SELECTING AND FITTING THE SHOW HERD 65 



black strap molasses to well sweeten the mixture, will make the 

 feed much more palatable. This would be the case even when 

 milk was used instead of water in mixing the feed. 



I would, by all means urge, while fitting these hogs for show, 

 that a mixture of mineral matter (mentioned in another part 

 of this book) be used. It may be well to mention here that this 

 should be made up of ground limestone, with perhaps some slacked 

 lime-, together with ground phosphate rock or any other material 

 that would contain plenty of phosphate and the whole mixed with 

 salt to make it more palatable. I urge the use of this material 

 so that while fleshing these animals there would be no danger 

 of breaking down the bone, as the mineral matter is essential 

 for bone growth. 



If any of the younger animals in the show herd were inclined 

 to be a little weak in the feet or pasterns, I would buy one hundred 

 pounds of finely ground bone meal or bone dust and mix it with the 

 mineral matter or even add it in small quantities to the slop feed. 



Exercise Necessary. Much care should be taken in fitting the 

 show herd not to break them down, and as a help in this matter 

 as well as in keeping them in better condition, it is necessary that 

 the show herd be given some special exercise other than that which 

 they will naturally take in their enclosure. By taking the three 

 older boars out each day and driving a half mile or more you 

 will not only have them under perfect control, but will also have 

 them in a condition to show at their best when driven in the show 

 ring, and the same is true of the show sows and even the under 

 a year herds. 



We have all noticed, while standing about a show ring and 

 watching the animals come in from their pens, that many of them, 

 while in good flesh, are not really in show condition, for the reason 

 that they cannot walk with ease and, grace but wabble around. 

 A show animal should not be so heavily loaded with fat as not 

 to be able to walk with ease and comfort. It is not always the 

 amount of flesh that an animal is carrying that makes it show at 

 its best, but the smoothness in which it is put on and the ease 

 with which it is carried. 



It is my opinion that what is known as "strong breeding con- 

 dition", that is, flesh enough to round out every point without 

 overloading, is the proper show condition. 



What I have said about the feed to be used in fitting the show 

 herd, need not be considered as an absolute iron-clad rule. Any of 

 the mixtures of grain, grasses, etc., that will come close to being 

 a balanced ration is all that is necessary. I merely name these 

 feeds as among what we have found to be the most satisfactory. 

 The real object is to feed what will flesh them rapidly and not 

 add too much fat, but more red meat or flesh. 



