254 SWINE 



therefore the animals lying on it will become unduly cold. 

 Pigs kept on such floors are likely to be troubled with 

 rheumatism and may have other diseases brought on from 

 becoming chilled. To remedy this difficulty, wood floors 

 called overlays are made for the corner of the pen occu- 

 pied by the fender where the sow makes her nest. These 

 are made by simply nailing together boards one inch 

 thick with three or four narrow strips across the bottom. 

 These overlays are put in the corner where the fender is 

 and where the nest is to be with the strips underneath, 

 which keeps the pigs off the brick or concrete, making the 

 nest very warm and dry during the cold weather of win- 

 ter. In the house described these overlays more than 

 paid for themselves during the first year in the amount of 

 bedding saved, the pigs requiring a great deal more bed- 

 ding when kept on the concrete or brick floors without 

 the overlays. The amount of good to be derived from 

 these overlays is very great in the improvement of the 

 health of the breeding stock as well as in the number of 

 pigs that may be saved. During the summer season, 

 when these overlays are not needed, they should be taken 

 up and put away to prevent them from rotting and also 

 to make the house neater in appearance and cleaner and 

 more sanitary. 



Cost of Hog House. A house of this kind, or any other 

 kind, may be built economically or expensively, in ac- 

 cordance with the wishes of the builder. It is true that 

 wire partitions are a little more expensive than wooden 

 ones, but the advantages to be gained by them are con- 

 sidered more valuable than the extra cost. Beside this, 

 with the increase in the cost of lumber, it may be possible 

 that the wire partitions will become relatively cheaper. 

 In the building in question the iron material, includ- 



