LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 1 55 



great deal on wheat during the winter. He stated a few weeks ago at 

 the Dairy meeting he thought he could get more benefit from a field 

 of wheat for pasture than from a field of rye, and I can corroborate 

 what Mr. Gabbert said that we get a larger yield of wheat in this State 

 than rye. It is different perhaps farther north. 



]\Ir. King: I have been raising hogs like an ordinary Missouri 

 farmer for the market and I agree with Mr. Gentry that the sow would 

 fare better if she looked a little too fat than if she is not fat enough. 

 It is a wonderful mistake that is made by the average farmer that a 

 breeding sow should be kept thin. Plenty of feed and unlimited exer- 

 cise is the best thing for the sow and for the little pigs. I have prac- 

 ticed a limited feeding of corn and scattering it — and when I say scat- 

 ter T mean scatter. I have sent men out to scatter oats and wheat for 

 my hogs and told them : "Now I want this scattered so the sow can- 

 not get but one grain at a time," and they would string a half bushel 

 in a string forty feet long and be careful to put a half, bushel in a 

 straight string. If I am feeding brood sows I scatter wheat or oats 

 or rye for the purpose of securing exercise — I scatter a handful at a 

 time. 



yir. Ziegler: Would it pay to grind the wheat instead of scatter- 

 ing it? If ground, would it be better to feed it dry or make it into a 

 slop? I don't know how to feed it when it is dry, but I moisten it a 

 little. 



Mr. Gentry: In the fall of the year and early winter when there 

 is a lot of grain and grass, I would not feed any slop at all, but weather 

 like this when the}- cannot get anything but dry corn, I feed slop, largely 

 bran, something that will make it bulky and keep the bowels open. If 

 you feed them in a house where the wind does not reach the feed, you 

 can feed it dry and let them have water, for in winter the water freezes 

 up. I have seen instances where men fed dry ship stuff. A Poland 

 China breeder says the fattest lot of pigs he ever saw were fed on dry 

 ship stuff'. In winter the water is apt to be frozen and I like to have 

 slop to make a balanced ration, and also give them a drink of water. 

 The water ma}- be frozen and they cannot get a drink, but give them 

 a drink once a day. But in the fall of the year when there is plenty 

 of grass and water, corn is all they need ; that is an aged hog. For 

 a young hog that won't do. You cannot raise a hog exclusively on 

 a corn diet. Corn makes fat and there is nothing as cheap, but to make 

 a fine animal you ought to have a variety of feed. 



Mr. Canaday : I would like to hear from some of the breeders 

 concerning the bed for the pregnant sows. My plan is to have a very 

 large shed for them to sleep in so they will not group up. I believe 



