280 WYE STOCK MANAGEMENT. 



After having selected the type of a hog desirable, it is 

 all important that this animal be given good feed, care and 

 attention. It must be fed on a ration conducive to the de- 

 velopment of bone and muscle. Breeding hogs differ very 

 much from fat hogs. They are expected to be kept until 

 they are several years old, therefore must possess good bone 

 and must also have good muscle. This calls for a ration 

 rich in nitrogenous matter. It also calls for a ration rich in 

 ash matter. This being the case, corn being a ration which 

 is deficient in nitrogen and ash, should form but a small por- 

 tion of the ration for young and growing animals. Feeds 

 rich in protein, such as shorts, oats, gluten feed, oil meal, 

 alfalfa, red clover, rape, skim-milk, etc., should constitute 

 the major portion of the ration fed. Corn, however, while 

 deficient in protein and ash, may be fed in a limited amount, 

 especially when properly combined with the other feed stuffs. 



These young pigs must be liberally fed, as it is all 

 important that they obtain a good growth at an early age. 

 They should be separated from those intended for fattening 

 purposes before they are three months old. They require 

 more exercise and more nitrogenous feed stuffs than those 

 which are intended for fattening purposes. The boars should 

 be separated from the sows and given different care and 

 treatment. The sows should be forced rapidly and should 

 not be bred before they are at least eight months old. The 

 boars should also be fed liberally and should not be used 

 for breeding purposes until they are at least eight months 

 old. The boar should not be used very heavily the first year 

 and not more than ten or twelve sows should be served by 

 him during his first season. This is an important matter, 

 one which a great many breeders fail to give proper atten- 

 tion. The young boar especially, and the young sow, too, 

 should be given a liberal amount of exercise. This is a very 

 important feature. 



