PASTURE AND GRAIN CROPS FOR HOGS. 



23 



rapid gains are desired. When the ground is frozen hard other feed 

 must be provided. 



TJnthrashed wheat. — Many hog raisers use headed or bundle wheat 

 to carry dry brood sows and young shotes through the winter. When 

 feeding upon the unthrashed grain the hogs get considerable rough- 

 age in chewing the heads. They are also compelled to eat more slowly 

 and to masticate their food better than when feeding upon thrashed 

 grain. When the grain is fed in the straw the thrashing bill is saved 

 and the hogs are kept busy during much of the time. Unthrashed 

 wheat and artichokes or roots of some kind make a good combination 

 for wintering hogs. 



Field peas. — In some locahties field peas are stacked and the 

 unthrashed vines fed to hogs during the late fall, winter, and early 

 spring. Mature pea grain is a concentrated feed, very rich in pro- 

 tein. For this reason hogs should receive other feed in adchtion to 

 the peas to dilute the ration. Any of the root crops, artichokes, or 

 potatoes are excellent for this purpose. 



TJnthrashed harley. — In using unthrashed bearded barley for winter 

 feed for hogs, a large quantity is thrown into the feed lot at a time in 

 order that the beards and kernels may become wet and soften. If 

 fed dry, the kernels are too hard to be eaten readily. 



Arid and Semiarid Districts. 



The arid and semiarid districts may arbitrarily be designated as 

 that portion of the wheat belt whose normal precipitation is msuffi- 

 cient to grow alfalfa successfully. In much of this region, however, 

 aKalfa can be grown profitably for hog pasture by keeping the stand 

 very thin and cultivating it thoroughly in the late fall and early 

 spring. If sown rather thinly in rows about 24 to 36 inches apart 

 and cultivated occasionally during the spring and summer, alfalfa will 

 make profitable hog pasture over a very wide territory now consid- 

 ered too dry for that crop. The crops mentioned in Table VII wUl 

 provide pasture during much of the year m the dry region. 



PASTURE CROPS. 



Table VII. — Pasture crops for the arid and semiarid districts. 



Crops. 



When planted. • - 



Approximate date when used. 



Number 



of hogs 



an acre 



will 



pasture. 



Winter wheat 







6 to 10 



Beardless barley 



February or March 





5 to 10 



Spring wheat . . . 





May 1 to July 1 



5 to 10 



Winter wheat or beardless 



May '. 



June 15 to August 1-25 



July until autumn frosts 



5 to 8 



barley. 

 Field corn and Early Amber 



April 10 to May 10 



4 to 7 



sorghum. 

 Stubble field. 















