The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-02-12
TREASURE STATE FARM and LIVESTOCK
The Importance of Good Housing and
Feeding Facilities Inn Hog Production

warm and smooth but not slippery,
and should be easily cleaned.
The earth floor is used a great deal
on account of it's cheapness. If the
floor is dry, it will be warm but
dusty. If wet it will be muddy. The
hogs can root out this floor and rats
can burrOW into it. There is difficult
ty in keeping a dirt floor clean and
sanitary.
Plank or wood floors are very sat
isfactOry but have the disadvantages
of being unsanitary and of rOtting
out quickly Plank on a layer OF
sand will prevent rats and mice from
working and stop the circulation OF
air under the floor.
Concrete floors have the advantage
of cleanliness, ~smoOthness and per
manance but are liable to be damp
and cold. Concrete conducts the heat
away from the animals quickly and
also conducts moisture up from the
ground thus making the surface cold.
Many floors are made of putting one
inch to two inch layers Of concrete
over building tile. If a second grade
! of these building tile can be obtained
the floor will not be excessively x
pensiVe. If a concrete floor is used a
plank overIay should be used in each
pen for a nesting place.
Guard Rails
Guard rails, or tenders are neces-.
sary in the pens to protect the small
pigs from being crushed against the
wall by the SOW. These rails n
usually about eight inches from the
FLOOR and extend about eight inches
from the wall. They can be made
OF two by four inch lumber fastened
to the wall with steel brackets.
Pens, Door and Alleys
The pen partitions can be made
removable so as to put several pens
together for stock hogs. These par
: ltitions can be fastened in position
by cleats or fastened by eyebOlts to
posts. The partitions car either be
of open construction, that is, boards
5 horizontal with spaces between them
5 or made up Of boards placed close
together. This last construction has
many advantages. The hogs in adj
- Looming pens cannot bother each 9TH
: er, which is very important at far
e rowing time. The hogs cannot get at
I the edges OF the boards to bite Off
T pieces.
If, in a large house, it is necessary
G to drive a wagon or manure Spreadel
n through the feed alley it should be
eight feet wide. Otherwise the alley
is made four feet wide. The wide
2. alley can also be used as q feeding
floor for young pigs.
A pen six feet by eight feet viii
accommodate a SOW and litter. If.cOn
crete floor is used the feed trough
can be poured of concrete when tn
floor is poured, or wooden trough
can be placed at the front of the pen
The trough is usually three and one
half feet long. The front pane
should be hinged SO that it can b.
swung back over the trough Will
the trough is being filled
In most cases each pen should hav
a door opening to the feed alley an
one opening to the outside yard
These doors should be at least two t
four inches wide and the Outsid
doors from 80 to 40 inshes high. Tn
Outside doors should be hinged t
Swing upward. Sliding doors ar
sometimes used but they are liabl
to stick in the ir grooves.
Ventilation
Some system of ventilation shOul
be used in the hog houses to remOv
foul air and moisture.
The most common system is on
in which the air enters around tn
doors and arises and passes OF
= through a low aeratOr on the roo
W This outlet should have a damper I
a regulate the outgoing air in e,
Il tremely cold weather. This syste-
y causes draft.
A more satisfactory system admit
d fresh air above the plate on the wal
a. through openings controlled
III hampers. In a house with two row
81 of pens to maintain the proper pu
us ity of air there should be a II Inc
Is cupola for each 20 feet Of hOu.
IL length. The same area Of intake o
=. enings should be used. In CO
III weather these flues should be part
111 closed and in mild weather some
the windows can be opened.
NJ Heating Of Hog Houses
When narrowing comes in seve
weather it is sometimes desirable
- have artificial head in the hoghoul
This can be obtained in a cent?
or colony type of house by putti
an ordinary stove in the house. A
other method of heating is by diggi
a hole under the hOghouse lar
enough to place therein a heati