A COBN-BELT FARMING I 



and helps fill in the program during slack periods of the regular work. 

 During the winter months there is little work the farmer can do 

 profitably, and it is during this season that the heaviest work is 

 demanded by the hogs. At this time there should be 60 fall pigs, 

 10 brood sows, and 1 boar to care for, feed, water, slop, bed, etc. 

 The amount of time actually put in at this will vary with the man 

 and the arrangements for handling the hogs. The fall pigs should be 

 divided into two or three lots, according to size. If these are scat- 

 tered somewhat and the feeding done out of doors, portable shelter 

 houses being used both for the shotes and the sows, more than 4 

 hours a day will be necessary. If the shotes are allowed to run 

 together in one herd and are housed in a large, permanent house 

 and the sows kept together in a part of the same building, less time 



JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPr OCT NQV DEC 



FIG. 7. Diagram showing the amount and distribution of labor required by 10 brood sows and 120 

 pigs by the system of management described in this bulletin. 



will be required. Under ordinary conditions 4 hours a day will be 

 required for this work throughout the corn belt for the winter months. 

 The two litters of pigs produced each year are farrowed between 

 March 1 and 15 and September 1 and 15. This accounts for the 

 extra amount of work with the hogs at these two periods. A glance 

 at figure 6 shows that at these periods the farmer has practically no 

 field work to do and can well devote his time to the care of the sows 

 and their young litters, together with whatever attention the shotes 

 may require. From September 1 to 15 there is more work to be done 

 in connection with the hogs than at any other period of the year. 

 During this time the fall litters are farrowed and the shotes are fed 

 corn in order to get them on full feed before turning them into the 

 cornfield which is to t}e hogged down. For a few days old corn is 

 fed, but gradually new corn takes its place. This is gathered from 

 the field, and stillfurther increases the labor at this time. This consti- 

 tutes the busiest season of the year for this kind of work, but it comes 

 when there is the least amount of regular farm work to be done. 



