Morris tribune., 1917-08-10
HOGGING-OFF CORN
A PROFITABLE PLAN
Saves the Expense of Labor, Produces
Cheaper Pork, and Saves Soil
Fertility

From the standpoint of saving lab
or no method of feeding hogs is sup
erior to hogging-off corn, now prac-
ticed by many of the best hog grow
ers in the country. During the fall
months when extra labor is so ur-
gent this is very important. All the
work that is needed is to keep water
before the pigs and later in the fall
when the weather gets cooler pro
vide a clean, dry place for them to
sleep in. This is often done by put
ting a load of clean straw in pro-
tected corner Of the field.
WHEN TO BEGIN PASTURING
Many farmers who practice the
method mentioned grow a few acres
of early corn. In this way they get
the pigs into the corn from ten days
to two weeks earlier in the fall and
the length of the feeding period is
corresponding increased and the
labor cost reduced. 1t is often pos
sible to get the hogs in the field the
latter part of August. Ordinary field
corn in the southern half of the state
is generally ready to hog-Off about
the tenth of September. Corn should
be we'll denied or ripe enough to cut
and shock for the best results, al
though if feed is scarce pigs may be
turned in earlier.
SIZE OF FIELD TO USE
1t is generally better not to use
too large a field at once. Especial
ly is this true toward the latter part
of the feeding season when snow is
likely to fall before the field is en-
tireIy clean and feed is likely to be
lost. The farmer can usually make
a reasonably close estimate of the
yield. Suppose, for instance, he es-
Inmates the yield to be about 40
bushels per acre and he has shoats
averaging about 100 pounds each, the
pigs should gain from one and a
fourth to one and a half pounds daily,
and to make this gain will require
approximately 10 to Is pounds Of
corn per day. This means that four
or five pigs will eat about one Dushel
of corn daily. One acre of corn
yielding 40 bushels will carry the
same number of pigs 40 days, or
twice the number -One-half the time,
or 20 days.
HOW TO BUILD FENCES
Hogs are not hard to confine in
fields where they have plenty of feed.
A 26-inch woven wire fence and pop
lar or willow posts, spaced 20 to "a
feet, is generally sufficient. 1t is a
good plan to cut out one row of corn
where the line of fence is to come.
This can be cut by hand and the corn
thrown inside the enclosure where
the pigs will clean it up. In this way
a clear space is open to drive through
the field, and this makes the work
of fencing easier. The corner posts
should be we'll set and braced. This
is the only particular part of the
fencing After the pasturing season,
the fence can be rolled up and stored
for another year.
FERTILITY SAVED
Practically no fertility is taken
from the ground; the stalks are brok-
en- down and left in the field and the
manure is distributed evenly over the
land.
PORK COSTS LESS PER POUND
It costs five or six cents per bus
hel to pick corn and when it is picked
a load at time during the rush of
fall work the cost is considerably
greater. Add to this the cost of feed
ing the corn in the dry lot after il
is picked and it very probably
amounts to eight or nine cents pei
bushel.
When it is remembered that bus
hel of corn should make approxim-
ately 10 pounds of pork this means
that the pork produced by the old
fashioned method will cost from one
half to three-fOurths of cent, anC
in some cases, one cent per pound
more than where the hogs are al
lowed to harvest their own corn.-L
B. Bassett, University Farm, st. Paul
Fall Pastures are Profit Producers