French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-03-23
HOG.RAIsING HINTS.
Disadvantages Of Low Market May be
Overcome by Timely Breeding
and Good Care.

! 0u1luk ING PO0b JNOA
! ~couraging to some of the hog raisers
! of the country. The hog should be a
having animal. He requires less la
Dor, less equipment, less capital, makes
greater gains on 100 pounds of cOncen-.
trates, reproduces himself faster and
in greater numbers, and returns the
money faster than any other farm n
NAL. The fact remains, however, tnat
prices paid for hogs are low n dis
! couraging. In spite OF. these prices the
animal that possesses the above ad-
vantages can still lift mortgages FOR his
owner if he will study and apply some
OF the fundamental principles under
lying the business.
To begin with, the best can be made
of a poor market by having the hogs
ready at, the time when they are o
vented by that market. This normal
Nv occurs during the spring and again
during the early fall. The September
and October market is usually the
highest. How can the farmer take ad-
tage of these facts to the greatest de-
free? In the first place. b hog want
ed by the market usually runs be-
/ tween IT'S and 225 pounds. Fortunately
this is the most economical weight, at
which to dispose of the hog. Up to
this point gains are made very cheap
Iy. Beyond 800 pounds, it is doubtful
il under general conditions feeding can
be made a profitable business. ?
The hog if properly fed can readily
be put upon the market at 200 pounds
in six months. Therefore lave the
pigs for September market dropped in
! the latter part of February or during
March. This will require that the
breeding of the sows begin about the
latter part of October or November
first, continuing, if necessary, during
the first week in December. The pigs
! for the April market should be dropped
in. early September. These pigs can then
be Weaned before the November breed
ing season starts. To have the pigs
dropped in September it will be neccs-
sary to breed the sows during May or
early June. Under certain conditions
; it may be impossible to bring hogs 10
the 2O0-pound mari at six months;
however, a great effort should be made
to attain this goal, as time means
money, and the longer hogs are held
the greater will be the labor and over
head charges: the cost of feed for
maintenance will be increased.
Further, in connection with the re
lation of markets to hog raising, 1t
will be noticed in going over the his
tory of some OF the leading markets for
the last ten years or SO that there is a
recovery every two or four years. It
might be we'll, therefore, to remember
that this is a poor time to close out,
as a. reaction may be expectedsand the
wise farmer viii be ready when it
arrives. e%@ e.
Breeding narrowing. Weantn&&.
On the average farm there should be
radical improvement In breeding and
the care Of details during narrowing,
i weaving, etc. There Ere many COM
plants throughout the country either
of small littefs or elsk Q great mortal
ity in pigs. BY keeping the produc-
: ton records OF sows and selecting from
those that produce and raise large
average filters, a breeder a raise to
its most efficient point the size of his
1itters. This probably runs between
seven and eight to the litter. The hog
raiser a prevent losses, other than
those caused by disease, by providing
proper shelter for the SOY at farrow-
ing time. In the South this shelter
can be constructed very cheaply.
Ing AAO SAOuAO a. 10 P4O0
ent at narrowing time, but should not
interfere with the SOW unless neces
sity calls for his. assistance. The
raiser should always cultivate the con-
idence Of his animals by quiet and
humane handling; this care and at
tention in times of necessity will pay
big returns. The pigs upon arrival
should be rubbed dry with a gunny
sack and quietly removed to a place of
safety. For this purpose it is we'll to
. provide a covered basket or hamper
containing gunny sacks. In cold, damp
weather it may be well to warm a
brick, wrap it in a gunny sack, and
place it in the basket to warm up The
new arrivals. If the SOW is very long
i'll narrowing it may be well after two
or three hours to place the little pigs
carefully and quietly where they can
gee ON nourishment and then re.
place them in the basket until the
mother is through.
For twelve hours before narrowing
and for "a hours afterwards the SOW
Should have no feed. During this pc
griod all the fresh, clean water that she
: may desire should be accessible. The
water should have the chill taken Cd
} The first feed after narrowing should
be very light. preferably a bran mash
: The best indicator of the amount of
feed necessary for a SOW and her pigs
, is her condition and the condition OF
: the youngsters themselves. The SOW
: should receive enough to keep her and
f her pigs in a fair condition (not bony)
and yet should not be overfed. Over
t feeding of the SOW often causes scours
in the pigs.
The pigs should be weaned at six OF
. eight weeks of age. By this time they
: should be eating readily and should be
} continued for two or three weeks II
the same mixture that their mothe;
Vas raceivinp after which the iaeC