354 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



importance. To enforce exercise the animals may be fed at a point 

 some distance from the central house or the colony houses where there 

 are troughs and a feeding floor. When snow covers the ground, paths 

 to this place can be broken out with a snow plow. On the feeding 

 floor, which should be kept clean and should be covered if possible, 

 shelled corn and whole oats may be scattered thinly to force the sows 

 or pigs to pick up a grain at a time. In this way they may be kept 

 out of their beds and on their feet for hours at a time getting air 

 and exercise. 



Types of swine; breed tests. — The principal breeds of swine are 

 of two distinct types, the lard type, of which the Poland-China, Berk- 

 shire, Chester-White, and Duroc-Jersey are the leading breeds, and the 

 bacon type, represented by the Tamworth and Large Yorkshire breeds. 

 The Hampshires, tho often classed as bacon hogs, really stand between 

 the extreme bacon type and the lard type. Lard hogs, which are the 

 type commonly raised in the United States, have compact, wide, and 

 deep bodies. Since the hams, back, and shoulders are the most valu- 

 able parts, the packer desires a hog furnishing a maximum of these 

 cuts. Usually being well-fattened, lard hogs yield a high percentage 

 of dressed carcass. Formerly heavy hogs were in largest demand, 

 but now pigs weighing 250 lbs. or less will command the highest price, 

 if well finished. 



The bacon pig is raised chiefly in Denmark, Great Britain, and 

 Canada, where corn is not the main feed for swine. Pigs of the bacon 

 breeds are longer of body and of leg than those of the lard breeds, have 

 less thickness and depth of body, and are lighter in the shoulder, neck, 

 and jowl. For bacon the pigs should weigh from 160 to 200 lbs. and 

 carry but medium fat, which should be uniformly from 1 to 1.5 inches 

 thick along the back. 



Breed tests have been conducted at several stations to determine 

 whether there is any difference in the economy of meat production by 

 the different breeds. There was no consistent and uniform difference 

 in gains or economy of production, a breed which ranked high in 

 some of the tests being surpassed bj'' other breeds in the rest of the 

 trials. The bacon breeds made as economical gains as those of the 

 lard type. We may conclude that there is no best breed of swine so 

 far as rate and economy of gains are concerned. One should select 

 the breed which seems best adapted to his conditions and suits his 

 fancy, and then be sure to secure and to maintain vigorous, well-bred 

 animals of that breed. 



The brood sows. — The most important points in the feed and care 

 of brood sows are: (1) to provide rations which contain an abundance 

 of protein and mineral matter, needed not only for the proper nourish- 



