654 IOWA DEPARTMENT CF AGRICULTURE. 



man whio for winter breeding has plenty of skim milk and plenty of 

 good clover pasture in summer we think the balanced ration problem is 

 pretty well solved. But the man not so well situated will likely have to 

 use something else. 



I have often heard about how cheap they could grow hogs in some ol 

 the southern states simply by letting them eat acorns and what they 

 could pick in the timber and finally finishing them by feeding a little 

 corn, but judging from some I sav^^ one winter in the mountains of north- 

 west Arkansas I should think they never saw any corn, or acorns either. 



We have had very good results from brood sows by feeding a ration 

 ©f about one part oats and two parts corn, and I believe it is a good plan 

 to add a little oil meal to the ration. I believe it will pay every time to 

 feed your brood sows separate from the hogs you are feeding for market 

 as the brood sow should not be too fat, but should be kept in a good, 

 thrifty condition. Good, dry, comfortable quarters should be provided for 

 the sows at farrowing time, and the pens should be so arranged that each 

 sow can be shut off by herself for a few days at least. 



Arrange to have the pigs all come as near together as possible as 

 this will prevent the pigs robbing and will go a long way toward making 

 a nice even bunch. As soon as the youngsters are old enough to eat 

 they should have a place fixed for them where they can eat by themselves, 

 and they should have about all they will eat up clean. We believe it 

 pays to push a pig from the time he comes until he is ready for the 

 market. We believe it profitable to push them from the time they come 

 until they weigh from two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds and 

 then market them. 



As to the time to have pigs come as you are aware, there is a great 

 difference of opinion among hog raisers. As far as our own experience 

 is concerned we believe that the early pig is the one to raise. March 

 and April pigs have always given us the best returns where we had places 

 warm enough to take care of them. We are aware that it is not very 

 pleasant to prance around a hog shed all night with a basket and a jug 

 of hot water to throw around the youngsters to keep them from freezing 

 some of the cold nights we have that time in the year, but it has to be 

 done sometimes where we raise early pigs. We believe if you want late 

 pigs at all it will pay better to have them come in the early fall; let them 

 get a good start for the winter, furnish them good quarters for cold 

 weather, and then feed them out the next summer. 



As to the feeding out and care of hogs to keep them free from disease 

 we believe the best medicine is plenty of good pure water, clean, dry 

 sleeping quarters and plenty of feed, and as to their diseases we believe 

 that lice and worms kill about as many as any other one thing. We 

 believe if a man will dip his hogs occasionally with some preparation 

 that will kill lice, and feed them something to get rid of worms, that 

 he will not have much trouble with hog disease. We do not mean to 

 say by this that there is no other disease that kill hogs, but we do believe 

 that a great many more hogs die from worms than is generally supposed. 



I will say in conclusion that if the hog is given a fair chance and right 

 treatment it will be bard. to find 9,ny otjier animal on the farm that w,il\ 

 give better returns. 



