/I liRALD Smith, a tjuitt. ■.ol't-N[xikci\ f.irm<.r no.ir Lcl.iiui 

 in La Salle county, l^a^ a record as one ot the best liOi; 

 !t ■: men in Illinoi>. 



< •', Year alter \ear lie lias been outstanding in the nieinbL r- 

 siitp of tile I arm Bureau 1 arm Manaccinent Servin to 

 uliicli lie has beloni,'ed tor 1~ years. One year recently Ins 

 record on hOi; production was the best in the state. 



Smith employs no prattnes in raising; iiis ho^s that are not 

 Lienerallv known and used by t;ood larniers. His formula com- 

 buies sanitation with proper teedinc. It works well on the 

 600 piys he raises each year on his l60acrc farm. 



This formula of sanitation and proper feeding has paitl 

 Smith handsomely. He says that in the 20 years lie has been 

 I'armini: his pics have returned from S150-S170 for each SlOO 

 of feed consumed. 



'They've helped to pay for tlli^ f.irm too." Smith added. He 

 bought the place in l')s><. and is still a man of modest means. 



14 



Top; Hogs on Smith farm ore raised on clean ground. These 

 three sows raised 25 pigs, farrowed in individual houses. Right 

 background is farmstead. Center: Gerald Smith, owner, second 

 from right, shoots serum into armpit while Spencer Grover injects 

 virus into ham. Holding pig are Ernie Jacobs, left, and Noel Shef- 

 field, right. Lester Smith, owner's son, holds extra syringe at far 

 right. Bottom: These healthy pigs in pen awaiting vaccination are 

 product of good feeding plus proper sanitation. 



PROPER 

 FEEDING 



CAREFUL 

 SANITATION 



HOG PROFIT^ 



lor Smith, like many larmers. iias had to earn his way. He 

 started as a hired man in his home county, letferson, and 

 worked four years for other farmers before startini; for himself. 

 He farmed two years in Jefferson county and 1 I in I.a Salle 

 before buyint; the farm he is now on. 



As part ot his s.initation protiram Smith tarrows his p'tt:^ on 

 clean ground away from the buildinus. He uses iiuiividual 

 houses to farrow his pi,cs. Some of these houses are JO ye.irs 

 old. They not only last well but are simple to build and e.isy 

 to keep clean and warm. Smith would ha\e no other kind. 

 His (7 j;iits raised .i20 piils. an a^er.iue ot seven, .iiul all were 

 (arrowed in these houses. 



He also vaccin.ites his pies against hoi; Jiolera as a m.itler 

 of routine. He generally works with lour or ti\c neitihbors 

 as a teanifon this job. This is one insurance poliiv Smith 

 wouldn't go without. 



Smith chaniies his pasture tor Ins pi^s each year. He uses 

 only alfalfa for pasture. They are self fed from the time ihev 

 tirst st.irt to eat i;rain until they are shipped to market. 



He follows closely the experiments and ret ommendat ions of 

 the colleizes of ai;riiulture at Illinois, Purdue, and other state 

 iinixervities on leeils and teeihni; praitices. He relies chiefly 

 on oats, lorii. .illalla meal, buying soybean oil meal and lin- 

 seed meal lor protein. He leeds tankaue when it is available. 



Smith sjxiuiv lime with his hoijs when they need it. par- 

 liciilarly .il farrow ini: time. He keeps the feed hoppers 

 lull anil vees to it tli.it lii^ jMi^s arc well beilded. particularly 

 ill the spriiii; monllis. Inil does not pamper his animals. 



I'eediiii: .ind wirint; for his 600 hot:s this sprint;, iiuludin:; 

 more than J()(i lic.iv y l.ill hoes in the tattenini; pen, takes 

 Smith and his son. I-cter, .iboLit two hours a day normally. 



The falteninu lioi;s are sheltered in a cattle barn and feed 

 on a toncrete floor next to a lar^e corn bin. They are led 

 m larue self feeders wliiih are tilled from wagons. Tlli^ 

 helps to cut down on the time needeil to care for his hoijs. 



Altlioui:h 19 iH may |^ro\e to be a bad Iio^' year for Smith, 

 he says he'll keep at it, although it may mean luttini: down 

 on fall litter numbers. Ciood ho,u years always follow had 

 years. Smith lias found, and it doesn't pay to jump in and 

 out of the ho^ business. 



One of Smith's _i;ood hoc years was in 19.i2 when his lioiis 

 returned S192 for each SlOO worth of feed eaten. His 

 total jirofit was low, however because corn was worth only 

 19c a bushel. {('"iil/itiuJ nil j'.ige IS) 



I. A. A. RECORD 



^ 



A ; 





