The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-20
SHELTER FOR THE SWINE
TN SUMMER AND WINTER

ten years statistics show us that the
number of hogs I'm the United States
have not kept pace with the increase
of the population and that there is no
more than one half a hog for each
individual member of our population.
With this condition OF affairs at hand
and knowing as we do that profit can
be made feeding hogs as easily IL not
more easily than feeding other kinds
OF live stock, one question that arises
is@ how best to shelter them to get
maximum returns from them. IL Is
most rational to stop here at this
query and think how the hog lived
in his native state. When we do, we
see him Wild making use Of the nat
ural conditions of the wilderness Here
he lives in the forests where there is
an abundance of shade in summer and
where there are thickets with drifts
of leaves for his protection from winds
and cold winter In such condition
there is plenty Of water to drink and
wallow in, and where the soil may be
selected to contain the mineral mat
ter suited to the development of the
honey tissue of his carcass and where
the feed in the form of vegetation may
be chosen to suit his succulent taste.
Our hog Of today has been very
greatly improved over the wild hog by
selection, feed and shelter And now
in order to bring about the greatest
possible development of the Improved
hog he must have proper shelter. Such
shelter, however, must be az nearly az
possible the same as we find the con-
ditions Of nature, and at the same time
supply the conditions that are best
suited for greatest Development and
most economical production of pork.
Certain fundamental conditions must
be present IL shelter for hogs is suited
for the use to which il shall be put.
Hot houses should be planned for con-
venicnce, cleanliness and should af-
ford surroundings that are necessary
for the greatest development. Prefer
ably the location OF the house should
be upon rolling soil to furnish the nee
essary dryness. The building should
be lighted and so constructed that the
direct rays Of the sun will fall into
the pens occupied by the pigs; it should
be shaded in summer and be protect
ed on the north by trees or shrubs
during the winter, when cold winds
are prevalent And during this win
ter season the house should protect
the pigs from winds and drafts and at
the same time afford a moderate de-
gree of warmth.
Location of Pasture.
The location as to pasture should
be considered for it is here the pig
should get much food and mineral mat
ter of which the bones are made. Elk
ercise is the greatest tonic hog can
get so we must supply this in the
pasture or lot, to get the greatest de-
velopment OF form.
Now any house that supplies these
conditions and also satisfies the feeder
or breeder, is the one adapted to his
needs.
There are two styles Of houses in
popular use today. The large hog
house in which many hogs are cared
for, and the small house or cot in
which one sow and her litter may be
sheltered.
Under North Dakota conditions, /
believe the large hog house in which
the herd can be centralized is the one
for either the breeder or the feeder. 1t
is in this kind of a house that we can
arrange our pens and our feed rooms
In such a manner as to be able to do
the greatest amount of work with the
least amount of labor. A house con-
structed In this manner should be ar
ranged with some care. The many
different kinds of barns that we find
advocated to come as near filling all
the requirements cause us to stop and
think what are our own requirements.
We then realize that each of us have
in way of conveniences.
To be most serviceabIe a central
hog house should be arranged with
feeding bins, water, scales, an Enclosed
Office. If we desire, with chimney so
arranged as to allow o stove to be
placed in the hog house If necessary to
add warmth at the narrowing time.
Throughout the whole building have
an eight or nine-foot alley wide
enough to allow a wagon to pass
through, and on either side of the alley
have the pens. The bins then can be
filled readily from the wagon and in
the pens the manure and
refuse can be thrown into the wagon
standing in the alley The building
should be we'll built and so constructed
as to be Of good service In cold winter
weather. or at narrowing time It's ar
could also be such as to
allow the whole to DE good feeding
floor during the summer months. With
this arrangement the building could
be used the entire year.
Now in order to make the house q
good place for our brood sows in win
ter it must be clean and easily kept
so. And the first point in sanitation
Is to have the floor In such a shape
as to have them well drained. This
can be done by thing away from the
building out beyond the pens on the
outside and thence in any direction.
The openings OF the drains should be
placed near the feed through where
Stops are spilled. and in such a position
that the whole pen will be drained.
The floor can be sloped In this direc-
ton and so have the floor always
drained clear and dry. This sloping
of the pens is especially advantageous
during the summer when water Is used
to cool the building and to scrub the
floors. In the winter 1t is necessary
for best health OF swine to keep them
out of drafts and the wind. in conse-
quence the doors should be made to fit
tight. The outside doors or end doors
may be OK the sliding kind to admit
wagons to the alley The small doors
which are used by hogs in passing out
side to the adjoining pens may be of
the swinging kind fastened at the top
and easily pushed out or in at the
pleasure OF the hog To protect now
against drafts as much as possible
a second door sliding up and down on
the inside of the swinging door, closely