Management and Feed of Stfine. 553 



de. ermine the quantity of feed which will keep pigs gaining nor- 

 mally while actively foraging to appease their hunger. 



Boars and brood sows of the larger breeds should reach the weight 

 of about 250 lbs. at one year of age if rightly fed and managed. 

 The feed and care of the boar does not differ from that of the sow. 

 Too often both are closely confined in filthy quarters, away from 

 the wholesome earth, without opportunity for exercise or for gath- 

 ering food on their own account. Such mismanagement weakens the 

 constitution, and is far more expensive than the simpler and more 

 natural method of keeping all stock from spring until fall away 

 from buildings and feed yards, out in the fields on fresh, uncon- 

 taminated soil. Here a little extra feed, with suitable forage and 

 a natural life, makes possible the most economical gains and the 

 healthiest animals. 



906. Winter care. — In the northern portion of the corn belt w^here 

 the winters are long and severe, inexpensive shelter is all that is 

 necessary for swine, unless one chooses otherwise. Small houses, 

 called ' ' cabins, ' ' of simple board construction and placed on runners, 

 will each shelter from 6 to 8 shotes or 3 or 4 sows. (828) These 

 cabins, located on dry ground, should be moved from time to time 

 to keep everything sanitary and to better scatter the droppings of 

 the animals. Animals quartered in several cabins can be fed at one 

 point where are troughs and a feeding floor. When snow covers 

 the ground, paths can be broken out with a snow plow. In winter, 

 even where the cold is severe, pigs housed in cabins in small col- 

 onies and forced to take daily exercise thrive amazingly. If a per- 

 manent hog house is desired there should still be abundant ex- 

 ercise at all times for breeding and stock animals. 



Breeding stock and shotes should not be heavily fed during win- 

 ter lest they grow too fat. If rich concentrates only are given and 

 the animals not overfed, the feed allowance Avill not have enough 

 volume or bulk to properly distend the stomach and intestines, and 

 this leaves the animals unsatisfied, restless, and quarrelsome. To 

 correct this trouble and because such feed is cheap and wholesome, 

 all stock hogs should be daily fed some fine, well cured legume hay 

 or some roots, or better, both hay and roots. If, unfortunately, 

 neither is available, then bran and oats, tho more costly, will be 

 helpful in giving bulk to the ration. The concentrates fed to stock 

 hogs should always be given as a thin, watery slop to help distend 

 the digestive tract at meal time. 



