Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1917-08-10
HOGGING-OFF CORN A PROFITA-
BILE PLAN

From the standpoint OF saving labor
no method of feeding hogs is superior
to hogging-off corn, now practiced by
many Of the best hog growers in the
country. During the fall months when
extra labor is so hard to get and other
farm work is so urgent this is very i'm
portant. All the work that is needed
is to keep water before the pigs and
later in the fall when the weather gets
cooler provide clean, dry place for
them to sleep in. This is often done
by putting load of clean straw in 4
protected corner Of the field.
When to Begin Pasturing
Many farmers who practice the
method mentioned grow a few acres of
pigs into the corn from ten days to two
weeks earlier in the fall and the length
of the feeding period is corresponding
ly increased and the labor cost reduc-
ed. It is often possible 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 10th Of September.
Corn should be we'll denied or ripe
enough to cut and shock for the best
results, although if feed is scarce pigs
may be turned in earlier.
Size Of Field to Use
It is generally better not to use too
large field at once. Especially is this
true toward the latter part of the feed
ing season when snow is likely to fall
before the field is entirely clean and
feed is likely to be lost. The farmer
can usually make reasonably close
estimate of the yield. Suppose, for in
stance, he estimates the yield to be
about 40 bushels per acre and he has
shoats averaging about leo pounds
each, the pigs should gain from one
and fourth to one and half pounds
daily, and to make this gain will re-
quire approximately 10 to Is pounds
of corn per day. This means that
four or five pi gs will eat about one
bushel 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
20-inch woven wire fence and poplar or
willow posts, spaced 20 to "a feet, is
generally sufficient. It 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 in
| side 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 broken down
and left in the field and the manure is
distributed evenly over the land.
Pork Costs Less Per Pound
It costs to cents per bushel to
pick corn and when it is picked load
at time during the rush Of fall work
the cost is considerably greater. Add
to this the cost of feeding the corn IN
the dry lot after it is picked and it
very probably amounts to eight or nine
cents per bushel.
When it is remembered that bushel
Of corn should make approximately 10
pounds Of pork this means that the
pork produced by the old-fashioned
method will cost from one.half to three
fourths of a cent, and in some cases,
one cent per pound more than where
the hogs are allowed to harvest their
own corn.-L. B. Bassett, University
Farm, st. Paul.