PASTURE AND GEAIN CROPS FOR HOGS. 5 



QUALITY AND ABUNDANCE OF PASTURE. 



The composition of pasture forage is quite variable. Alfalfa, 

 clover, vetch, peas, etc., furnish feed that is much richer in protein 

 than most other crops. Generally, therefore, hogs which are feeding 

 upon leguminous pasture require slightly less concentrated feed than 

 when grazing upon nonleguminous pasture, such as timothy, orchard 

 grass, bluegrass, or the cereals. 



It frequently happens that a farmer has more hogs than his pasture 

 is capable of supporting. When such is the case the pasture will go 

 much farther if a full grain ration is fed. The more grain a hog con- 

 sumes the less he will feed upon the pasture. 



In general, pigs and shotes should be kept in a thrift}^, growing con- 

 dition at all times. It never pays to allow them to cease growing 



Fig. 2.— A herd of brood sows on pasture. They were fed enough grain to keep them in good condition. 



and become stunted. Brood sows, likewise, must be kept in good 

 flesh ( not fat) if large litters of strong, healthy pigs are to be expected. 

 Figure 2 shows a herd of well-kept brood sows on pasture. 



In gathering the material for this bulletin it was quite generally 

 observed, on the one hand, that the men who are enthusiastic pork 

 producers feed a liberal supplemental grain ration to young, growing 

 hogs when on pasture. On the other hand, those who think there is 

 little profit in raising hogs run them very largely on pasture without 

 other feed during the grazing season. 



HOGGING OFF CROPS. 



Turning hogs into a standing field of mature or nearly mature 

 wheat, barley, peas, or corn and allowing them to feed at will until 

 the crop is consumed is called " hogging off 77 or "hogging down" the 



