Montpelier examiner., 1911-11-24
(By j. A. WARREN,

(By j. A. wARREN.)
In the corn belt hogs furnish one
of the most important means of mar
keting the corn crop. With the ex-
ception of chickens. they are the most
numerous OF all farm animals. and
are grown for market on more farms
than any other stock. Hog raising has
probably made more clear money for
the corn-belt farmers than any other
enterprise. In view of this one might
expect to find hogs the best housed
of any animals on the farm. but the
opposite Is the case. It is still hard
for many farmers to get rid Of the
notion that anything is good enough
for q hog.
There is no animal on the farm
which requires better protection from
cold than the hog; none for which
good bed is more necessary; and none
30 much in need of sunshine as the
little pig.
The horse and the COW have good
coats of hair. even a calf or a colt
when left in the cold Is provided with
good fur coat; the hens feathers are
the best protection against cold.
but the hog has almost nothing be-
tween his skin and the weather.
One of the first requisites for sue
cess with hogs is shelter where
young pigs can be kept warm and
we'll supplied with sunshine and fresh
air. little pig takes cold very easily
and RECEIVERS slowly If at all. To pre-
vent taking cold he must be kept
dry, warm, away from draughts. and
provided with fresh air.
On the average. the hog house is
the poorest building on the farm and
the least adapted to the purpose for
which 1t was intended. Good barns
may be seen on q large proportion Of
the farms. but good hog houses are
generally hard to find. 1t Is economy
to put up first the buildings that will
help most to make money. A large
portion of the farmers recognize this
and build a good barn before putting
up a good house. saying: THE barn
will help build the house. but the
house will never help build the barn" 7"
This principle seems to be lost sight
of when 1t comes to the hog house. yet
no other building on the farm pays
for itself so quickly. Unpublished
data collected by the writer shows
that good hog men average about
seven pigs raised to the litter and
many surpass this record. The same
data indicates that the general aver
age raised on the farm does not ex-
ceed four pigs to the litter. This wide
difference Is very largely due to the
housing
Many houses which cost enough to
be good are thoroughly unfit for the
purpose because the sun cannot shine
into the pens. Nearly every large
hog house Is deficient In either sun
shine or ventilation, or In both
The writer has in mind farrowing
pen seen on one OF the most highly
To replace the buildings on this farm
would cost many thousands OF dollars.
The hog house is the nearest building
to the house. and stands between 1t
and large. fine. modern horse barn.
This hog shed is "a feet wide and "a
feet long There is not window or
ventilator in IL. the only means of ad-
mitting air and light being the alley
doors and few small hog doors. A
more unsuitable structure could hardly
be devised.
The writer also has personal knowi-
edge Of another hog house quite sim
liar to this but only about half as
large. the only openings being one
alley door. one hog door. and one
small window. In this house over ~
per cent. OF the early pigs were lost
In some seasons. mostly from thumps.
The loss in a single season would
have more than paid for a good build
Ing.
A little pig loves sunshine and needs
It. almost as much as he needs food.
No piggery is fit for the purpose un-
less 1t admits direct sunshine onto
the floor of every pen at the time the