I 
 
 'bs'"' hand book 
 
 Dopy 1 
 
 ON 
 
 THE SOW 
 
 Queen of Farm Animals 
 
 „„j 
 
 PRACTICAL SCIENTIFIC TALK 
 
 On How to Double Profits on Hogs 
 
 Evolution in Brood Sow 
 
 Feeding, Worth Millions 
 
 to U. S. Farmers 
 
 James Baynes, Editor American Swineherd 
 
 COPYRIGHT 1919 BY JAMES BAYNES 
 
GESTATION TABLE FOR SOWS. 
 
 PERIOD OF GESTATION, 113 DAYS. 
 
 Time o 
 
 f 
 
 Due to 
 
 
 Time of 
 
 Due to 
 
 
 Service 
 
 
 Farrow 
 
 
 Service 
 
 Farrow 
 
 
 January 
 
 1 
 
 April 
 
 22 
 
 July 3 
 
 October 
 
 23 
 
 u 
 
 4 
 
 a 
 
 25 
 
 6 
 
 u 
 
 26 
 
 (> 
 
 7 
 
 u 
 
 28 
 
 9 
 
 « 
 
 29 
 
 t 
 
 10 
 
 May 
 
 1 
 
 12 
 
 November 1 
 
 a 
 
 13 
 
 (( 
 
 4 
 
 15 
 
 (I 
 
 4 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 u 
 
 7 
 
 18 
 
 a 
 
 7 
 
 a 
 
 19 
 
 u 
 
 10 
 
 21 
 
 u 
 
 10 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 u 
 
 13 
 
 24 
 
 '■ 
 
 13 
 
 u 
 
 25 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 27 
 
 « 
 
 16 
 
 a 
 
 28 
 
 u 
 
 19 
 
 30 
 
 (1 
 
 19 
 
 u 
 
 31 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 August 2 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 February 
 
 3 
 
 u 
 
 25 
 
 " 5 
 
 a 
 
 25 
 
 (( 
 
 6 
 
 <l 
 
 28 
 
 8 
 
 (I 
 
 28 
 
 a 
 
 9 
 
 u 
 
 31 
 
 11 
 
 December 
 
 1 
 
 u 
 
 12 
 
 June 
 
 3 
 
 14 
 
 (( 
 
 4 
 
 (! 
 
 15 
 
 (( 
 
 6 
 
 17 
 
 « 
 
 7 
 
 a 
 
 18 
 
 « 
 
 9 
 
 20 
 
 II 
 
 10 
 
 u 
 
 21 
 
 (< 
 
 12 
 
 23 
 
 II 
 
 13 
 
 u 
 
 24 
 
 a 
 
 15 
 
 " 26 
 
 " 
 
 16 
 
 u 
 
 27 
 
 u 
 
 18 
 
 29 
 
 " 
 
 19 
 
 March 
 
 2 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 September 1 
 
 II 
 
 22 
 
 « 
 
 5 
 
 a 
 
 25 
 
 4 
 
 
 25 
 
 (1 
 
 8 
 
 a 
 
 28 
 
 7 
 
 <f 
 
 2S 
 
 a 
 
 11 
 
 July 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 « 
 
 31 
 
 u 
 
 14 
 
 u 
 
 4 
 
 13 
 
 January 
 
 3 
 
 ti 
 
 17 
 
 u 
 
 7 
 
 16 
 
 11 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 20 
 
 u 
 
 10 
 
 19 
 
 II 
 
 9 
 
 u 
 
 23 
 
 a 
 
 13 
 
 22 
 
 " 
 
 12 
 
 It 
 
 26 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 25 
 
 11 
 
 15 
 
 u 
 
 29 
 
 u 
 
 19 
 
 28 
 
 11 
 
 18 
 
 April 
 
 1 
 
 " 
 
 22 
 
 October 1 
 
 u 
 
 21 
 
 u 
 
 4 
 
 (( 
 
 25 
 
 4 
 
 II 
 
 24 
 
 u 
 
 7 
 
 „ 
 
 28 
 
 7 
 
 u 
 
 27 
 
 a 
 
 10 
 
 " 
 
 31 
 
 « 10 
 
 u 
 
 30 
 
 u 
 
 13 
 
 Aug. 
 
