524 SWINE IN AMERICA 



NET PERCENTAGE THAT HOGS WILL DRESS 



A question that frequently confronts farmers is that 

 of dressing the hogs at home and selhng- the carcasses, 

 or selHng ahve. Some townspeople are glad to buy 

 dressed hogs for private use and will pay a good price 

 for a carcass that has been nicely dressed. Whether 

 it will pay to dress and sell thus or sell to the stock 

 buyer is a question. 



Where one has but a few hogs it is often very profitable 

 to dispose of them dressed. One should, of course, al- 

 low for labor required in slaughtering, fuel used in heat- 

 ing water, and other miscellaneous expenses. Then by 

 knowing how many pounds of pork every 100 pounds of 

 live hog will make, the price that he must have for the 

 carcass to get the same as for the live animal can be 

 determined. 



Several factors influence the yield by a hog. Con- 

 formation, waste, degrees of fatness and development — 

 all play important parts. Thick, deep-bodied hogs are 

 always better dressers than those that are narrow and 

 shallow. By adding length of body something is also 

 added to the yield. Animals that are big bellied are al- 

 ways objectionable, because not only is the offal or waste 

 great, but the side is unshapely. The paunch alone 

 sometimes makes a difference of one or more per cent in 

 the dressing, and, with contents included, this difference 

 sometimes becomes as great as five per cent. 



An intelligent writer says : "Degree of fatness and 

 development probably influence the yield more than any 

 otiier factors. Because of this, hogs that are well de- 



