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Thtt l( herd bear owned by A. 

 Hohenboken, age 14 months. 



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IMALL herds of Minnesota No Is 

 being established on Illinois farms 

 will soon give farmers a chance to 

 see this new breed of hog that is 

 causing such lively comment. 



They will be able to see that the Nfin- 

 nesota No, 1 is longer bodied and shorter 

 of leg, and has larger ears and a longer 

 snout than most American breeds. 



The gilt and boar show a full ham, 

 light shoulder, a fullness in the flank and 

 a neat, trim underline characteristic of 

 the breed. It is basically red but may 

 have some black spots or specks. 



A. K. Hohenboken of Geneseo, a prom- 

 inent Henry county Farm Bureau member, 

 has some of these Minnesota No. I's 

 which stem from foundation stock de- 

 veloped at the University of Minnesota. 



Everyone- wiio sees these hogs makes 

 the remark that here is a new type of 

 bacon hog, long on hams and short on 

 fat. This is true and important for the 

 days ahead when lard becomes even 

 more of a drug on the market than it is 

 now. 



But these hogs, developed from inbred 

 strains, have other advantages cc^ually 

 important, particularly their ability to 

 gain quickly on relatively small amounts 

 of feed as claimed by the man who di- 

 rected their breeding. Dr. L. M. Winters, 

 geneticist at the University of Minnesota 



The hogs are founded on a cross be- 

 tween the Tamworth and Danish Land- 

 race breeds, both bacon types used com- 

 monly in Canada and Denmark. The 

 first cross was produced in 1937. The 

 crossbred stock was then bred within the 

 family (inbred) and only the best in- 

 dividuals saved. 



Although the inbreeding has been mild 

 and the hogs are not hybrids. Winters 

 says that the strain, now in its 10th year, 

 carries about three times as much in- 

 breeding as most registered swine. 



Progeny were picked as breeding stock 

 on the basis of five factors — fertilitv. 

 sur\'ival. rate of gain, economy of gain, 

 and body conformation that yields more 

 of the higher priced cuts of pork. 



Results show that the ancestral traits 

 were well selected. Consider each of the 



See large ham on Minnesota No. 

 sow. Age IOV2 months. 



five factors m which the geneticists were 

 most interested. 



Fertility has been high as indicated by 

 a nine year average of 9.2 pigs per sow 

 born alive. Survival of pigs born has 

 been equally satisfactory. On the Hohen- 

 boken farm three sows had just farrowed 

 24 pigs and all 24 had been saved. They 

 were thrifty and vigorous pigs. 



Their rate of growth and economy of 



gain have been remarkable. During the 

 nine year period of 1937-46 the hogs 

 reached a market weight of 211 pounds 

 in 168 days, or 5I/2 months, on 313 

 pounds of feed for each 100 pounds of 

 gain. 



These feed and rate of gain figures 

 are worth remembering. Most farmers 

 today do well to market under the best 

 of conditions at a weight of 200 pounds 

 in 180 days, or six months, feeding at 

 least 332 pounds of feed for each 100 

 pounds of gain. 



The merit of the product, or body 

 form, has more than pleased the swine 

 breeders, and carcasses arc of increas- 

 ing interest to packers. 



Dr. Winters says: When the car- 

 casses are cut packers have been pleased 

 with the length of belly (bacon) and 

 loin, two valuable cuts. The bacon is 

 hc-avily stripped with lean. 



The quality of the belly cut if high. 

 the amount of fat low. The skin is thin 



(Continued on page 26) 



maJtM 



By LEW REISNER 



Field Editor, lAA RECORD 





Farmers are snapping up 

 Minnesota No. 1 boars to use 

 for top crossing with stand- 

 ard sows. These pigs are 

 three months old. 



DECEIVER, 1947 



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