 3 
 
 13 
 
 February 
 
 2 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 « 
 
 6 
 
 " 16 
 
 « 
 
 5 
 
 a 
 
 19 
 
 (( 
 
 9 
 
 19 
 
 (1 
 
 8 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 ti 
 
 12 
 
 22 
 
 II 
 
 11 
 
 u 
 
 25 
 
 u 
 
 15 
 
 25 
 
 11 
 
 11 
 
 u 
 
 28 
 
 u 
 
 18 
 
 28 
 
 " 
 
 17 
 
 May 
 
 1 
 
 u 
 
 21 
 
 31 
 
 II 
 
 20 
 
 « 
 
 4 
 
 u 
 
 24 
 
 November 3 
 
 ■( 
 
 23 
 
 (( 
 
 7 
 
 u 
 
 27 
 
 « 6 
 
 (I 
 
 25 
 
 « 
 
 10 
 
 ti 
 
 30 
 
 9 
 
 March 
 
 1 
 
 u 
 
 13 
 
 September 2| 
 
 12 
 
 II 
 
 4 
 
 u 
 
 16 
 
 « 
 
 5 
 
 " 15 
 
 tt 
 
 7 
 
 a 
 
 19 
 
 u 
 
 8 
 
 « 18 
 
 II 
 
 10 
 
 u 
 
 22 
 
 u 
 
 11 
 
 21 
 
 II 
 
 13 
 
 u 
 
 25 
 
 u 
 
 14 
 
 24 
 
 " 
 
 16 
 
 a 
 
 28 
 
 u 
 
 17 
 
 « 27 
 
 II 
 
 19 
 
 a 
 
 31 
 
 u 
 
 20 
 
 « 30 
 
 II 
 
 22 
 
 June 
 
 3 
 
 u 
 
 23 
 
 December 3 
 
 (1 
 
 25 
 
 a 
 
 G 
 
 u 
 
 26 
 
 6 
 
 « 
 
 28 
 
 a 
 
 9 
 
 u 
 
 29 
 
 « 9 
 
 « 
 
 31 
 
 a 
 
 12 
 
 October 
 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 April 
 
 3 
 
 u 
 
 15 
 
 a 
 
 5 
 
 15 
 
 « 
 
 6 
 
 u 
 
 18 
 
 u 
 
 8 
 
 18 
 
 U 
 
 9 
 
 a 
 
 21 
 
 u 
 
 11 
 
 21 
 
 (1 
 
 12 
 
 u 
 
 24 
 
 u 
 
 14 
 
 24 
 
 U 
 
 15 
 
 a 
 
 27 
 
 u 
 
 17 
 
 « 27 
 
 u 
 
 18 
 
 u 
 
 30 
 
 u 
 
 20 
 
 30 
 
 a 
 
 21 
 
 MAR 24 1919 
 
 ©CI.A5137(i7 
 
Era of Improvement in Hog Business 
 
 Most every farmer raises hogs, as one branch 
 of his farm operation ; 80 per cent of them, Prof. 
 Dietrich of the Government Experiment Station 
 says, waste one-fourth of their feed given to hogs, 
 because they do not fully understand the feed 
 question, or its importance in producing the greatest 
 gain in the quickest time, at the least cost. It is 
 not what the hog eats, but what he digests and 
 assimilates, which are the proper proportions needed 
 for maintenance and building the body by construct- 
 ing bone and flesh. 'Ihese requirements are correctly 
 supplied by what is called the balanced ration. Two 
 good feeds when combined are improved over either 
 separate. Bread and butter is pretty good for man ; 
 butter alone would be unbalanced. As feed is about 
 90 per cent of the cost of producing pork, its im- 
 portance is apparent. 
 
