The Dickinson press., 1914-04-04
'MUDEL HOG HOUSE
FOR THE DAkOTAS
Is Clean, Warm, Well Lighted
and Ventilated.
DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION
ny r. M. .DoLvE, North Dakota Ex
pertinent Station.

. pSCiTn6nG SIdGiOUs
The hog is not by nature an I'm.
clean animal and does not thrive in
ialth. but the fact that he is endowed
with a great power Of resistance and
the ability to make the most of his
surroundings has created the popular
notion that anything will do for a hog.
The hog will Invariably choose a clean
place to lie down on If the opportunity
10 given him and because 2 hog wal
lows in mud does not indicate that
he prefers filth but that, owing to the
fact that he perspires but little, he
requires moisture to cool him during
warm weather. A concrete hog wal
low should. therefore, be provided in
the hog lot for this purpose. Hogs
In order to give the best. returns
should have clean, warm, well lighted
and ventilated quarters free from
draft and dampness. T
A hog house built along the lines
indicated in the above cut will be
found excellent for Dakota conditions.
The plans show a house 56x24 feet,
containing twelve 8x8 pens with re-
movable partitions 90 that the pens
may be readily enlarged when de.
sired. Fenced pens are arranged out
side as shown In the perspective and
communicate with the inside pens by
doors through the side walls Of the
building. Instead Of the doors shown
In the perspective, s~elf-closing pen
doors may be substituted. These
doors have the advantage of being al
ways closed, thus excluding dampness,
cold and drafts from the building. The
doors must be made to swing both
ways and this a be accomplished
by suspending them from the upper
part Of the door casing by means Of
bolt hooks and by bolts or suitable
hinges. This permits the hogs to
go in and out as they please, the
doors closing after them. These
doors must be fastened up when the
pen is occupied by a SOW with a litter
OF pigs. If it is desired to have the
doors At closely leather strips form
ing a flexible but tight joint with the
door when closed may be nailed
around the casing. Some hog raisers
prefer extra slide doors which may be
closed during cold weather.
The cost OF the building may be
somewhat lowered by dispensing with
the eight-foot driveway and substitut.
ing q four-foot feeding alley, thus re.
ducing the width Of the building four
feet. It will be found, however, that
the added convenience and the great
or volume of air provided by the
driveway make 1t desirable. AS In.
dicated, the floor Of the driveway and
inner half Of the pens is made OF con.
crete, while the outer half OF the
floor is dirt. This As arranged SO that
the hogs may sleep In the back part
Of the pens, where the floor liz not
cemented, to comply with the objec'
ttOn Of some hog Taisers that Con
crete sleeping floors make the hogs
subject to rheumatism. This arrange
ment 10 mot entirely satisfactory and
q better way is to make the entire
door concrete and place removable
wooden floor ON top OF thesconcretein
the sleeping quarters. This wooden
aoor should be laid on cleatg 30 as tc
permit an air space between II and
che concrete and the boards should
DO laid with quarter inch spacso q
do 90 facilitate drainage. As drasnale
gutter with sufaclent slope may bt
provided ID the concrete underneath
tho board aoor and along the SIDE
swall. The concrete should be laid