HOG 



GENERAL FEATURES 



Since the hog house, to be the most serviceable, should 

 be used every day in the year, its construction should be 

 rather substantial. On this account more money can be 

 spent in construction than if the buildings were to be used 

 only a few months during the year. They should be so 

 planned that the largest amount of work may be performed 

 with the least amount of labor, which in any business is an 

 extremely important feature. 



The framing is usually a combination of 2 x 4 stock and 

 heavier. Of course, for small buildings the 2x4 material 

 alone is suitable, but in the larger, permanent buildings 

 heavier timber is necessary in order to make them substan- 

 tial and durable. The walls are made close and warm. In 

 the small portable building they may be of single thickness, 

 but in the larger buildings they are usually made double, 

 either by siding up both the inside and outside of the studs 

 or by putting on a double outside layer with building paper 

 between. Shiplap for the inner boards and drop-siding for 

 the outer ones gives good results. 



The question of floors is a very serious one which has 

 worried hog raisers for many years. In a permanent build- 

 ing, the earth floor is decidedly unsanitary; so much so that 

 its use can hardly be recommended. Brick and concrete 

 have both been tried, but in many cases they have been so 

 cold that it has been found impossible for young pigs to live 

 upon them. Houses that have been so equipped have had 

 to be changed and a wood floor provided. This is partly due 

 to poor construction, for it has been found that if the floors 

 are separated from the walls by a one-inch layer of asphalt 

 or some such material the passage of cold is materially 

 lessened. 



Wood floors, if properly constructed and used, are rea- 

 sonably durable and if made so that they are removable 

 there is no reason why sanitation can not be practiced in the 

 hog house without any great difficulty. Indeed, many hog 

 raisers find that a movable wood floor to be used in the win- 

 ter farrowing season is advisable. Creosoted flooring, or 

 the creosote brush treatment of both floors and walls, is a 

 sanitary measure and also adds to the durability of the wood. 



Twelve 