 When the cost of feed was on the basis of 18c 
 corn per bushel and farm lands worth one-third 
 their present price, it did not require the farmer 
 to have the knowledge or give the consideration 
 or attention to improved methods to secure a profit, 
 which today are necessary under the changed con- 
 ditions and prices. 
 
 The successful hog raisers have perfected a prac- 
 tical system of thoroughly tried out plans, that 
 have given greatest profits, which are only on a 
 par with the ent&rprise and wisdom of other up- 
 to-date business undertakings. 
 
 Scientific success in the hog business is readily 
 attainable by any farmer who will equip himself 
 with the knowledge of the practical methods of 
 these successful farmers by careful reading of this 
 book. The farmer who fails to post himself on 
 the best proved plans for greatest profits in the 
 hog business will be seriously handicapped under 
 present new conditions of the times. This reading 
 will prove interesting as well as instructive to all 
 who have any interest in hogs and the more suc- 
 cessful they are the better they will enjoy it. The 
 man who will study this line of thought is following 
 the course of nature, furnishing seed for new 
 thoughts, which grow and blossom into wisdom, 
 which is real life, growth and progress. 
 
 The best results are attainable where each line 
 is specialized and the experience from this concen- 
 trated thought and effort produces a costly, ripe 
 wisdom which is free to the readers of this book. 
 
The Brood Sow— The Mortgage Lifter 
 
 The brood sow is one of the most valuable ani- 
 mals on the farm ; she is seldom given the full 
 credit that she deserves. If she is a good, prolific 
 sow and is properly fed and cared for, no other 
 farm animal can match her as a money-maker. She 
 is the true mortgage lifter. 
 
 It is often claimed that the boar is half the herd; 
 but without the assistance of the sow, he is a 
 failure. 
 
 The annual increase of swine is from 500 to 1,000 
 per cent, with the possibility of doubling this, while 
 that of cattle, sheep and horses are from 60 to 100 
 per cent. It therefore makes a difference whether 
 the sow produces from 8 to 10 pigs twice a year, 
 or only 3 to 5 twice a year, or perhaps 6 once 
 a year. This thows the importance of selection, 
 with proper management in breeding, feeding and 
 caring for the sow. It is a simple business propo- 
 sition to designate the profitable sow. 
 
 The brood sow is kept for profit ; unlike the cow 
 she cannot be used in a dairy, nor like a sheep 
 with wool for shearing, nor is she used as a horse; 
 her profit is wholly in her production of young. 
 Raising pigs being her chief work, the manage- 
 ment and care of hor, to enable her to produce the 
 largest number of well developed pigs, is strictly 
 essential. 
 
 True, there is an inherited quality so far as pro- 
 lificacy is concerned. An unprolific sow is un- 
 profitable compared with one that will produce 
 large litters. This is a trait similar to a cow that 
 will produce 14 pounds of butter a week while 
 another one can scarcely make five. It is an in- 
 herent characteristic, transferable to her young, that 
 must be bred into her and maintained; but even 
 with this natural qualification to produce large 
 litters, much depends upon getting this service from 
 her by the method of handling, feeding and caring 
 for her to meet with the best success. 
 
 This work is intended to give to the readers 
 the best experience of the most successful, practical 
 breeders and feeders of the hog. This experience 
 has been attained by them with years of efforts, at 
 heavy expense in searching and testing out, then 
 dropping and avoiding the errors of wrong feed- 
 ing, handling or caring for the brood sow. The 
 readers hereof, therefore get the benefit of this 
 proven ripe experience and can step at once into 
 this complete success without cost to them of either 
 money or time, which must prove highly valuable 
 to them. 
 
 2 
 
Prolificacy 
 
 The scientific plan of feeding and handling swine 
 for greater profit will compel the herdsman to 
 prune his herd of every unprolific sow, that is 
 unable to give returns to compare with the profitable 
 prolific sow. The unprofitable sow should be fed and 
 consigned to the pork market so that she will not be 
 bringing into existence a strain of inferior small 
 litter breeders. 
 
