervening time. The SOW
would need to gain &c lbs, or rough.
ly, Z lbs. daily. It takes about As lbs.
of feed to make pound of gain, and
about 3.15 lbs. to make Z lbs. of gain
By adding this amount to that re-
quired for maintenance, the total
amount to be fed, or e.35 lbs, will be
found. Fat sows, of course, should be
fed separately from thin sows. What
ever their condition, success will fol-
low only by careful feeding. Since
over feeding makes brood sows unde-
sirably fat, and since their voracious
appetite inclines them to unmusical
squealing when they are not full, it
has been an approved plan to provide
them, when they are not caring for
litter, with feed only moderately. nu-
tritious, but as bulky as possible
such, for instance, as contains consid-
cradle water. This class includes
roots, clover or alfalfa hay and milk.
By the use of these and other bulky