20 SWINE PRACTICE 



of weaning, although a few lireeders advocate the weaning of a few 

 of the pigs at a time. This method is not, generally speaking, advis- 

 able. The sow and pigs usually do better if all of the pigs are 

 weaned at the same time, and the pigs should be sufficiently sep- 

 arated from the sow, so that neither can hear nor see the other. 



On the best regulated breeding and feeding farms the pigs are 

 classified as soon as they are -weaned, separating those desired, for 

 breeding purposes from those to be used for feeding. Some feeders 

 prefer to even re-classify their feeding lots, claiming that they have 

 found it profitable to market pigs that are all practically the same 

 size and color. The feeding of the different classes of pigs will be 

 essentially different. The fattening hogs will be given a fattening 

 ration, whereas, the breeding hogs will be given a growing ration. 

 It is always advisable to properly identifj^ pure-bred pigs that are 

 to be kept for breeding. Different tags are available for this pur- 

 pose, the choice of which will depend entirely on the breeder. 



Caxe of Stock Hogs 



The successful handling of stock hogs is one of the most important 

 problems of the live stock industry in the United States. There are 

 many sections in which insufficient grain is raised to fatten hogs, 

 but the climate and surroundings are such that pigs can be produced 

 and transported to those areas in which grain is raised in sufficient 

 quantity to fatten more hogs than are normally produced in those 

 areas. 



It does not seem possible to change this state of affairs and conse- 

 quently the extent of the production of feeder pigs will be largely 

 determined by the success that feeders have with pigs delivered to 

 their farms for feeding purposes. Many points must be considered 

 in purchasing stock hogs. A brief description of the most important 

 points follows : 



Stock hogs have been raised in the country and shipped to mar- 

 ket. It is not possible to know just what the surroundings have 

 been from which and through which these hogs have passed before 

 entering the market. If such hogs have been retained any great 

 length of time in a hog buyer's yards, railroad stockyards or mar- 

 kets, they have had the opportunity of becoming infected with hog 

 cholera and a variety of other conditions that are prone to affect 

 swine. 



