FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 385 



SWINE. 



SELECTING BROOD SOWS. 



Chicago Daily Drovers' Journal. 



On the majority of farms there is ample evidence that a geat deal more 

 care can be observed in selecting breeding hogs, and particularly the breed- 

 ing sows, than is usually exercised by farmers and swine raisers. This 

 observation is not intended for the benefit of the breeder of pure-bred hogs, 

 but for the man who is raising pork for the market. The former realizes 

 the importance of selection, and the fact that only through this means can 

 he secure uniformity and the other necessary qualities of good breeders, but 

 the common hog raisers fail to appreciate the importance of using the same 

 judgment and discrimination as with high-class swine with hogs used solely 

 in producing hogs for the market demand. 



One of the present great demands of the market is for uniformity. Not 

 only does the evenness include the exterior appearance, but the interior 

 organs as well. In fact, the modern demand is for the animals that are uni- 

 form all through. To secure these results it is necessary for the hog raiser 

 to use discrimination in culling his sow stock, that the litters may be uni- 

 form, and as near as possible conform to the demands of the market. In a 

 large measure the hog raiser can secure this uniformity only in the even appear- 

 ance of the drove, but he may rest assured that if he takes care of this 

 feature he will have no need to worry about internal uniformity. 



As a general proposition, the problem before the hog raiser is to secure 

 and breed the type that is prolific, productive of early maturing and easily 

 fattened hogs of the common, blocky, low-down conformation that the 

 packers are seeking for continually. 



In placing the awards in the swine carcass contest of the International 

 Live Stock -Exposition, the judge, in commenting upon his work after 

 awards were made up, made this statement in substance to a representative 

 of this paper: 



' 'What the packer wants is a medium-sized, small-boned, thin-skinned, 

 fine-grained animal. A hog with a small leg and foot comes close to what 

 we want, as this type generally represents a hog with the above require- 

 ments, set close to the ground. In short, the best hog is the one that 

 dresses out the largest number of pounds for its live weight." 



In a few words, this is one of the strongest expositions of the desired 

 characteristics of the first-class market hog that we have been privileged to 

 print in many a day. It is safe to say that the man who brings this type of 

 hogs to market will have little need to worry about the top of the market. 

 These are what buyers are ardently looking for continually. 



In the case of a man starting into hog raising, it is important that he 

 start right. It will be far wiser for him to buy a few sows that are right 

 than several that are seriously lacking in the qualities that he is seeking for. 

 This advice will apply equally well with the farmer who is beginning with 

 well-bred grade sows as for the breeder who is buying pure-bred registered 

 stock, where he is naturally expected to seek for uniformity. 

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