270 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



deep sides, so as to give as large sides of bacon 

 as possible, containing a good proportion of lean 

 meat. Store pigs intended for bacon may be reared 

 or bought. 



Breeding Stores. The pigs which were reared on 

 the farm would, no doubt, be weaned about eight weeks 

 old, and be left out in the field during the summer 

 months, provided they had a shed in which to 

 eat and sleep. In the field they would get plenty of 

 green, succulent food (grass), and with a morning and 

 evening ration of, say, I to i J Ibs. meals allowed each 

 time, stirred into some skim milk, whey, house wash, 

 etc., they would grow big frames and develop their 

 muscles. 



At three to four months of age, the pigs should be 

 put up to fatten, and be fed with some succulent foods 

 such as pulped potatoes, swedes, mangels, green vetches 

 or clover, cut cabbages, etc., depending on time of year, 

 in addition to skim milk, whey or buttermilk, and meals. 

 The food should be fed warm (say 90 F.) during the 

 fattening period, otherwise part of the food has to be 

 utilised to raise the food to the temperature of the 

 body, leaving a smaller surplus for the formation of 

 flesh, fat, etc. 



As fattening proceeds, the green or succulent part 

 of the ration given each day should be gradually 

 reduced, and scarcely included in the ration at all during 

 the last three or four weeks of the fattening period. 

 The meals, which probably constitute a third part by 

 weight of the roots or succulent food given, need to be 

 gradually increased. At the same time, the amount of 

 liquid added to meals to make them sloppy should be 

 gradually reduced in quantity, from I gall, to, say, J 

 gall, per head per day. Too many roots or boiled 



