East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-01-24
HERNISTON BOY TELLS
OF Pig He RAISED

The following is written by Willis
Rees. a Hermiston boy, telling of his
work as a mepber of the Umatilla
County Pig Club:
The Story of My Pig-DV l.
entered this contest because the
world needed more pork and because
my dad could buy a good SOW for $50.
She was a Poland China and looked
better than any other breed at the
price.
named her Rose, because roses and
pigs always remind me Of smells. but
the pig disappointed us, when she had
a big pasture lot there was no smell
Rose is gentle SOW, with mild eyes
and a good length. She would lay
down when I scratched her belly, and
was always ready to eat.
1 helped my dad build her pen with
guard rail around it, for the little
pigs protection. She made a nest in
the straw in her pen but would not
make it on board floor we had laid
for her.
She had nothing to eat after milk
was in her teats, until the pigs were
"a hours old, but she had plenty of
warm water to drink. She had
dandy pigs, no runts. AS soon as they
were born, my dad cut their big teeth
out, because l was at school. We fed
her a thin bran slop at first, then
added a little shorts.
once the little pigs began securing,
but it was stopped in one day, by Civ
ing the SOW less to eat. She made a
fine mother and was always careful
when she lay down. The little pigs
began to smell around the water and
feed trough and eat before they were
two weeks old notice that our pigs
don't drink much at time, but they
drink often.
We didn't weigh our SOW, but got
good estimate by comparing her
with Others, whose weight was known.
We turned the pigs into the pasture
lot on green feed when the pigs were
four weeks old We didn't have the
fence built before then. 1t was lots
of work building that fence and shed,
but it made it mighty easy to take
care OF the pigs later. How the pigs
did enjoy that green feed.
One day all the little pigs got out
into the road. Pretty soon we heard
the awfunest squealing. an auto was
one little pig down the road 7
and all the others were following the /
automobile They turned in our lane
and never stopped until they reached 7
their mother
We put slack coal where they could /
always get it and little salt was put .
in their feed which we fed night and /
We only fed about three (
Of feed to the old SOW every 1
day before she farrowed and cut it'll
lown to two pounds after farrowing 4
which was increased when the SOW
,howed she needed more. The am
junt Of feed was increased as soon as
he little pigs showed that they need /
"a more always. but was not increas-
ID as long as they were in good flesh. 4
I wasn't trying to feed my pigs so
many pounds Of feed per day, but l II
vas trying to make them grow I kept
record Of all the feed hat they
ised, and charged it to them as 1t
vas bought We had 10 take mill
eed instead of shorts part Of the
ime: that liz not as good as shorts. but
charged it in my account as shorts.
he mixed hog feed. / charged in on
ly account at actual cost.
NY pigs have always seemed lit
Ie bigger and better than other pigs
+ their age. but they certainly have
OF cost much.
Mr. Campbell and Mr. O'Reiiy Viz
ed me and gave me many splendid