CHAPTER VI 



THE HERD BOAR 



It is necessary that the herd boar should be a good one, for the 

 reason that during his life he may be the sire of hundreds 

 of pigs, whereas a sow will only produce a limited number during 

 her life time, and if the boar is good enough to improve the 

 standard of the herd, his value as a breeder will be great beyond 

 compare. It is such sires that have made the breeds what they 

 are, and it is such sires that command almost unlimited prices. 



Generally speaking, the sire should be a little more on the com- 

 pact order than the sow. By this I do not mean a chunky, short, 

 thick boar, but one showing full development at every point, 

 and of a strictly masculine type. There is nothing so unsatisfac- 

 tory as to have the head of a herd show a feminine appearance. 

 The boar particularly should be of the proper type of the breed 

 he represents. 



He should be large, without sacrificing quality; smooth and 

 even in every part; a typical masculine head; eyes and ears wide 

 apart; the crest short, full, smooth and free from any creases; 

 the jowl reasonably full and well laid on to the shoulders, which 

 should be smooth and free from creases; a full heart girth ex- 

 tending well down; and the bottom lines nearly or quite on a 

 level, with as deep a flank as possible; rather short or medium 

 length legs with bone of\ good size and quality; pasterns short 

 and straight, and the hoofs well set ; legs standing square and well 

 under him and straight, like those of a Shorthorn, with long, 

 deep ham, tail set well up and of good size. 



This type and description would fit any of the lard breeds 

 excepting that the head and ear should be characteristic of the 

 breed he represents. In Poland-Chinas a medium sized ear with 

 the proper setting and roll is desired; in the Duroc- Jersey prac- 

 tically the same type of head and ear, only a little more length 

 of snout allowable, but shorter preferred. These descriptions 

 should be insisted on in making selection, in order that the off- 

 spring may show an improvement each year. Careful attention 

 should be given to the blood lines of the sire. He should be what 

 is known as an intensive breeder one able to reproduce himself 

 and improve the get. 



Such a sire is more often than otherwise found in a strongly 

 " line-bred " boar, carrying the blood of closely related ancestors. 

 If of proper conformation he can be relied upon to prove a good 

 sire. 



Personally, I would never think of introducing a herd boar 

 into my herd of brood sows that did not carry much of the 

 blood represented by the sows, and yet it is not uncommon for 



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