The Little River news., 1916-08-16
BOYS ARD GIRLS CLUB WORK
No. 7. Summer Care of Swine.
By H. K. Sanders, Specialist for Pig
 Club Work


 All swine, including brood sows and Doars, should live out of doors in the fresh air during the summer months, nnd whenever possible they should be turned into new lot, which will be most apt to be free from contamina- tion or disease, and thus the hogs will escape intestinal parasites and other ailments. Swine will do at least l5 per cent better on pasture than they will if fed in closed pens. EXer- else makes a strong pig, the lack Of it weak pig. With succulent pas ture feed and reasonable amount of grain and plenty of exercise pig will develop strong bone, muscle, wig orous digestive tract and good con- stitution. However contrary to con- mon practice, it has been demonstrat- ed that pasture alone will not give the best results; pigs must have some grain. The mature pig can hardly subsist on grass and pasture alone. but good pastures of alfalfa, clover or 1s will more than sustain life.
 The following information taken from Henry's Feeds and Feedings will be interesting to those growing swine on pasture and feeding grain. Prof. Henry found that a pig weigh ing 100 pounds consumed eisht-tenths of a pound of grain and one and six tenths pounds of skim milk per day, and made a gain of one and six-tenths, and that 5 per cent of the feed given l pig weighing 100 pounds was used for maintenance, while the other 75 per cent went to produce daily gain. With the 206-pound hog 36 per cent of the feed went for actual mainte- nance and 6f per cent of the feed went to produce daily gain. Do not forget that it is unprofitable to keep tpe pig in the pig pen and feed it com and slops alone, because the farmer can actually buy bacon from the grocer man cheaper than it can be produced under such conditions Do not depend upon pasture and pas iQTe alone; pasture and reasonable amount of grain will produce best.
 Good shade should be provided, and running water supplied. Well water is preferable, but if the supply comes from spring or brook the farmer should be sure that it is safeguardcd from contamination. The greater part of the weight of hog is water, con- sequently it is very important to see that he is supplied with plenty of pure, fresh water during the summer months
 Provide artificial wallows, made of cement, that will hold five or six inches of water. They are much bet ter than wallow holes, will not spread disease, afford much comfort and are a paying proposition where many pigs are kept.
 Every hog raiser should practice keeping his pens, yards and houses clean at all times. Lice breed in dusty places, and at least twice a year there should be a general cleaning of the feeding places and of the buildings, lots and pens used for housing hogs All manure, filth and dirt should be scraped up and put on the farm, NAItl C IL DCIVilt>o. iICH htN lime should be scattered freely in all of these places. especially In the buildings where the hogs make their beds and at their feeding places This acts as a disinfectant. Hogs are un- clean and filthy only when they are compelled to be so. They are driven to it by force of circumstances over which they have no control and when lice get on them. ell they can do is to scratch and be annoyed This makes it impossible for the hog to thrive we'll How can lice be prevent ed? The easiest way Is to provide an oiler To do this, drive stake into the ground near the feeding place wrap gunny sack around it, tie it tightly, so that the sack cannot come off, and seturate with crude oil and keep it saturated: the hog will do the rest. Some people use coal oil mixed with grease. but If you want to laugh at and enjoy appreciative hogs. pro- vide self-oiles for them But do not neglect the simple devices if you can not provide an automatic oiler.
 See that plenty of salt, charcoal wood ashes lime. etc. are kept be- fore the hogs at all times Hogs crave salt; charcoal acts as a regu- lator, and wood ashes and lime build bone.
 Plan to have plenty of summer le- gumes with which to fatten your hogs on this fall. One acre of Soy beans should graze ten, pigs weighing 45 pounds each for 40 or 45 days, when fed one big ear of corn each day, and at the end of the 40 days the pigs will weigh about 126 pounds. An acre of peanuts yielding 10 bushels will produce 400 pounds of pork, though 1t is better to feed an ear or two of corn per hos per day. as peanuts alone mako soft. Asbby pork. One acre of Sood cowpeas in corn will carry threc pigs weighing 50 pounds until they weioA about 225 pounds, making t6e1d tain of about 4ee CT 600 pounds q Desk. r