13S CAkF. A\'i) Ai \x \(,i-:mkx r r)|.- swixr. 



Care and Management of Swine^ 



DUROC JERSEY SWINE. 



IJuroc Jersey swine, sometimes called Jersey Reds, Durocs, etc., really orig- 

 inated in New York State, but have been bred in Wisconsin for about thirty years. 

 In 1883 a number of Wisconsin breeders of the so-called Red Hog-, met at Elkhorn, 

 Wis., and formed an organization, known as the Duroc or Jersey Red Swine Club, 

 for the purpose of advancing the improvement of the breed, and using a registry 

 i.>f pedigrees. 



'I'he Duroc Jersey pig should be long, quite deep bodied, not round, but broad 

 on the back, ami holding the width well out to the hips and hams. The :icad should 

 be small, compared with the body, with the cheek broad and full, and considerable 

 breadth between the eyes. The neck should be short and thick, and the face sHghtly 

 curved, with the nose rather longer than in the English breeds; the ears rather 

 large and lopped over the eyes and not erect. Bone not fine, nor yet coarse, but 

 medium. The legs medium in size and length, but set well under the body and 

 well apart, and not cut up high in the ilank or above the knee. The hams should 

 be broad and full well down to the hock. There should be a good coat of hair of 

 medium fineness, inclining to bristles at the top of the shoulder; the tail being hairy 

 and not small ; the hair usual!}- straight, but in some cases a little wavy. The color 

 should be red, varying from dark, glossy, cherry red, and even brownish hair, to 

 light yellowish red, with occasionally a small fleck of black on the belly and legs. 

 The clarker shades of red are preferred by most breeders, and this type of color 

 is the most desirable. In disposition they are remarkably mild and gentle. When 

 full grown they should dress from four hundred to five hundred pounds, and pigs at 

 nine n-ionths old should dress from tw-o hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds. 



SELECTION. 



X'o money can be made by selectuig a half-wild breed of hogs, nor can success 

 be achieved by selecting a good breed and starving the hogs or allowing them, to shift 

 for themselves. Hogs of the improved breeds are not so well able to take care of 

 themselves as those of a half-wild breed, but when w-ell cared for, will pay fifty per 

 cent more profit than the other breed, for the grain fed. This is because they are 

 more quiet and assimilate their food more perfectly. 



However good the breed may be, care should be taken in the selecting or 

 coupling of animals, otherwise degeneration of the offspring wdll result. 



In the selection of stock for breeding, look first to the constitutional vigor. 

 Without this, no matter what the beauty of form may be, disaster will come to the 

 herd. Next examine the form, with regard to what you require. Then comes the 

 r[uestion of early maturity and easy fattening qualities. In all farm animals 

 tractability and quietness of disposition are essential. In swine this is especially so, 

 as on the disposition of the animal largely depends the quality of fattening quickly 

 and easilv. 



FEEDING. 



The question of feeding swine con-ies under two heads, viz,, that of feeding 

 swine for breeding purposes and feeding for fattening only. 



In feeding the breeding animal attention should be given to feeding for a strong 

 constitution, a more active animal, and perfect health. True economv in this will 

 dictate that they have the warmest possible shelter in winter and that they be kept 

 cool in summer, with some place wd-iere they can escape from insect enemies. They 

 should have range sufficient for them to exercise their instinct in rooting for such 

 underground vegetation as their nature may require. This promotes health and 

 strengthens their constitution. 



These animals which are intended for fattening (and which are the very great 

 per cent of swine in the country) , and whose lives do not extend to beyond IS months 

 at most, are fattened, ready for sale, within ten months, and do not require this range 

 and exercise. 



If the breeding stock have been kept healthy they should transmit heahh to the 

 offspring, giving them a strong constitution on which to build. 



