SWINE PRODUCTION 301 



1 . For boys and girls, one of the least expensive methods is to secure 

 female pigs of weaning age, called gilts. Experience in feeding and earing 

 for these is gained before they are of breeding age. They may be mated 

 with a pure bred boar when at an age of eight months or so. When they 

 farrow three months and twenty days later it should occur in the mild 

 weather of spring or fall so that most of the pigs may be raised. 



2. A good way to start is to buy one or two good young sows safely 

 in pig. The type and quality of the sows may be well judged at this age 

 and it is not necessary to secure a boar the first season. The returns come 

 sooner than in plan No. 1. The inferior females in the litter may be 

 culled and sold with the males as soon as heavy enough. This leaves the 

 best gilts and their mothers for the future breeding stock. 



3. A plan which gives quick returns is to buy male (or barrow) pigs 

 of weaning age to be kept as feeders only. When these are sold for pork 

 the money may be used for the purchase of breeding stock by plan No. 1 

 or plan No. 2. 



4. Probably the poorest and most expensive plan for beginning is to 

 buy a sow with her litter of pigs. Of course the qualities of the sow may 

 be well judged at this time, and the pigs may sell for enough to justify 

 the purchase. 



Scopes of Swine Projects. Young people planning home 

 projects with swine, to be pursued during the years they are 

 in school, may choose one of the preceding plans. Let each 

 project continue for a year or more if possible. Manage the 

 enterprise in such a way as to make it beneficial to the student 

 in both training and income. The first cost of any such pro- 

 ject is the greatest difficulty to overcome. When once 

 started the project should continue long enough to get the 

 income from at least two litters of pigs, if conditions will per- 

 mit. One fall litter and one spring litter can be developed 

 within one year if plan No. 2 is chosen for starting. 



Selecting Breeding Stock, After deciding which of the 

 two types of swine to raise, and which breed to keep, the 

 breeder of swine should use good judgment in selecting the 

 foundation stock. 



The sow should be typical of her breed, whether pure or 

 high-grade. She should be of good breeding form with rather 

 long body capable of producing and supporting a good udder. 

 The heart girth, measured just back of the fore legs, should 

 be large. She should be vigorous and hearty, not puny nor 

 dainty. Not too thin nor yet too fat. She should be well 