 We sometimes hear a breeder state in praise of 
 his boar that he is a getter of large litters, which 
 adds to his value. This is a mistaken idea, as the 
 sow controls the number of the litter, or the foun- 
 dation for the litter, in the embryo for the fetus of 
 the future pig. The boar should be strong enough 
 in vitality to be able to impregnate each embryo 
 for the future litter; this is as far as he can go 
 in determining the number in the litter. If the 
 sow only presents or has three embryo germs for 
 impregnation, the male cannot increase the num- 
 ber. The only condition where he can influence 
 the number in the litter, is where his vitality is not 
 strong enough to enable him to impregnate all of 
 the embryo contained by the sow. This makes the 
 selection of the sow a matter of first importance. 
 
 There is no certain outward indication for judg- 
 ing the prolificacy of a sow prior to a trial. True, 
 there are some points that are favorable and are 
 always sought by the ones selecting the sow who 
 have had experience in this line. We want a sow 
 that is going to be a good milker, as the early, 
 rapid growth of the pigs depends upon this natural 
 supply very greatly, and it makes quite a difiference 
 in their start if the mother is a good milker. We 
 want a sow that is broad and roomy, long with 
 good individuality, one that will make a large brood 
 sow and a motherly looking animal. The sow 
 should have at least ten perfect teats or more, with 
 less than this number she should be discarded. The 
 sow that makes no show of udder is seldom a good 
 milker and should be rejected. She should be 
 selected from a large litter, coming from a strain 
 that has had a record for producing large litters 
 regularly. 
 
 A very successful breeder who has made a spe- 
 cialty of breeding up a strain of prolific sows averag- 
 ing 8 to 10 to the litter in a large herd of sows, 
 gives as his version of the small litters that prevail 
 sometimes among farmers. He believes they are 
 caused by their selection in paying no attention to 
 their dam's prolificacy. 
 
 3 
 
Because of the fact of a sow having three pigs 
 in her litter it is more than likely that she will 
 get them started better, pushed stronger, by con- 
 centrating all of her milk to the three, thus having 
 an advantage over the sow with ten, dividing hers 
 between her larger litter. The farmer does not 
 register his animals or keep track of the litters as 
 a breeder does, therefore when the farmer comes 
 to pick out his sows for his brood animals, he looks 
 for the best individuals regardless of the fact that 
 they may be out of small litters ; as it is quite 
 likely that they will continue to keep up their first 
 push to the front with extra growth and be of extra 
 size at the time of their selection; taking her from 
 among the gilts in this way, they have brought about 
 a strain of hogs that often fail to produce half 
 enough pigs, thus proving the reproduction of an 
 inherent characteristic. This is neglect or care- 
 lessness in the selection, that might easily and readily 
 occur because of the prominent growth given to 
 the small litters individually. 
 
 This kind of selection should be guarded against 
 and extra pains taken in picking out a sow that 
 was from a big litter of a prolific strain. We have 
 breeders of all breeds who make a specialty of pro- 
 lificacy, and are very successful. 
 
 There is a point, which to go beyond, is as damag- 
 ing as the small litter. How big a litter is most 
 desirable? There is a difference in sows. With 
 some sows eight is a large enough litter, while with 
 other sows ten have all been good pigs and suckled 
 to weaning time safely. Over this number it is 
 not ordinarily safe to go. The strain on the sow 
 with litters of 13 to 18 might occasionally be met, 
 but we would much prefer to have the strength 
 and efforts of the sow concentrated in a litter of 
 8 or 10 for greatest success and profit. 
 
 The condition of the sow, as well as the feeding, 
 has its influence to a certain extent and much more 
 with some sows than others. 
 
 For instance, sows that have been highly fitted for 
 the shows are many times put in such a condition 
 from their overfeeding and high flesh that they fail 
 to breed. Experienced showmen always reduce the 
 show sow in flesh immediately after the show and 
 before attempting to breed her. But even the 
 most successful and longest experienced are very 
 frequently unable to have the sow breed and bring 
 forth a litter after being highly fitted. 
 
