THE CARE OF 8^YIXE 



437 



in the corn belt, on which the hogs may feed without wallow- 

 ing in mud. Cement platforms, on which feed troughs are 

 placed, are best, for they furnish a substantial floor, when 

 well made. They are easily made rat-proof, and are free 

 of the holes or cracks so likely to occur with board floors, 

 and are kept clean with little trouble. 



Shelters and houses for swine vary greatly. There are 

 two types in common use, a centralized building, with a 

 series of pens, a room for feed, etc., and a colony or individual 

 house of a single room. The centralized building should 



Figure 206. — An Iowa piggery, showing concrete foundation and outside feed- 

 ing platform. Note the large amount of sunlight provided through the roof. 

 Photograph by E. J. Hall. 



be located where drainage is good, and with feed lots and 

 pastures conveniently connected. This house should be well 

 hghted, so that sunshine will penetrate easily to every part. 

 In an interesting report from 332 farmers in Kansas,* 130 

 different dimensions of hog houses were reported. The 

 majorit}^ of the houses reported on were from 8 to 20 feet 

 wide and from 24 to 60 feet long, the average house being 

 16 by 40 feet, suitable for 10 farrowing sows. Such a house 

 would have a central four-foot alley, with five 6x8 pens on 

 each side. The windows should be placed so as to secure 

 the greatest amount of sunshine possible within the house. 

 The floor may be earthen, wood, or cement. In 316 Kansas 



*Ho£s in Kansas. Report Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 1919. 



