Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-03
Hogs Profitable on Grain Ranch

be profitably raised in this state un-
| less there was alfalfa or some other
forage crop to furnish the stock with
green feed.
1t is true that some of the grain
ranchers have in the past used hogs
more or less extensively for cleaning
up the waste grain in the stubble
fields, but very few have entered into
the business of both breeding and
raising the stock where grain was the
main crop, preferring to buy up feed
ers in the fall of the year and only
keeping them until such time as they
were in condition for marketing.
That there are many locations where
such farmers would find hog breeding
as we'll as fattening profitable, espe-
cially in sections having large areas
of poor rolling land adjacent, may be
seen from the way that A. M. Henry
of Pennington, San Joaquin county,
carries on a successful herd of swine
as we'll as farms 1900 acres of land.
Rotation of Feeds.-In order to ac-
complish this it is necessary to use
good deal of ingenuity in so plan
ming that there will be feed the year
round, for while there is an abundance
of fattening feed after the fall thresh-
ing this has to be conserved so that
it will hold out until the winter rains
have brought on new supply of feed
in the form of wild winter pasture.
1t is on account of this wild pasture
that hog raising is particularly adapt
ed to arid foothill regions, for there
are usually large bodies of such land
which cannot be proftably farmed on
account of their shallow soil and small
seasonal rainfall, in those localities.
While this wild grass furnishes am
pie winter feed, the spring and early
summer feed have to be provided for
in other ways. Mr.. Henry's method
of growing feed for spring and early
summer is to plant as soon after the
first fall rains as the ground can be
plowed crop Of barley. By the time
the grass feed is cleaned up, usually
after the winter rains have stopped,
the hogs are turned into the green bar
ley fields, where they are kept until
the stubble is ready.
One feature which is given special
consideration in this plan is to have
a sufficient supply of good fresh wa
ter available, and in this respect Knob
Hill ranch, as it is. called, is fortunate
ly situated, inasmuch as stream from
the mountains runs across the ranch
and furnishes good drinking place
for a number of fields.
System of Breeding.-With a sys-
tematic method of growing the feed
comes a regular season of breeding,
growing and fattening, for each sea-
son has to be taken advantage Of.
The sows, which are pure bred Poland
Chinas, are usually bred so that they
Will ldIIoW III Vic ldiis IhdC ticy may
take advantage of the wild green feed.
By having them farrow at this time
or else in the winter months they are
big enough to receive the full bene.
fit of the stubble fields, where they
are finished for the market. One ad-
vantage in this method of hog raising
is that the stock can be sold as grain
fed stuff and find a more ready and
profitable market.
Mr.. Henry is not only successful in
growing hogs for the market, but has
built up one of the finest herds of
pure bred Poland China hogs in the
state, as demonstrated at the state
fair this year
The pure bred herd was started
twenty years ago, and now contains
$50 head, headed by the boar HIS Big
Bone, 149311. This boar is the big
type kind and has taken the grand
championship at the state fair for
the past two years, and when one con-
siders that he weighs more than 800
pounds it is really remarkable the
way that he stands up on his feet.
AS this boar is five years old, he
will soon be replaced by the boar
Orient Chief, sired by Keepsake
10000, and out of the sow Water
Pansy 329324. At the time of our
visit this fellow, who was born March
81, 1912, had just arrived from the
East, where he was purchased from
James Kemp Of Kemp, Ill. He is a
fine looking individual and should
prove valuable sire to cross with the
big bone stock.
The plan in this ranch is to usually
carry about twenty-five brood sows,
as this number is about all that can
be given proper time and attention.
The only extra feed given the stock
other than that above mentioned is
| l. +ln, L.. e., h. e,