6 



LEAFLET NO. 5, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



proper time to a suitable forage crop. Legume pastures available 

 in the normal course of crop rotation may be utilized, devoting a 

 different field each year to this purpose. Individual shelter houses 

 for each sow and her litter should be provided in the pasture, thus 

 tending to keep the various sows and their litters separate. Though 

 one house for all the sows and pigs may be used, this is not so 

 desirable, as it tends to concentrate any infection that may be present 

 in any animal. Water is supplied by piping or by tanks replenished 

 by hauling water to them. No other hogs should have access to this 

 pasture, nor should the pigs be allowed to run back from the pasture 

 to the barn lot or hog yards. If the latter recommendation is 

 strictly followed, lung- worm infestation will be greatly reduced, if 

 not altogether eliminated. They are thus kept away from the 

 contaminated places until they are at least 4 months old, or until 

 they weigh about 100 pounds, after which they are not very liable 



Fig. 5. — A barnyard Pullman consisting of a crate for hauling the sow and little 

 pigs from the farrowing pen to the pasture. The crate is a double-deck affair ; the 

 sow rides below and the pigs above 



to suffer seriously from worm infestation even though exposed to 

 infection. It is, however, much better practice to keep the pigs 

 away from dirty hog lots and on clean pasture until they are turned 

 into the cornfield or otherwise fattened for market. 



If there is much difference in the ages of the various litters, the 

 pigs should be placed in several pastures according to age, or the 

 one pasture may be subdivided. Mixing together pigs of widely 

 different ages commonly results in the younger ones being robbed 

 by the older ones, so that they do not have a fair chance to get the 

 nourishment they need for proper growth. Temporary shade may 

 be built in the pasture if natural shade is not available. Care should 

 be taken to keep the bedding in the shelter houses in a clean and 

 sanitary condition. Some hog raisers move the shelter houses from 

 time to time and burn the old bedding. The location of the feeding 

 ground should be shifted occasionally, the surroundings of the water 

 supply maintained in a sanitary condition, and the development of 

 mud wallows prevented. 



