252 SWINE 



the light can pass through the wire partitions, and still 

 strike the floor of some of the pens. 



Wire partitions also afford better sanitation ; there are 

 no cracks or crevasses for disease germs to lodge in and 

 no dirty places in which they can grow and develop. 

 Thus the building is both warm and sanitary. Further- 

 more, as already stated, the wire partitions allow free and 

 perfect circulation of air over the entire floor, where cir- 

 culation is necessary. Pigs during hot weather cannot be 

 kept too cool and the circulation of the cool air should 

 be on the floor where they live. 



Another and one of the most important points in favor 

 of wire partitions is that the pigs are always visible to 

 the attendant, who can see when anything goes wrong 

 in any of the pens and render immediate assistance. The 

 pigs occupying different pens are also in view of each 

 other as well as in view of the attendant. Thus when any 

 of the sows are taken in from the pasture and put into 

 their respective pens during the farrowing season, they 

 do not become estranged to so great an extent and there- 

 fore are not as likely to fight and injure each other when 

 put back into the pasture after farrowing. The sow also 

 can see what is going on in the house. If a sow in an ad- 

 jacent pen steps on one of her pigs, causing it to squeal, 

 the sows in the other pens do not necessarily become 

 frightened and jump up and perhaps injure their litters. 

 Also at feeding time the various sows caa see where the 

 feeder is at work and will not be so restless and uneasy, 

 climbing up to the top of the pen with their front feet in 

 anticipation of feed, thus injuring their pigs. 



The wire gates, panels, iron posts and fenders used in 

 this hog house were not ordinary stock goods at the time 

 this house was built, but were made to order in Michigan. 



