The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-01-31
(Prepared by the United States Depart
mont of A gricu1tIlrel

| prepared by the United States Depart
| ment of Agriculture)
| It is of the greatest importance
in producing pigs for the market that
they gain in weight as rapidly as pos
sible. The modern hog is highly spe-
cialized and efficient machine for the
conversion of grain and roughage into
edible meat; but to obtain the great
est efficiency, to make the most pork
from given amount of feed, to make
the best pork, and to make that pork
most economically the machine must
be kept running to capacity from birth
to the time of marketing Nothing is
more important than this factor. The
question of breeding the kind of feeds
fed, and the proportion of the pro-
tein to the fattening elements in the
ration are all important and are all
means to the same end, but If the
greatest profit is to be returned to the
| feeder his pigs must make maximum
gains at all times.
| Supplement to SoW's MIX.
| The first opportunity to force the
pigs comes when they are few weeks
old. Up to this time they have been
| living solely on their dams milk; in
| fact there is no successful substitute,
as has been demonstrated by repeated
| failure to raise newly born pigs on
cows milk. The milk of the sow is
much richer in protein, fat, and ash
than is cows milk, and the latter
makes such poor substitute that pigs
| under two weeks of age usually die of
digestive troubles following It's exclu-
sive use. After growing for three
weeks the young pigs begin to have an
appetite for some feed to supplement
the sow's milk, and they should be fed,
for unless they are the strain on the
sow will be q very serious one. The
pigs will eat from the sOw's trough,
especially If she is being fed on thin,
sloppy feeds. A pen should be arranged
adjoining that of the dam and sepa-
rated from it by a partition with suf-
| ficient room at the bottom to allow
the pigs to run under. In the inclos-
ure to be used by the little pigs place
a low shallow trough to contain their
skim milk or mash.
The best feeds for pigs of this age
are dairy by-products, such as skim
milk These, mixed with mill feeds, as
middlings, shorts, and even cheap
| grade of flour or with meal of
| ground oats from which the hullS have
! been removed, give excellent satisfac-
| ton. Some feeders use the self-feeder
at this time, placing it inside creep
that will admit the pigs to their grain
at all times. This is best adapted for
pigs after six weeks old, where there
is a lack of skim milk and they must
be prepared for the period following
weaving without this feed.
Castration.
Pigs should be castrated while they
| are young; the best time is between
| SIX and eight weeks of age, before
weaving. At this age there is less
shock to the pig and possibly less check
| in growth. If it is still sucking its
dam. the chances are that it will be
more thrifty and in better condition
| than when the operation is performed
| Immediately after weaving. A pig six,
seven or eight weeks old is small
enough to be handled conveniently,
and the testicles are large enough to
render the operation quite simple. For
| detailed information on this subject
consult Farmers Bulletin $50, Gas
tration Of Young Pigs"
| - WEAVING.
L
Breeders differ widely as to the age
| for weaving. The majority wean at
| six to ten weeks, with considerable
| number at twelve weeks; some wean
later than twelve weeks and q few ear
| lier than six weeks. There should be
| no hurry about it; eight weeks Is
/ Young enough if skim milk is avail
able. OF course, the size and develop
| ment of the pigs have a great deal to
do with the weaving age. If skim
milk is not Obtainable, 1t is better to
| LET them nurse the SOW until ten weeks
old. The weaving should be brought
about directly, and in all cases be
complete and decisive. The pigs should
| be placed apart from the sows in quar-
| tiers secure enough to prevent COM
munication. If the sow is still milk
| ing considerably, it is best to milk her
dry by hand rather than to return the
| pigs to her. The pigs will be no bet
| ter off and the sow infinitely worse
than if weaving is brought about de-
| cisively. ~
WEAVING Ration.
Skim milk and corn or skim milk
and shorts, fed in the proportion of
three to one, make an excellent ration
for weanings. If skim milk is not
available, a mixture of five parts corn
| meal, four parts middlings and one
part tankage fed as thin slop is very
good. Good, succulent pasture is al
ways in order. 1t will aid wonderfully
in putting growth on the young pigs,
and the grain expense will be less
| ened. After the pigs have been weaned
|
| Value of Wood Ashes.
Ordinary wood ashes do not carry
enough fertilizing elements to make