Pig Raising: A Manual for Pig ClubsNolan, Aretas Wilbur
Science
Pig Raising: A Manual for Pig Clubs
Nolan, Aretas Wilbur
Swine
=Feeding and care of the sow.= In starting in the swine industry with one
or more gilts, it should be borne in mind that a sow should not be bred
until she is eight or ten months of age. Every hog raiser should aim to
have his sows produce two litters a year, farrowing in April and October.
Not more than two-thirds of the grain ration should be corn. Some feeders
prefer to use ground oats and middlings exclusively. In any event,
heating and fattening foods should be avoided. In addition to the grain
ration, roots and clover or alfalfa hay or skim-milk should be fed. Sows
on good pasture require little grain except just before farrowing.
At farrowing time the sow should be placed in a building, dry, free from
draughts, and well-ventilated.
The feed after farrowing should be about the same as before. After the
first week larger quantities are necessary for the sow in order to
maintain the pigs properly. When the pigs are weaned, the feed of the sow
should be cut down to check the flow of milk. Oats is recommended for
that purpose.
=Feeding the pigs.= The young pigs will learn to eat at about three weeks
of age. At this time if the pigs can be fed separately from the sow
better results will be obtained. Skim-milk, middlings and soaked corn are
recommended.
Young pigs should be given opportunity for exercise but should be
sheltered from cold winds or hot sun. Young pigs may be weaned at from 8
to 10 weeks. Avoid too heavy feeding at first.
Pasture-fed pigs may be given one-fourth of a pound of tankage, or one
and one-half to two pounds of skim-milk or buttermilk per day; one-half
pound of middlings may be added to the above ration. Adding bran or
finely ground oats to the middlings will prevent constipation in case the
middlings are too fine and floury.
What corn is readily cleaned up may be fed at the age of three months or
a little earlier if skim-milk is being fed. The pigs should be fed four
times a day at first and then three times. As the pigs grow older the
corn and middlings may be increased, but at no time should corn alone be
fed.
=Markets.= The successful stock man is the one who is familiar with
market requirements and tries to meet them. Every pig club member
should know something of the market classes and grades of hogs. These
differ somewhat according to local conditions, but in a general way the
classification used on the Chicago market may be taken as a standard.
Heavy hogs are no longer at a premium except when the price of lard is
high. They contain a large amount of fat. The various grades of hogs in
the several classes indicate the degree to which they have attained to
the standard of perfection, prime being the highest grade, and common and
inferior the lowest grades.
Butcher hogs are commonly used for fresh meat trade. They are principally
barrows.
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