Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-08-29
RYE PASTURE FOR HOGS.
Forage Crops Mean Freedom From
Disease.

NV VI Att ~ wy - ~ iftc
swine free from disease which ac-
companies unSanitary surroundings
in the hog lots Is to keep these lots
in forage crops throughout the grow
ing season. Many plans of forage
crops have been used in theory and
in practice for the various sections
of the country, but any one plan
must be more or less local, rs a re-
suit of the varying climatic condi-
tions which influence the growth of
the crops suited To forage use for
hogs. For EXAMPLE, though the
cowpea is highly adapted To condi-
tions in the south and is a valuable
forage crop in that region, it is of
no use for this purpose in the north
ern states, up toward the Canadian
border. In the latter region, field
peas and oats form a valuable forage
crop, but do not appear to be adapt
ed to the conditions in the south.
Rye may he named as one of the
crobs which adapt themselves quite
widely to this purpose. 1t is espec-
tally valuable for forage in the late
fall and early spring, and even
through the winter when the snow
is of the ground in Indiana and
other states similarly situated.
After the many other forage crops
which may be used in the summer
for growing the young pigs and de-
veloping them have served their
purpose of building large, we'll
muscled frames for the hogs, there
is still a time in which the shoats
on a full feed of corn will profit by
having a limited area of August or
early September sown rye on which
to Craze. Rye sown at this time
will furnish pasture for from five to
eight l57-pound hogs per acre until
he end of the season., when the
shoats will be ready to go on to full
corn feed in dry lots.
For the fall litter, farrowed dur
ing september, or later, when clo-
yer is lacking, which is often the
case, rye sown as already indicated
will afford good forage, giving them
a great advantage right at the start
over the pigs which are afforded no
forage late in the fall, but which
are kept in dry lots. This is the
name given to the inclosure proper
ly equipped with well drained
ground, a substantial feeding floor.
suitable troughs, a comfortable
house, and 80 forth. If the winter
be more or less open the rye will
afford II bit of forage and IA consid-
cradle amount of exercise for the
breeding stock and for the growing
hogs all through the winter, and as
soon as the spring comes with a lit
tie moisture and warmth the field
becomes green, and during late
March, April and May, is luxuriant
with forage for all classes of hogs
and Is the earliest spring pasture to
he had in this region. Even blue
grass must take a place second to il
when the advisability of early pas
turing the stock is considered.
The head of the herd, having
gathered a bite of forage here and
there all winter long from places
known only to himself in the var
ious fields of the farm to which he
has had access during the long win
ter, welcomes the abundance of
green, %succulent growth which shoots
out in the rye field with the first in
dlcations OF warm weather, and in
the exercise thus gained in gathering
a part Of his maintenance receives
a tonic which makes him most fit
Tor the breeding season.. The exer-
else, the spring sun and the winter
rye tone him up for a servicable
season, much more satisfactory in
esults to the owner than it could
possibly be without the aid of the
earliest possible forage. The preg-
nant SOW is glad of the conveniently
~abundantlv fornpa affordad h !