Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-31
HANDLING HOGS IN THE SOUTH

pTOpOSlIIOnS
slider and solve. In proportion to
the extent to which We accomplish
this end We multiply our profits and
increase our interest. In establish
ing hog ranching, one must of course
give consideration to the care or the
breeding animals which are employ :
ed This is the first great essentlal
to winning success. unless tniS IS
done, failure will certainly follow.
The herd must also be culled. II
makes no difference whether the
landowner is handling purebreds OF
the common run of hogs, there is a
certain proportion of animals or an
classes that will prove undesirable
as feeders or for other purposes.
Gull them out and get rid of them.
Animals when sold on the market
must also be properly finished. me
half-fattened hog, or the carload Oh
hogs which contains five or slN
grades, cannot be marketed to ad-
vantage If our hog raisers could
learn this one fundamental fact, they
will save themselves literally nun
dreds of thousands of dollars during
the coming year. Some of the more
important factors to be considered In
association with the handling, breed
ing and culling of the herd and the
marketing of animals have been Co
ordinated in this article. Reau II
carefully on that account, and, II you
wish further information along TINS
line, write to the Georgia State COL
lege of Agriculture for free copy Oh
Bulletin 223.
The young boar will be ready for
light service when eight months 10
one year of age if grown out prop
erly. At this time, he should De
placed in a separate pen or not more
than two per pen. When his tucks
grow long enough to do damage,
they should be cut off. Inc poar
should not be in too high condltloh
else is important at all times anu
especially SO during the breedlng
season. It tends to avoid laying on
of excessive fat and assists. In pro
noting stamina and Vigor In tue
animal. Access to grazing crops
is otherwise beneficial. A good plan
is to have the feeding trough at one
end of the boar's lot and his sleeping
quarters at the other, as this system
will force him to take exercise IN
going to and from his quarters 10
feed Good clean and fresh water in
liberal amounts should be supplied
at all times.
The gifts should not be bred to
farroW under twelve or eighteen
months on an average; After lney
are bred. the feed should be IN
creased. as they are then forced to
furnish nourishment to the emory
onic litter. The mineral part OF the
ration plays a very important par
in developing the. growing git car
rying her first litter: BY keepln M
a mineral mixture before her at al
times she will consume enough 10
produce ample bone in the pigs
without injury to her own frame
work
1t is essential for the pregnant
IN n6
her grain ration. This is especlily
desirable just prior to narrowing pc
cause delivery of the pigs is maze
with less effort and less disturbance
if the bowels are loose. 1t IS OFTEN
advisable to add to the ration lew
DAYS before narrowing such laxative
feed as wheat bran, oil meal or pea
nut meal. This is not so important
if the sow has some green grazing.
Feed should be denied the SOW
for the first day after narrowing IN
order to allow the fever TO supslue'
fresh water by her continually our
ing the first f~--- days. Pure water
ia essential at all times, but 1T is par
tfcularly needed by the SOW during
the narrowing period, which IS usual
ly accompanied by fever. The laXa-
tive feed should be continued uhcll
the pigs are few days old, ana tnen
it should be gradually reduced. For
the first week or ten days the ration
should be composed largely OF Wheat
shorts and bran and forage, WIN
very little corn. When the inter Is
about two weeks old the; amount OF
corn should be increased and the
bran decreased. The breeding herd
should be in a good, thrifty ana
healthy condition at all times. IL
they are to be sold at auction or eH-
hibited in the show ring, flttlng
should be started early so tnaI WIFI zen
owner will not be forced to MAZE
apologies for the .ack of condition
and appearance of the offering. FIT
ting is largely a matter of feeding
Culling should be practiced on
grade or market herds as Wen as
purebreds. The less desirable sows
producing only five and six pigs per
litter should be replaced by, promls-
ing gifts. AS a rule, sows should be
sent to the market before they are
five years old. Gifts are not as
profitable their first year as mature
sows, so the herd should not have
course only purebred registered
boars should be used.
The breeder of rurebred hogs
should give particular attention to
sound his methods or how well bred
his stock may be, some poor indi-
viduals will appear in the herd.
These poor individuals should be
culled from the herd as early as
possible and placed in separate quar-
ters to be fattened for the market
In doing this, the purebred breeder
enhances his reputation for good ami
mails. CulIing brings the good judg-
ment of the breeders into prominent
play. Poor judgment on the part
of some breeders has caused excel
lent boars to be culled out castrated
and fattened for the butcher. when
thev would have developed into
boars worthy of heading good herds.
On the other hand, poor judgment
has been the cause of many more
poor boars being used when they
should have been castrated and tat
tened. The unpromising sows should
also be fed for the market. Where
there is any doubt in the mind of
the breeder relative to culling out
a certain individual it is good pol
icy to Gull, remembering that there
are more poor ones saved than good
ones culled. At least IS per cent of
the boars and % per cent OF the soWs
should be culled.
The culls from purebred herd
and good pigs raised or bought to
be fed out when the market is high
est will make UP the high grade
market animals. No definite system
for finishing these hogs for market
has been adopted by the farmers OF
the state. Larger amounts of corn
and high protein concentrates II
spring on grazing crops and large
crops of early corn and cowpeas OIL
Spanish peanuts maturing in the
late summer appear to be the most
practical suggestions yet made
There are several general principles
underlying hog feeding that shoulc
be understood before trying to work
out a system. One is the balanced
ration. i. e.. the amount of properly
proportioned, digestible protein anus
Gle forming foodl and carbohydrat,S
(fat forming food) for a days feed
Young pigs require approximately
ID. of protein to As lbs. of carbohy
drates, but as they advance in age
the proportion gradually changes un
til at maturity they should receive