18 OREGON FARMER 



According to the census of 1910 there were 218,000 hogs in Oregon, 

 distributed mainly through the grain and general farming sections 

 as will be shown in the map. At the present time we have no 

 accurate figures but the number in the state must be about 500,000. 

 During the year of 1910, Oregon sent to the Portland Stock Yards, 

 26,000 head. In 1912, Oregon shipped 65,000 to Portland; con- 

 siderably more than twice as many. It is interesting to note that 

 five years ago three-fourths of the hogs used in Portland were shipped 

 from Nebraska. Two years ago about two-fifths were from that 

 state while in 1912 practically none were from Nebraska or any of 

 the corn states. At the present time Oregon supplies about one- 

 half of the hogs used in Portland while the other half comes from 

 Idaho, Washington, and Utah with a very few from the other neigh- 

 boring states. There are still, however, large quantities of cured 

 pork products shipped into Oregon and the Northwest from the corn 

 states. 



The average number of pigs per litter according to the investiga- 

 tions of this bureau is 7.51 in Eastern Oregon and 8.34 in Western 

 Oregon. 76 per cent of the farmers raise two litters per year. 



There are very few exclusive hog farms in Oregon at the present 

 tune. Nearly all of the hogs are raised in connection with the grain, 

 stock, and dairy farms. The dairy farmers are feeding a large 

 portion of their skim milk to hogs and find that it pays them well. 

 The Oregon Experiment Station has found, as result of eleven 

 different experiments, that where skim milk is fed with grain to 

 hogs during the fattening period there is required 301 pounds of 

 ground grain (wheat or barley) and 331 pounds of skim milk to make 

 100 pounds of pork. Where the grain was fed alone 456 pounds 

 of grain was required to make 100 pounds of pork. As an average 

 of these experiments it was found that 213 pounds of skim milk 

 took the place of 100 pounds of grain. 



In the Columbia Basin the wheat raisers find that they can raise 

 a few hogs to clean up the thrashing yards and stubble fields and 

 make several hundred pounds of pork at practically no cost. On 

 the irrigated farms especially in the Blue Mountain district, large 

 numbers of hogs are raised on alfalfa pasture with a little grain 

 in addition. 



Taking the state as a whole, the abundance of forage crops, the 

 cooler climate, and freedom from disease make it possible to raise 

 pork very cheaply. Wheat and barley are the chief grains used. 

 These grains, when ground, have proven fully equal if not superior 

 to corn for pork production. The corn belt farmers figure that it 

 takes about 500 pounds of corn to make 100 pounds of pork. The 

 Oregon Experiment Station has conclusively shown by about twenty- 

 five experiments that 100 pounds of pork can be made from 450 

 pounds of wheat or barley. 



On some farms in the state hogs are raised on alfalfa with no 

 grain until the fattening period. Such a practice is not very success- 

 ful and is not to be recommended although it does show the value 

 of forage. 



