300 LIVE STOCK MANAGEMENT. 



Cement floors are preferred for several reasons, chief of 

 which are cleanliness, coolness in summer, durability, and 

 they also prevent rats from working underneath and finding 

 harboring places from which they make raids on the grain 

 bins. But they are undesirable in that they are cold .in winter 

 and often cause lameness in pigs that are confined in them 

 continually. This difficulty can be overcome, however, by 

 constructing a portable wooden floor six by seven feet on 

 which the hogs may make their beds. A four inch railing 

 spiked around this will be very useful in keeping the bedding 

 in place. In this way the cement can be used for a feeding 

 floor and be easily cleaned, and will at the same time 

 help to save the litter which is a valuable fertilizer instead 

 of allowing it to run beneath the pen to make the hog's 

 environments unsanitary. 



A cement trough of eight inches depth next the alley 

 five inches next the pen, and ten inches in width, in place 

 of a wooden trough, will prove a valuable investment because 

 of its durability and cleanliness. The alleyway, too, should 

 be made of cement for reasons already mentioned, durability, 

 cleanliness, prevention of the workings of rats, etc. 



Convenience at feeding time is obtained by means of a 

 swinging partition next to the alleyway which is made se- 

 cure at the top while the bottom is allowed to swing over 

 the inside of the trough when the swill is being poured in 

 from the alley. The door is held there by a long rod which 

 slips down on the other side of the trough. The same holds 

 it fast when in proper position as a partition between the 

 pen and alley. 



Any one or more of these pens may be turned into a 

 safe farrowing pen by the use of a simple device. Spike to 

 the three sides of the wall about nine inches from the floor 

 a 2x8 inch scantling and this will prevent the mother from 

 lying on her pigs. When she lies down they can usually 

 get away under this and escape unhurt. The south and 

 east sides of such a pen as we have described should be 

 provided with a large number of windows for the admission 

 of sunlight. If the roof from the north side is elevated 

 three or four feet above the roof from the south side, this 

 vertical space can be filled in at short intervals with the 

 windows which will serve a double purpose that of ventila- 

 tion and the admission of light, and sunshine during part of 



