22 rOKAGE CEOPS FOR HOGS IN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. 



Another farm in the same locality will serve as an illustration of 

 what may be clone with fall pigs in this section. Eighty head ran on 

 the alfalfa and wheat fields of the farm during fall and winter. 

 They gathered roughage and waste grain in the fields and were fed 

 no grain until 6 months old. At this age the}' averaged 135 pounds. 

 They were then fed some corn on alfalfa pasture, the amount grad- 

 ually increasing till the pigs were on full feed. Corn was fed for 

 two months, during which time the pigs made an average gain of 14 

 pounds for every bushel of corn fed. They were sold at 8 months 

 old, weighing 235 pounds each. The price of the corn was 45 cents a 

 bushel. This makes the cost of the corn fed $257.14, or $3.21 for each 

 hog. At the average price of hogs in this locality, 5| cents, the 

 herd averaged $12.92^ per head. Deducting the price of corn fed 

 leaves, as the value of the fall and winter pasture for each hog, $9.71. 



Another farmer ran a bunch of September pigs on alfalfa and 

 wheat pastures until the following May, when they weighed 125 

 pounds. They received in addition one ear of corn each twice a day. 

 At this time the corn was increased gradually until each hog was 

 getting 10 ears twice a day, which this farmer claims is the maxi- 

 mum feed for young hogs. They were fed thus for six weeks, mak- 

 ing in this time a gain of about 100 pounds a head and consuming 

 10 bushels of corn each at a cost of $3.50 a head, or 3^ cents a pound 

 for each pound of gain on corn. Allowing 4 bushels more as the 

 quantity probably fed up to the fattening period at two ears a day, 

 makes the cost for corn for each hog $4.90. To this adding $1.10 a 

 head for pasture and slop (the cost of the slop fed is not known) 

 brings the cost of each hog to $6.50 a head, or 2| cents a pound. 

 This allowed a good margin of profit at the ruling j)rice of pork. 



To show the importance of alfalfa hay in a system of feeding, the 

 practice of the farmers around North Platte, Xebr., and elsewhere 

 may be mentioned. The alfalfa hay is ground up fine or else fed 

 whole with corn in the proj^ortion of about 5 pounds of alfalfa to 1 

 pound of corn. This is fed to the brood sows during the winter, and 

 they come through in excellent condition on very cheap feed. In many 

 sections alfalfa hay is worth about $5 a ton on the farm. One ton 

 of alfalfa and about 8 bushels of corn will keep three brood sows one 

 hundred and thirty days, or nearh' the whole winter. The hogs so 

 kept farrow pigs that are remarkable for their vigor and size. 



In these times of scarcitj' of labor and its high price many farmers 

 are trying to reduce the labor on the farm. Some of the hog raisers 

 have adopted the plan of harvesting the corn crop by turning the 

 hogs into the cornfield and letting them gather it, or " hogging it 

 down." as it is called. 



Ill— IV 



