506 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



and to the breeder of pure-bred stock ; and of all systems of 

 housing swine it is the most natural and sanitary. Only the 

 simplest workmanship is necessary to build the portable house, 

 and much old lumber can be worked into it. 



"The portable house is peculiarly advantageous, since it can 

 be readily moved. The renter who finds it impossible to pro- 

 vide expensive quarters for his hogs can well afford to construct 

 portable houses, which can be retained as personal property. 

 It is useful on any sized farm as the number can be regulated to 

 the size of the herd. With separate paddocks to accommodate 

 swine of different ages and sexes the portable house is practically 

 a necessity. Swine will never pile up in a damp, poorly venti- 

 lated quarter and come out steaming in the cold morning air, 

 unless compelled to do so. Where a large number of animals 

 are continually housed in one hog-house, the surroundings are 

 sure to become more or less filthy and unsanitary. If feeding 

 .is done on the inside, it keeps a portion of the floor wet, and gives 

 the entire building an offensive disagreeable appearance. On 

 the other hand, by using the portable house, moving it occa- 

 sionally to a fresh piece of ground, and feeding the hogs at dif- 

 ferent places, one avoids those unsanitary conditions. These 

 portable houses can be built to accommodate from four to six 

 mature animals or ten to twenty shotes. This method of 

 housing keeps them much cleaner and more thrifty than when 

 allowed to congregate in large numbers, and individuals of a 

 herd showing evidence of a contagious disease can be readily 

 isolated." 



The A-shaped individual hog-house. — These portable houses 

 are usually constructed of two types, the A-shaped and the shed- 

 roof-shaped. A convenient size for the A-shaped house is eight 

 feet square and seven feet high. It may be constructed with or 

 without a wood floor, as desired. If one has paved or very dry 

 lots where the cots are to remain in winter, perhaps they will give 

 better satisfaction without the wood floor. On the other hand, 



