Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-12-14
CRv / A. wARRENJ

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, ana
are grown for market on more farms
than any other stock. Hog raising has
probably made more clear money Tor
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. 1t is still nara
for many farmers to get rid OF the
notion that anything is good enough
for a 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
so much in need of sunshine as the
little pig.
The horse and the cow have good
coats of hair, even calf or colt
when left in the cold is provided with
a 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 a shelter where
young pigs can be kept warm and
well supplied with sunshine and fresh
air. little pig takes cold very easily
and RECEIVERS slowly II 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 Tor
which il was intended. Good barns
may be seen on a large proportion OF
the farms, but good hog houses are
generally hard to find. 1t is economy
to put up first the buildings that VIII
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.
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 Unpublished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-
coed 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 a narrowing
pen seen on one Of the most highly
improved farms in the middle west.
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 II
and a large, fine, modern horse barn.
This hog shed is "a feet wide and "a
feet long. There Is not window or
ventilator In it, the only means OF ad-
hitting 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 krlowl-
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 80
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
IL almost as much as he needs food.
No piggery is fit for the purpose un-
less IL admits direct sunshine onto
the floor of every pen at the time the
pigs are narrowed, furnishes plenty
of fresh air, and provides for exercise
i'm the open air. Dryness, sunshine,
warmth, fresh air. freedom, from
drafts. and exercise are OF primary
importance In raising pigs. These Sc
cured. the battle is half won. In
putting up buildings the six require
ments just mentioned must be kept
constantly In mind; not one can be
neglected.
The variety of hog houses is almost
as great as the variety of individuals
using them. 1t is rare, indeed, to find
even a semblance of uniformity pre-