CHAPTER XXII 



THE FEEDING OF SWINE 



Unlike cattle feeding, in which it is the common practice 

 for the animals to be bred on cheap land and later shipped to 

 the corn-belt to be fattened, swine are largely bred and fed on 

 the same farm. The swine feeder must breed and grow his 

 own stock. The dangers from hog cholera and other swine 

 plagues are too great to make the buying of feeding swine in 

 the open market practicable. The breeding herd does not re- 

 quire much space, and in addition the sows are very prolific, 

 thus making it possible for a comparatively small number of 



sows, maintained on a small 



area, to produce many stock 

 hogs. Swine feeding, therefore, 

 is inseparable from swine breed- 

 ing. 



No farm animal equals the 

 hog in turning food quickly into 

 marketable meat; and none has 

 yielded more profit to the aver- 

 age American farmer. In health 

 no farm animal is more easily 

 cared for than the hog; it requires little shelter and will eat 

 almost any article of food placed at its disposal. From this 

 it would seem that the hog is the most economical meat pro- 

 ducing animal. This is true during health. The effort should 

 be, then, so to feed and manage the herd as to keep it in good 

 thrift at all times. 



467 



Fig. 162. — Large Yoekshiee, or 

 Large White, Sow. Photograph 

 from Farmers' Advocate. 



