The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-01-12
Pork Production in the
lntermountain Country


other legumes, and in the most favor
able sections corn crops can be very
successfully grown. In addition tC
all this, we grow here the most vaIu
able OF all hog feeds in almost per
feet form; namely, alfalfa. With al
falfa, dwarf Essex rape and English
kale for forage minimum amount oil
concentrated high priced grain is re
i CURED for best results. The trouble
has been, in many instances, to de.
! pend altogether too much upon a:
falfa. 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 a gregarious animal and is
physiologicaIly and anatomically
more nearly like man than any
other domestic animal, his stom,
ach, intestines and whole system
of digestion and assimilation is al
most counterpart of the human,
and as a result he cannot thrive on
coarse, bulky or very fiberous food.
1t Is good rule to follow in hog
raising, in all particulars, to put your
self in the other fellows place.
Where you would thrive and wax fat.
mas
entered hog heaven You would not
long maintain your health and
strength on such food as alfalfa.
either green or in the form of hay,
nor will the hog do his best. know
that 1t Is common practice to turn
brood sows and young pigs into an
alfalfa lot and there let them range
during the most of the summer with
out additional feed. This is a very
serious mistake; at no time in his
life history can as cheap gains be
made on the hog as in the early
stages of his life.
In an experiment conducted under
my direction at the Wisconsin Elk
pertinent Station, number of years
ago, it was learned that the proper
ton of food of support or mainten-
anee, to total feed in a 50-pound pig
was Is per cent; with a 1O0-pound
pig, 25 per cent; 150-pound pig, 27
per cent; and a 200-pound pig, SO per
cent. From this it will be seen that
it takes twice as much of the total
percentage of the food eaten to make
up the food of support between a so
pound pig and 2O0-pound pig.
Again, it was found that in the case
of a 5O-pound pig, it required 2244
pounds of dry matter in feed to
produce 100 pounds of gain;
in the 150-pound pig, it re-
qufred 1922 pounds of dry matter t.
produce 100 pounds gain, and in
2o0-pound pig, it required 1853
pounds of dry matter to produce 100
pounds Of gain FROM this it viii be
seen that the earlier in life the pig
can be induced to eat largely of grain
the greater the returns that may be
secured from a given amount of feed;
and. this is particularly true when
the grain feed can be fed in combi-
nation with alfalfa pastures. AS a
maintenance ration, alfalfa will Just
about support a pig without allowing
anything additional for gain in
weight. The more grain, therefore,
that hog can be induced to eat
when on alfalfa pasture the more
rapidly the gain and the greater the
profit.
With barley, mill stuffs. wheat,
peas, rye, oats and a small amount
of corn, such as can be grown in this
country, we have all of the grains
necessary for the most profitable pro-
duction of pork. 1t may be said, how
ever, that these grains must be fed
in proper combination to give palata-
bility and to supply the various nut
rlments and other elements in proper
for growth and develop
ment without any waste. During the
winter months. roots and tubers. such
as beets. mangels, turnips, carrots
and potatoes, all of which may be
readily grown in this country, will be
fnun6 ITa 1YIa
leeds to the grain ration.
In addition to this, we lave a ran
dly growing dairy industry, and the
oy-products from the dairy in the
iorm of skim and butter milk. we
nave another valuable food supply |
which can best be utilized when fed
% hogs.
Concerning the matter of disease
mere is no large section of arabic |
and in the United States that is as
rec from the many diseases to which |
he hog is heir as is this intermoun- !
ain country. The sunshine is SO |
bright and strong. and the atmos- |
1here IS so rare that all kinds of |
Term diseases have poor chance for |
development.
As to the last and most important
ANVIL "hlCu Is the uemdnQ. or the
markets, we have. every evidence that
n this respect this section of the
United States is at the present time
favored.
The last census report for 1910 gave
1tah population of 373.351 people.
me same census gave Utah a total
Il 1924 hogs, including young pigs
# tr1ie over one hog for every five
nd one-half persons on the average,
nd this would require that every hog
n the state would have to be slaught-
red during the year; whereas. a
arge percentage of them are kent
yer for breeding stock In the case
Idaho, with population of 325. 594,
re have hog population of IFS, 241:
which case, we have a little over
ne-half a hog for each person, pro-
ldlng all were slaughtered. 1t can
g readily seen that these two states
o not in themselves produce nearly
nough pork for their own SUNNY.