CHAPTER XII 



CARE OF PIGS 



Three Months After Weaning. Weaning time is a very criti- 

 cal period in the life of the pig. We will suppose that the pig has 

 been fed in addition to what he received from the mother, so that 

 he is well started, and, without changing the rations he has had, 

 he should be fed at least twice daily all that he will eat up clean. 

 It is a bad custom to feed any animal more than it will eat and 

 clean up thoroughly. The pig should have, in addition to what 

 it is fed in concentrated ration, at all times of the year, the run of 

 a good fresh pasture of green feed. The different varieties are 

 treated in another chapter. 



Probably the most economical ration for pigs for the first three 

 months after weaning is a mixture of home-grown grains, prefer- 

 ably ground into a fine meal and properly balanced. If one is grow- 

 ing his own grains for hog feed, a good ration is a mixture of corn 

 and oats very finely ground. I do not mean broken up with a cheap 

 steel grinder, but ground into a fine meal, and if it could be sifted, 

 so much the better. Oat husks are not a very desirable adjunct 

 in the mixture, but will not injure the pigs after a few months old, 

 but during the first few weeks of their lives the husks prove more or 

 less irritating in the intestines. This mixture would be improved 

 by an addition of ten per cent, tankage of not less than sixty 

 per cent, protein, unless one has enough skim milk with which to 

 mix the ration into a slop as thick as can be poured. There is 

 nothing better for growing pigs than skim milk properly balanced 

 with three pounds of milk to one pound of ground carbonaceous 

 grain. More than this amount of milk per pound of grain should 

 not be used. Where there is no milk, tankage will practically take 

 its place in balancing the ration. 



All the feed should be fed while sweet. When the weather is 

 not too hot it would be better to mix it ten or twelve hours before 

 feeding, or so that it would soak after morning feeding time until 

 the evening feed, and vice versa. If it is desired to feed three 

 times a day, the noon feed could well be made up of shelled corn 

 soaked at least twenty-four hours, or until the kernels become 

 softened. Remember always to use the liquid or water from the 

 soaked corn to help in mixing the slop feed, as there is a large 

 amount of nutriment in water from soaked corn. It has been said 

 that "it is to a pig what beer is to a Dutchman." Some feeders 

 use ear corn for soaking, but I have never liked to feed wet ears of 

 corn, much preferring to shell it and soak as above. Above all, 

 feed only clean corn. 



Here let me mention again the matter of clean, fresh water 

 never being neglected. 



