39 



quality of bacon is made from pigs finished on barley, practically all feeders use this grain 

 freely towards the last. Following are details of the conditions and practices found to exist 

 on a number of farms visited: 



Farm 1. 70 acres; grows 15 acres of roots; keeps 28 cows; turns off 100 fat pigs per 

 year; buys $1,200 worth of grain for cows and pigs; sells $3,500 worth of cream; weans 

 pigs at six weeks; feeds skim milk, shorts, barley meal and green lucerne chopped arid 

 mixed into a slop; sells at 180 pounds at 5 months old; in 1908 sold pigs at 13 cents per pound 

 dressed weight and made $1.50 profit per pig; in 1909 he hoped to get a profit of $3.50 per 

 pig on account of the better price. 



Farm 2. 90 acres; milks 15 cows; sells 50 pigs a year; weans at two months; feeds 

 till 5 months old on barley, corn, green feed, shorts, roots and milk; finishes on barley, 

 corn and milk; buys $250 worth of feed a year; grows 4 acres of turnips, 11 acres of mangels 

 and 5 of potatoes. 



Farm 3. 50 acres; sells 40 pigs a year; weans at 6 weeks old; feeds milk, barley, 

 shorts, roots, and green feed; finishes at 5 months old on corn, barley and milk; pigs from 

 Danish dam and Yorkshire sire. 



Farm 4. 80 acres; milks 11 cows; sells 40 to 50 pigs per year; weans at 6 weeks; 

 feeds milk, green feed, shorts and barley meal; finishes at 6 months old on rye, barley and 

 milk. 



Farm 5. 120 acres; milks 28 cows; keeps 5 brood sows; sells 90 pigs a year; feeds 

 until 5 months old on milk, roots or green feed and shorts; finishes at 6 months on barley 

 and milk. 



Farm 6. 70 acres; keeps 3 Danish sows; sells 40 to 50 pigs a year; buys $300 worth 

 of concentrated food; dry sows thin but thrifty, growing pigs a very thrifty lot; pigs finished 

 on barley and milk. 



Farm 7. 110 acres; 30 cows; 14 Danish brood sows; sells 250 fat hogs per year; 

 keeps pigs growing nicely on such cheap food as whey, skim milk, lucerne and shorts ; feeds 

 no whey before two. months old; feeds until 4 months old on milk, whey, green feed and 

 chop; finishes on barley, corn and milk with very little green food. 



Farm 8. 7 acres; keeps 3 cows; 1 horse; sells 20 pigs a year; buys $150 to $160 

 worth of feed per year; every foot of land bearing heavy crop; proprietor enjoying all home 

 comforts. 



Farm 9. 110 acres; 30 cows; sells 200 pigs; buys $700 worth of feed for pigs and 

 $700 worth for cows; was feeding pigs milk, vetches and damaged barley; grows 14 acres 

 of mangels. 



At each of the above farms and many more visited, the arrangements were much the 

 same. Almost every piggery has a large feed mixing tank of either cement or wood in 

 which was found a sloppy mixture consisting of milk, chop and cut, green feed. Near 

 by was an ordinary straw cutter through which all green feed is passed. This green feed 

 varied lucerne, red clover, vetches, peas and oats all being grown for the pigs and cows. 

 The chopped green feed is mixed in with the slop. The tank in many cases was divided 

 so that suitable food could be prepared for pigs of different ages. 



Up to within six weeks of farrowing the brood sows are maintained chiefly on kitchen 

 refuse, with some wheat bran, shorts, or crushed oats, a few roots in winter, and green feed 

 in summer. In fact, almost any combination of feed which is economical and will keep 

 the sow in a healthy condition is used. During the last six weeks of pregnacy the regular 

 ration is increased somewhat and some heavier food given. This gets the sow in fairly 

 good flesh by the time she has to suckle the litter. For a few days previous to farrowing 

 the bran is increased and the other feed decreased. The ration is fed in the form of a thin 

 slop. The feed is the same for about three days after farrowing. Then the sow is fed 

 very liberally on grain and dairy by-products. In cold weather many farmers warm the 

 feed. The pigs are always taught to eat by the time they are three weeks old. 



The thrifty condition of the pigs all along the way was a matter of general surprise. Dry 

 sows, usually thin, were full of vigour. Litters were extremely even and well developed, 

 while older pigs were invariably large for their age This is shown in the above notes 

 10489 5 



