The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-05-20

has the item of $50 to charge against
the pork to begin with.
Another fact which needs emphasis
Is that the use Of pasturage enables
farmers to raise meat animals and
poultry at a low cost. Spring pigs
will grow to q weight Of 125 to $50
pounds on skimmilk and alfalfa, with
the highest Of grain rations, at the
age Of five or six months, and will be
in state Of health and vigor when
fattening time approaches. In this
growing period light daily feed Of
corn, peas, barley or wheat middlings
will give good results, but in times
when grain is dear the animals will
come along nicely on sklmm1lk and
alfalfa, especially If mess Of car
rots can be pulled and thrown to them
once a day. Such a diet will give a
rapid and vigorous growth, fitting the
animal to produce a high quality of
heavy grain feeding is adopted.
When the fattening period arrives it
is best to continue the hogs on their
alfalfa range, at least on bright days.
and keep up fair supply Of skim
milk, carrots and middlings even after
to heavy corn rations. A good quality
Of corn is unsurpassed for finishing
pork. but at times it Is too dear to be
extensively used. Mixed feeds may
produce greater gains, but the quality
Of the pork is not so good, and the
shrinkage while on the road to market
Is greater than with corn fed hogs. If
the pigs are we'll bred at the beginning
and handled in the manner suggested
they should be capable Of reaching
weight of 25O pounds at eight months
Of age. Unless the feeder is approx
mating this figure he is not doing his
best. Pork produced in this way costs
from to 4 cents pound, whereas
meat animals fed heavily on grain all
summer cost the farmer to cents.
A 200 pound hog which brings SIS to
ST. after being raised at a total ex-
pense of 81 to 50 is valuable product.
This Is only one of the vital consid-
erations. The health Of pigs is most
secure when they have field of al
falfa, clover, rape or artichokes, to-
gether with clean water and shade.
Thousands of farmers lose their herds
every year by hog cholera, prevent
able disease. Pigs that are confined
in a yard and raised largely on corn
are much more apt to have cholera,
fever or worms than those that have
a clean field to rustic in. Any farmer
watching the growth Of his hogs can
tell to what extent these forage crops
should be supplemented with grain to
balance the ration and to prevent an
abnormal growth Of stomach and in
testines at the expense Of more de-
sirable development. Experts agree
that they have never been able to
make up rations for growing pigs that
would produce as good results as one
In which skimmilk is about one
fourth the mixture. 1t should be the
constant aim to get uniform growth
with home grown and comparatively
inexpensive feed.
In the above l have considered the
usual system Of growing spring pigs
into pork for marketing at an age, Of
about eight months. Every farmer
should also consider the advantages Of
carrying over a few rangy hogs for
bacon purposes. When this idea is
taken up the clover or alfalfa patch be-
comes an urgent necessity. In grow
ing rangy bacon hogs to a weight Of
about $50 pounds in sixteen or. eight
cen months the fattening is not to be
hurried, and therefore pasturage, skim
milk and carrots work profitably into
the scheme. .'..