266 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



Store Pigs. 



The system of allowing newly weaned pigs to " run 

 on " is still practised to a large extent. The idea is, 

 very largely, to feed them as cheaply as possible on a 

 ration that will allow them to develop their muscles 

 and grow bigger frames without fattening, so that at 

 three, four, or five months old they may be either 

 housed and fed off quickly for bacon by the breeder, 

 or sold to farmers, managers of creameries, cheese 

 factories, etc., who have dairy by-products at their 

 disposal which can be utilised for this purpose. 



The foods which are generally available for these 

 stores in summer are grass, cabbages, clover, lucerne, 

 and other green foods. In autumn they will pick up 

 acorns, apples, etc. ; but some meal, along with house 

 wash, whey, etc., should also be given daily. This 

 system of feeding stores allows the pigs considerable 

 freedom, and it is good policy to give most of the 

 meal stirred into house wash, etc., at the end of the 

 day, so as to train them to come home at night. The 

 meals should simply be stirred into the liquid and given 

 without any previous scalding at all. 



In the winter there is generally on arable and 

 mixed farms a plentiful supply of roots, e.g., mangels, 

 swedes, kohl rabi, potatoes, and tail corn, etc. The 

 roots are best pulped, and the grain bruised. In cold 

 weather, at any rate, the slop is best fed warm, otherwise 

 some of the food is wasted in raising the temperature 

 of the food up to body temperature. This may be 

 done either by mashing the newly boiled potatoes up 

 with the meals and feeding at once, or by adding water 

 which is sufficiently warm to bring the mixture to body 

 temperature, 



