The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-02-02
Pork Production in the Intermountain
Country.

DCdH anu DhiNN'o's 'NO
vcrsity.
Many farmers believe that it is i'm
possible to raise hogs, and produce
pork in this intermountain country at
a profit. Some, and perhaps the ma.
jority of them. believe that hogs can
not be grown and fattened at profit
in any country where corn cannot be
abundantly and cheaply grown; in
fact, they are not backward IN ex-
pressing their conviction that hogs
cannot be grown and fattened with
out corn. After some years exper-
fence in hog growing and fattening
in this western country, we are CON
WINGED that these men are greatly
mistaken, and we believe that this
section offers many advantages tor
pork production that are not to be
found in any other section OF the Uni
ted States.
1t may be said that there are FIVE
prime factors that have to do with
profitable pork production in any
country: these are, first the ability,
experience and taste of the farmer;
second, the nature of the climate;
third the character of the soil, and its
capacity to produce an abundance OF
suitable feed products cheaply; fourth,
the prevalence of disease. and nth
and most important, the demand tor
pork products or the availability OF a
good market Let us consider briefly
these FIVE factors, and apply them to
our conditions, and see how nearly
we fill the bill in this section. In the
first instance, we have as progressive
a lot of farmers as may be found in
any section of the country. 1t is true
that many, in fact, most of them have
not that knowledge and skill in the
business of rearing and feeding swine
that insures success, but this skill and
knowledge can be secured in a very
short time with little practical ex
perience and careful study. 1t can,
therefore, be said that in so far as the
first factor is concerned that our con-
ditions are favorable.
As regards the climate, this section
cannot be excelled in any other part
of this continent for hog raising. This
is broad statement, but believe the
facts substantiate it. The weather is
uniformly dry, the seasons are mod
crate, the air pure and invigorating
and the sunshine abundant and strong
There is only one serious objection
to our climate from the hogs stand
point and that is our extreme varia
tons of temperature in each "a hours
and this. objection, while very ser
ious one, if not guarded against, is
very readily overcome. The hog is
by nature semi-tropical animal, he
has light coat of very coarse hair
at best, and is consequently very sus-
cepible to cold or chills. Again, the
hog has no perspiration or sweat
glands in his skin, and though he be
a semi-tropical animal naturally, is
very easily overcome with heat. Most
other animals, including man, are
providentially equipped with means
OF cooling the surface of their bodies
through the evaporation of the per-
spiration which exudes from the open
pores of their skin whenever the tenn
perature of the body rises abnormally.
This merciful provision of nature has
been denied the hog, consequently,
when he is exposed to the burning
hot sun during the middle of the day,
and his body becomes overheated, he
should be provided with some kind of
shelter or shade; and with some
means of supplying moisture for evap-
Grafton from the surface of his body.
On the other hand, when the sun
goes down, and the chill air from the
mountains descends into the valleys
in the evening, or during the night
the hog having no adequate covering
of hair is very readily chilled The
result OF which is very apt to be a
serious loss from pneumonia and
other pulmonary troubles, particular
~ IN the case OF young pigs and very
tat animals. In summer, it is import
ant, therefore, that hogs should be
furnished with some shelter in the
fields. We provide small "A"-shaped,
S-foot square hog houses. These are
cheap, easily moved from place to
place and answer every purpose, both
for shelter from the sun and from the
cool night air, providing, they are we'll
ventilated. In addition to adequate
shelter all pasture lots for hogs in
summer should be provided with a |
bath" in which the animals can 20 at |
Will, not so much to clean their bodies |
as to cool themselves. Hogs should |
not be forced to wallow in some dirty,
hlthy, stagnant pool of water in order |
to cool themselves. Provide each
pasture with small tank 8 by 7 feet
square and 10 inches deep, made of
plank Or concrete, set into the ground,
and have this supplied with fresh,
clean water once or twice week,
which will not hold to exceed two or
three barrels, and to this BATH each
week, you should add about two |
quarts of some good coal tar disin
fectant. 1t will be found an excel
lent precaution against disease, and
particularly those of a parasitical ma
ture, and is the most effective method
that ! know of, for keeping the ami
mails tree from lice and vermin. With
these minor projections against sud
den extremes in temperature, this eli
mate is certainly ideal for hogs of all
ages. Compare our conditions in this
respect with those prevailing in the
corn belt country, where for several |
months OF the year the animals must
waiiow through mud and snow. their
bodies being down near the ground.
in order to get sufficient exercise to
keep them in health. They are forced
to become wet and muddy, and the