16 



the year. It should be pointed out, however, that the average Scots pig pen is not con- 

 structed to provide that comfort on which profitable feeding so much depends in cold weather. 



In creamery and cheese factory sections the fattening is chiefly done at the plants. 

 Whereas most of the farm fed hogs are bought as 'stores,' the factory people prefer to rear 

 their own stock, and to this end keep on hand a large number of brood sows. One of the 

 chief reason given for this course is to avoid getting disease into the stock. In addition 

 they are better assured of well bred and thrifty stock to feed than if their pigs were purchased 

 in the open market. 



The factory sections visited were in the counties of Wigton and Kirkcudbright in the 

 south west of Scotland. At each of these plants from 500 to 600 pigs are fed each year. 

 Here, as at almost all districts visited, cross-bred pigs are preferred. At Dunragit 75 sows are 

 kept chiefly pure bred Yorkshire and to these Tamworth, Berkshire and Middle White 

 boars are principally bred. The sows are carefully selected and cared for in such a way 

 as to insure good litters. The sows when dry are carried cheaply on a ration of shorts, 

 Paisley meal (a by-product of starch works much like gluten feed) and roots. The grain 

 feed is given as a thin slop with skim milk or milk and water and sometimes with whey when 

 cheese is being made instead of butter. Next page shows a group of dry sows kept in a 

 grass plot at one of the creameries. Two litters a year are reared. These are born chiefly 

 in July and January. The yield per sow is usually about 9 pigs weaned. The July litters 

 were coming at the time of the Commissioner's visit, and a promising lot of pigs they were. 

 These are carried over winter as stores to go out early the following season, while the January 

 farrowings go away towards fall. The sows when milking are liberally fed on slops of mixed 

 foods. A good deal of rice meal is used at times as also a preparation called 'Molassine,' 

 consisting of a mixture of peat moss dried and ground fine and molasses. Molasses fed with- 

 out the moss is too laxative, but when properly prepared with the cheap moss meal it con- 

 stitutes an excellent and cheap food for pigs of all ages. 



The litters are weaned at about six weeks old by which time they have learned to feed 

 well. They are kept housed for two or three weeks after weaning and are fed on warm, 

 cooked food consisting of shorts, barley dust and Pailsey meal. Feeding is done three 

 times daily and no more is given each time than is eaten up clean. Very little skim milk 

 or whey is given to young pigs unless in times of a generous supply. These foods are re- 

 served for the fattening stock. When eight to ten weeks old the pigs are turned out. 



During the summer their run is limited to a few acres but in winter fully 50 acres are 

 given to a herd of 300 at one creamery. When winter arrives this ground carries con- 

 siderable grass which the pigs graze all winter long. The swine feeder is much averse to 

 keeping store pigs housed in winter as they often get lame when confined. They have 

 access to dry comfortable cabins. Next page shows a group of pigs varying from 8 

 to 12 weeks old. These pigs in August w r ere getting slop of mixed grain finely ground 

 and one small feed each day of whole soaked corn. 1 hey were also getting sour milk and 

 whey to drink. The aim of the feeder is to keep the pigs thriving well all the time. They 

 are not housed until the last six weeks after which time they are rushed along on generous 

 feed consisting chiefly of fairly thick slop made from skim milk, or whey with such meals 

 as barley, corn and other heavy grain. At none of the factories visited are roots fed to fatten- 

 ing stock. These are highly prized for brood sows and store pigs along with shorts, molas- 

 sine and Paisley meal. At three cheese factories and creameries visited, all owned and 

 operated by one firm, about 2,000 fat pigs are turned off annually. At each place the 

 pigs have the by-product of about 3,000 Ibs. of milk per day. All other food has to be 

 purchased. The pigs are marketed dressed weighing about 150 Ibs. each. The trans- 

 actions of the first few years have shown a small profit on the food purchased in addition 

 to a return of about one cent per gallon for the skim milk and whey. 



Pork Making on Scottish Farms. 



Swine feeding at the dairy farms throughout the country is carried on chiefly for the 

 purpose of turning to profit the whey produced from the cheese making operations. As a 



