Ss ™ 
14 BULLETIN 1381, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
TABLE 7.—Average quantities of feed and labor required to maintain the breeding 
herd for one production season 
One litter per year Two litters per year ! 
1921 1922 1921 1922 
Item 
Per Per Per Per Per Per | Per Per 
animal | animal | animal} animal | animal | animal | animal | animal 
per per per per per per per per 
season | month season |} month | season | month | season | month 
Number of animals (sows and boars) __| GOb i222 2 oo sha Rare oe | SL Gc |S ewe oA ad | Se ee Le 
Initial weight per animal____________- Zon jisbe 40 GS ee 2 | DoF teen ees 2AD Soe 
Average gain per animal__-_________-_- a en 49 i|_ 62. 4392 (ith 'Poeaetee OR it Poe ee 
Number months on farm___________-_- Nahi tl Keates £2 (| el 2 LOG 20 | pare as Call. aa 
Feeds consumed: 
Og Uae a ee Sie eB pounds-_ 1, 177. 2 146. 4 |1, 067.5 142.9 |1,387.7 135. 3. }1, 275.5 136. 1 
@thar grains.. i! !£_3-2:_23 do__--| 103.0 12.8] 150.4 20. 1 107. 2 10. 4 68. 6 hard 
PRATEHEO2 gee et bd DQ ancs:| og eee 3.6 29. 4 3.9 35. 6 3. 5 19.8 gl 
Pini mark. * v4 § "8 tS do___- 90. 2 Tie 47.2 6.3] 155.0 15.1 110.9 11.8 
Soybeans ifat teu s do____| 2.0 .2 1.7 TB At Shs ae 5.6 .6 
Wrrapel ot} 2 i re 1.0 4.8 .6 2.5 2 5 +1 
pp argh 3b AT Teh Mo. Pod ah 28. 5 FO eee ee 3.8 .4 
TICS: 2 Se | Ue ee, | 4.4 wD .8 | 1.2 7 32 .4 
Pease: ays s “i ft a el ee i fy a ee DB hes PAO he ee 192 a oe ee 
Jvabor:| Man hours: <- 24-2 222-2 | 8.28 1. 03 7.81 1.04} 11.68 1.14 9. 28 . 99 
TELOTSe GUOS .. =... as. = ¥ ff 10 34 . 04 82 . 08 | 1. 25 .13 
} 
176 per cent of sows farrowing spring pigs were bred for fall pigs in 1921; 57 per cent of sows farrowing 
spring pigs in 1922 were bred for fall pigs. 
About 200 pounds more grain is required for each animal in the 
breeding herd to produce two litters per year than one litter. The 
quantity of corn consumed per animal in the breeding herd averaged 
1,122 pounds for the years 1921 and 1922 when one litter was pro- 
duced and 1,331 pounds when two litters were produced. Various 
miscellaneous feeds totaled 250 pounds per animal in the breeding 
herd for one litter and 260 pounds for two litters per year. Sows 
producing two litters per year were on the farm for a longer period of 
time and made greater use of pasture during the summer. When 
these requirements are computed on a monthly basis, the sows 
Giger only 1 litter required 177 pounds of corn and other feeds 
per month, whereas the sows producing 2 litters required 162 pounds 
of corn and other feeds. The average quantities of feed and labor 
per sow is given in Table 7. 
LOSSES IN THE PIG CROP 
The economic advantage which some producers obtain by weaning 
a large number of pigs per sow has been presented. All of this 
advantage can not be credited to luck. The lack of care and proper 
management at critical times was the direct cause of severe losses in 
some cases. Severe weather conditions increase the difficulties but 
field observations indicate that some herdsmen save more pigs than 
others under any conditions. Some hog raisers made little effort to 
save more pigs. Others who tried were not thorough in their sani- 
tary methods and little good was accomplished. 
The causes of losses in pigs before weaning and the average number 
lost for each 1,000 pigs farrowed is given in Table 8. The exact 
cause of death in some cases is in doubt. Many of the miscellaneous 
deaths should be distributed among the other causes. Losses from 
necrobacillosis included losses from enteritis, bull-nose, and sore 
