THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 63i^ 



of a lack of vitality. Never retain a poor mother and do not send a good 

 one to market so long as she will produce and raise a good litter. The 

 hog farm's capital is the breeding herd, and an average of nine or ten 

 pigs to the litter should be raised, and a herd that will do that will pay 

 good dividends. A competent hog grower should mature 90 per cent of 

 all the pigs farrowed, and while I am well aware that but few men 

 accomplish this, it can be done Too little attention is paid to the sow 

 before, and immediately after farrowing, and right here is found the 

 reason w^hy so few growers succeed in maturing over 75 per cent of the 

 pigs farrowed." 



Three points which should be considered by all breeders as most vitally 

 affecting economy of production are: prolificacy, quality and size. The 

 fecundity, or prolificacy of the hog should be encouraged and cultivated 

 by careful selection and proper care and feed. No other meat-producing 

 animal, aside from poultry, is capable of producing so large a number 

 of young in a year as is the hog. The brood sow that will raise eight to 

 ten pigs to a litter is more than twice as valuable as the sow that will 

 raise but four or five to a litter. If the sow that raises but four or five 

 pigs to a litter will pay expenses, the sow that will raise twice this num- 

 ber is obviously a money maker and deserving of the best of care. 



While "quality" is a thing rather difficult to describe, it is recognized 

 by the producer as a valuable asset, as it means greater profit from the 

 herd. Buyers are always ready to pay a substantial premium for quality 

 and the markets have never yet been overrun with an oversupply of 

 high-class hogs. The size of a hog is a point that is but seldom given the 

 consideration it deserves. In general, the market demands favor a hog 

 weighing from 180 to 225 pounds. Incidentally, these w^eights usually 

 represent the most economical weights to produce. With these weights 

 in mind, it is often claimed that it is not necessary to keep breeding 

 animals weighing 500 to 700 pounds. This, however, is a superficial view- 

 point, for, while the packer does not demand these heavyweights, size 

 in the breeding stock is necessary in order that the pig may have in- 

 herited size which makes for early growth. Large mature weights are 

 essential for its rapid growth during the first nine months of the pig's 

 life. The more nearly maturity is approached, the more expensive are 

 the gains produced and consequently the larger the breeding stock the 

 earlier will be the age at which the hog will reach a desirable market 

 weight and the more economical will be the gains. On the other hand, the 

 hog that cannot be put on the market until it reaches maturity is not 

 a desirable animal to raise, for the hog, as a rule, does not reach maturity 

 until about two years of age. During the past thirty years the matter 

 of early maturity in hogs has been receiving much attention at the 

 hands of breeders and this point has been greatly developed in certain 

 breeds. In the case of at least two of the breeds, this early maturing 

 characteristic has been developed to a point beyond a profitable stage. 

 Most of the established breeds are of such character, how^ever, that pigs 

 may be put into desirable market condition at almost any age during 

 their early life, but the trouble in the case of the two exceptions above 

 noted is that they mature too early to admit of the most profitable growth. 



