Equipment 383 



is usually the case. In general, the fence should be 

 stretched tightly to posts sixteen feet apart, but when 

 fencing small lots, the posts should be only eight feet 

 apart. Around the small lots, it is convenient to have 

 a two by four laid flatwise on top of the posts. This 

 serves to brace the posts, to keep the wire from sagging 

 down between them, and adds a finished appearance to 

 the fence. The fence should be securely attached at the 

 bottom, and heavy barb wire stretched tightly on the 

 ground below the bottom wire of the woven fence. Many 

 fences are provided with a barb wire woven in as the 

 bottom strand of the fence, but this has no advantage, 

 and the fence is less convenient to handle. 



FLOORS 



The durability and ease of disinfection are the chief 

 advantages of concrete, but when only a small number 

 of pigs is kept, or when the floors are lat^r to be replaced 

 by better ones, wooden floors are satisfactory, and will 

 last three or four years. The floors of the inside pens 

 usually slope toward the drain if a drain is provided. 

 Whether the floor should be pro\'ided with a drain will 

 depend on the system which is in use on the farm for 

 handling, the manure. Just as with other kinds of stock, 

 there are two general systems for handling manure; one 

 method is to absorb the liquid with bedding and remove 

 at frequent enough intervals to keep the house sanitary. 

 The other method is to lay the floor in such a manner 

 that the liquid will not reach the bedding and will run 

 off from the pen either into a drain or cistern. There 

 is more difficulty in keeping the piggery bedded down 

 than is experienced with other kinds of stock, because 



