47 



HOW TO START RIGHT IN THE HOG BUSINESS. 



(From The Live Stock and Dairy Joitiiial.) 



The essential principles for starting with hogs in Colorado and 

 in California are so identical that the following advice given by 

 C. W. Henry, a successful breeder, to the readers of the Colorado 

 Dairyman will interest many of our readers : 



There is no line of the live stock business one can get into with 

 so small an outlay of capital as hogs, and the first cost of pure- 

 breds is so small, considering the advantages gained, between 

 those and just common stock that no one should hesitate in de- 

 ciding which to take. 



In the matter of equipment all one needs in Colorado is plenty 

 of good alfalfa pasture. Several smaller pastures are better than 

 one large one, as the hogs can be changed from one to another 

 while the one is being irrigated, thus insuring abundance of fresh, 

 tender alfalfa at all times. For shelter I have never found any- 

 thing to compare with the A-shaped "Lovejoy" individual houses. 

 One great advantage of these is that they can be built as one's 

 business grows, and you don't have to have a lot of money at 

 the start. They will cost around $10 each, and any one used to 

 using tools on a farm can build them. They are made of drop 

 siding, 2x4s and inch boards for the floor. They are sanitary, 

 and even in the coldest weather are amply warm. I know of a 

 man who built a very expensive concrete hog house, concrete 

 troughs, walls, floors and everything in the most expensive man- 

 ner, and I don't believe this hog house will ever be as satisfactory 

 as the "Lovejoy" individual, and the cost was ten times as great. 

 These houses can be put on skids and moved anywhere, are al- 

 ways dry and no better farrowing pen could be desired. If a 

 man is starting with only one or two sows he can build a couple 

 of houses, and as his herd increases build more as they are 

 wanted. 



The pastures and houses are about all one needs in the way of 

 equipment to start. There could be added such things as a 

 cooler or steamer so that warm feed can be supplied in zero 

 weather. I believe it will always pay to give hogs warm feed in 

 the winter. At least I never could stand to see my pigs fill up 

 on ice-cold feed and then run shivering to shelter. 



After the equipment, of course, come hogs, and here is where 

 so many fail. If one is unfortunate and gets inferior stock he is 

 apt to get discouraged at the outset. I believe without doubt 

 that the quickest way to get started is to buy a bred gilt or sow 

 or two and if their litters are raised one has quite a herd at 

 the end of a year. 



If I were starting again I would buy the very best bred sow 

 or gilt bred to the best boar in the State, and in that way with 



