Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-01-06
Pork Production In The Inter-
mountain Country.
oreoon Short Line Railroad 1911 Train
BY w. L. Carlyle,

twice a 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 disinfectant. 1t will be found
an excellent precaution against dis
ease, and, particularly those of a
parasitical nature, and is the most
effective method that l know of, for
keeping the animals free from lice
and yermin. With these minor pro-
tections against sudden extremes in
temperature, this climate 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 WalloW
through mud and snow, their bodies
being down near the ground, in orde
to get sufficient exercise to keep
them in health. They are forced to
become wet and muddy, and the loss
from disease is consequently very
great. any of the best hog raisers
in the middle west consider them
selves fortunate if they do not lose
their entire crop of hogs once in
every six or eight years-such a con-
dition need never be considered in
this. section of the country.
Concerning the soil, little need be
said for it is such in almost every
section that it will produce a max
imum yield of all kinds of cereal
grains, as we'll as peas, beans and
other legumes, and in the most fav-
orable sections corn crops can be
successfully grown. In addition to
all this, we grow here the most valu-
able of all hog feeds in almost per-
feet form; namely, alfalfa. With al
falfa, dwarf Essex rape and English
kale for forage a minimum amount
of concentrated high priced grain is
required for best results. The
trouble has been, in many instances
to depend altogether too much upon
alfalfa. Because it is a good forage
people should not make the mistake
of depending upon it alone for a feed
to raise and fatten their hogs. The
hog is gregarious animal and is
and anatomically more
nearly like man than any other dom
este animal, his stomach, intestines
and whole system of digestion and
is almost a counterpart
Of the human, and as a result he
cannot thrive on coarse bulky, or
very fiberous food. 1t is a good rule
to follow in hog raising, in all par
-iculars, to put yourself in the other
fellows place. Where you would
thrive and wax fat, Mr.. Hog will al
so think that he has entered hog
Heaven. You would not long main
ain your strength and health on
such a food as alfalfa, either green
)r in the form of hay, nor will the
log do his best. | know that it is
common practice to turn brood
'ows and young pigs into an alfalfa
OF and there let them range during
he most of the summer without ad-
litional feed. This is a very serious
mistake; at no time in his life his
DRY can as cheap grains be made
m the hog as in the early stages of
lis life.
In an experiment conducted under
ny direction at the Wisconsin Ex-
'eriment Station number of years
go, it was learned that the proper
ion of food of support or mainten-
nee, to total feed in a 50-pound pig
vas IL per cent; with 100-pound pig,
8 per cent; 150-pound pig, 27 per
ent; and 200-pound pig, 80 per
ent. From this it will be seen that
takes twice as much of the total
er centage of the food eaten to make
p thefoodof support between a So
ound pig and a 200-pound pig.
gain, 1t was found that in the case
a 50-pound pig, 1t required 224.4
ounds of dry matter in feed to pro-
uce 100 pounds of gain; in the 49,
ound pig, it required 1922 pounds
dry matter to produce 100 pounds
ain, and in 2O0-pound pig it re-
uired 1858 pounds of dry matter
produce 100 pounds of gain. From
lis 1t VIII be seen that the earlier
life that the pig can be induced
eat largely of grain the greater
lie returns that may be secured
ON a given amount of feed; and.
rain can be fed in combination with
falfa pastures. AS a maintenance
ltion, alfalfa will just about support
pig without allowing anything ad-
tiOnal for patn IN ua;ol4 yrt