The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-10-19
REDUCE COST OF
FEED FOR SWINE
Pork Production Made Most
Profitable by Furnishing Good
Pasture for Animals.
FORAGE CROPS ARE FAVORED
Hog Raisers Can Save Labor and High
Priced Grain by Allowing Pigs TO
Harvest Crops This Fall
There 10 No Waste.

The hog raiser, whether he has two
or 200 pigs, who provides pasture for
them whenever possible, Is the one who
makes the production Of pork most
profitable. The raising of rapid-grow-
ing. heavy-yielding forage crops, such
as soy beans, cowpeas, clover, ETC., to
be fed green to live stock instead Of
depending upon the ordinary pasture
crops has long been advocated by the
United States department Of agIicul-
ture. Hogging down such crops has
been practiced most successfully by
experienced hog raisers, who find that
this method, aside from reducing the
cost OF producing pork. also reduces
the labor materially. When hogs are
permitted to harvest these crops for
themselves repeated demonstrations
have shown that there Is no waste,
which In an objection that is often
raised by those who have not tried the
plan.
Let Hogs Harvest Corn.
Hogging or corn has been tested
thoroughly at several agricultural ex-
pertinent stations and by practical hog
Eaisers, and the practice is strongly
recommended. Corn alone Is not q sat-
fsfactory hog ration. Where the crop
Is to be hogged OF, some other crop
should be combined with it. Pumpkins
seeded at the same time as the corn;
soy beans. or cowpeas seeded I'm the
same or in alternate rows with the
corn, and rye, rape, or soy beans seed
ed at the last working OF the corn have
all been used with satisfactory results.
With one Of these combinations no 9TH
err grain ration Is needed, but IL there
In no other forage growing In the corn
field, some concentrate, such as tank.
age, cowpea meal, or middlings,
should be fed. It Is advisable to start
the hogs gradually, for q few days,
with q little green corn before turning
them into field Of corn to hog 1t of.
The corn IL ready for grazing when
the grain Is dented or glazed. 1t win
take about one month for IA to 10
hogs, weighing $50 pounds each. to hog
OF an acre OF corn which would yield
IS bushels. It Is not advisable to let
the hogs have access at any time to
more than they WIN clean up In ten
days. Is
Alfalfa Ia perhaps the best of all
green forages for hogs. It starts
growth early In the spring. II kept
moderately graxed or II moved at In
tervals 1t keeps green ell summer. Al
falfa WIN not stand close grazing with
hogs. II grased. sufficient acreage
should be allowed 90 that at least one,
and preferably two, cuttings for hay
may be made each season. Such Light
grazing does not seem to injure the
stand.
Red clover, crimson clover. soy
beans, cowpeas, rape and. In the South.
velvet beans and peanuts are also val
uable forage crops which the hogs
can harvest for themselves.
Cheapest Pork From Pasture.
The cost OF pork Is reduced mate
rally by the use OF pasture and for
age crops, but It is desirable to feed
some grain In addition. In certain
sections of the country. where the pas |
lures are luxuriant. mature hogs are
maintained IN an apparently satisfac-
tory condition on pasture alone. The
practice should not be followed In the
case Of young. growing pigs. because
they VIII become thin and stunted II |
compelled to live on pasture alone.
Hog raisers differ widely regarding |
the quantity OF grain that should be
fed to hogs while on pasture. Some
feeders give the hogs all the grain
they Yin consume. Others feed daily
ration equal to About or ; per cent