1^6 SWINE IN AMERICA 



swine raisers will make winter pigs profitablt in the 

 face of all the disadvantages which niay attend their 

 rearing, while others obtain little profit from spring 

 litters reared with every advantage. Where snow falls, 

 the fall pigs will require a good deal of care and warm, 

 dry pens, and not so many can be handled well in winter 

 weather as may be cared for in summer, when growing 

 feed is abundant and exercise is natural. A difficulty 

 with fall pigs, if the climate is at all severe, is in their 

 desire to avoid exercise in cold weather. A calf or a 

 colt will make the most of his freedom on a wintry day, 

 securing both exercise and warmth by playing and 

 moving about, but a hog is inclined to eat and take to 

 his bed until time. to eat again. Various methods of 

 overcoming this in a measure have been suggested, but 

 it is difficult to give any which will meet all situations. 

 Herding with corn-fed cattle has been found to work 

 well and where the cattle are fed all the corn they will 

 eat, the pigs will obtain exercise in picking grain from 

 the droppings. 



Pigs cannot thrive on ice water, and in cold weather 

 should have access to drink less chilly. Slop fed to 

 them moderately warmed is much better than if near 

 the freezing point. 



Late or winter litters in a cold climate may properly 

 be classed as hothouse product, and pigs that come in 

 November, December or January and are saved from 

 perishing only by the use of stoves and coddling in 

 close, stuffy quarters are likely to be more or less stunted 

 and undersized — not a money-making lot at best. Fall 



