CHAPTER VII 

 SELECTING BROOD SOWS 



When the breeder or farmer lays the foundation of a herd of 

 brood sows it is necessary that he first make up his mind what breed 

 of swine he wishes to commence with. I am not recommending any 

 particular breed. There are a number of standard breeds and they 

 are all good, especially five or six of them. Looking over those 

 known as the lard breeds, one cannot go wrong by selecting any of 

 the following, named in alphabetical order: Berkshires, Chester 

 Whites, Duroc-Jerseys, Hampshires and Poland-Chinas. There are 

 also a number of Cheshires and Victorias used in the far eastern 

 states, probably more of them in New York than any other state, 

 and they are a very satisfactory breed. 



Among the breeds known as bacon breeds, are the Large York- 

 shires and Tamworth. Further than these there are several small 

 breeds, used locally, such as Essex, Small Yorkshires and Suffolks ; 

 the latter three breeds are used little in the western states. 



Get Posted. After deciding on one of these breeds for a foun- 

 dation herd, it will be best for one entering the business to post 

 himself as well as possible regarding the characteristics of that par- 

 ticular breed, and it is my opinion that other things being equal, 

 it is better for a man to produce only one bred and that should be 

 the one he thinks he would like best. He should never attempt to 

 raise a breed of hogs he does not like, either purebreds or for pork. 



If he is going to raise hogs to sell on the market or to follow 

 cattle, he need not be as particular about bloodlines, but should be 

 just as particular regarding individual type and characteristics. 

 Let him make a careful study of type, size and general conforma- 

 tion, and always remember the desirability of getting as much size 

 as possible without sacrificing quality. 



First let him see a number of the breed he wishes to purchase, 

 that he may have no reason afterwards to regret his selection. This 

 rule will be necessary no matter what breed he selects. No better 

 place can be found to study breed characteristics than at county 

 and^state fairs, at the International, and at public sales of pure-bred 

 swine. 



Type of Sow to Select. It is well in making the selection of 

 a foundation herd of brood sows to secure only those that show 

 good length of body, well-sprung ribs, with deep sides ; a full loin ; 

 long deep hams, with as straight legs as possible ; not too high above 

 ground when in ordinary condition, and with a full heart girth giv- 

 ing plenty of room for the vital organs such as heart, lungs, etc. 

 The head should be characteristic of the breed. The neck short with 



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