SWINE-HOUSING AND FATTENING. 



971 



would give a feed-room between the houses at no expense ex- 

 cept a little for roofing, and even without increasing the length 

 of the posts would give a large amount of room for storage over- 

 head. I estimate that a building twenty-six by twenty-eight feet, 

 with the outer posts ten feet long and the inner thirteen, which 

 would give room for thirty-two large or fifty small hogs and a 

 commodious loft, could be built for one hundred and fifty dol- 

 lars if all the material was bought, and where a good part of 

 this could be furnished from the farm this sum could be mate- 

 rially reduced. 



Portable Pig-pens. Among our breeders of fine pigs, 

 for shipping, portable pig-pens have become quite common. 

 The portable hog-house is the 

 invention of L. N. Bonham, 

 and is built in sections and 

 fastened together with keys. 

 The object of this is to en- 

 able them to be taken apart 

 and stored under . cover when 

 not in use. For practical use, however, this is not necessary, 

 and as it is less labor to make them permanent, I recommend 

 that they be made so. When these portable pens are used 

 for March pigs, it is a great advantage to have the short slope 

 of roof, with a row of glass, so that the sun will warm up the 

 pen ; but usually this is omitted, and the roof allowed to run up 

 with a single slope. It will pay to make the roof of matched 

 boards and paint it well, as this will be lighter to handle than 

 shingles. For the sides I use dressed stock boards one foot 

 wide. The best way to move these pens is to load them on a 

 low sled, or if they are to be moved but a short distance, four 

 men can easily carry one. 



In these and other breeding-pens there should be a guard to 

 prevent the mother overlaying her pigs. All that is necessary 

 is a two by four scantling, six inches above the floor, placed 

 flat, so that the width will project into the pen. If the sow 

 lies down against the wall this gives room for the pigs to pass 

 round undei this scantling, and prevents her from crushing them. 



PORTABLE PIG-PEN. 