 A herd of sows that are fed almost exclusively 
 on a corn diet, are more or less subject to farrow 
 
 4 
 
smaller litters than the same animals do when fed 
 upon a better balanced ration, by cutting out most 
 of the corn. It not only influences the number of 
 the litter, but the size and vitality of the pigs are 
 unfavorably affected by the corn diet. 
 
 On the other hand, a highly protein feed balanc- 
 ing the ration with alfalfa and clover hay during 
 the winter season when they cannot reach the pas- 
 ture, is found to be one of the greatest aids. This 
 feed fosters good size litters of strong constitution, 
 of large pigs ; as one breeder states that they seem to 
 be a week old at farrowing time, so great is the 
 difference. This clover or alfalfa hay can be fed 
 either as a ground feed in a slop, or run through 
 the cutting box and cooked in a heater, or fed 
 as raw hay where it is properly cured. They will 
 eat it with the greatest of relish. 
 
 Also oats and barley ground together make an 
 especially choice feed for both the brood sow and 
 the growing pigs. The feeding of the brood sow 
 while she is carrying her farrow contemplates the 
 feeding of the unfarrowed litter, which must have 
 its growth from the proper feed essentials to con- 
 tribute to the best results. Elsewhere in this book 
 will be shown proper plans of feeding these various 
 ingredients. 
 
 Every hog raiser should condemn to the pork 
 market every sow that fails to farrow a good sized 
 litter, unless through some fault outside of her 
 inherited qualities. The sharp weeding out and 
 feeding for the pork market is the aggressive method 
 for improving and maintaining the full complement 
 litter. This plan is enlisting more breeders and 
 feeders continuously with satisfactory results. 
 
 The sow that farrows from three to five pigs twice 
 a year, in some instances only once, costs nearly 
 as much to maintain as the sow that produces ten 
 pigs twice a year showing the extra profit in the 
 latter, both in the amount of money invested and 
 the cost of maintaining. 
 
 There are some sows that, although not so large 
 nor as desirable as the best, give good results in 
 the size of the litter and in raising them, because 
 of the good milking qualities, something on the 
 order of the Jersey cow, as milkers, which shows 
 up in the good growth of the pig. 
 
 A good standard for everyone in selecting their 
 brood sow is to get an animal that will mature 
 into a 600-lb. sow or over, in fair flesh. There are 
 
sows that go to 800 pounds and over but they are 
 not very plentiful. She should have plenty of 
 quality with her size to give her the easy feeding 
 characteristic that counts on the profitable side. 
 
 A very successful breeder states that he selects 
 always from a prolific family and not too chunky 
 type, but one of good length without coarseness, 
 one that has a motherly look and is of a quiet dis- 
 position. Size with finish is the object desired and 
 one should never be carried away with a pretty little 
 dumpling. Be careful not to get one too loose and 
 rangy in appearance, without good spring of ribs. 
 The back should be arched a trifle, and have good 
 width and continue arched when in farrow. The 
 good mother carries with her good suckling qualities. 
 He is opposed to making a severe cross of opposites. 
 
 He wants her to be broad between the eyes, with 
 smooth coat, as "like produces like." The sow that 
 is not too coarse is usually a mellow, easy feeding 
 kind, one that you can depend upon her pigs being 
 easy feeders. A yearling sow last year raised him 
 a litter of eight pigs and she tipped the beam at 
 535 pounds upon weaning them and will mature 
 into a 750-pound sow. She was one of the easy 
 feeding kind. 
 
 It pays to retain year after year a good, large, 
 motherly sow that has proven herself a reliable 
 breeder, that can be depended upon to produce a 
 big litter of good sized pigs regularly and raise 
 them well with quick growth and early development. 
 
 The sow of this character improves with experi- 
 ence each year, at least until six or seven years old. 
 She is usually worth two untried sows. A nervous, 
 restless sow is undesirable, as she is so liable to 
 trample upon her young pigs and kill them before 
 they are able to take care of themselves. 
 
 Another virtue possessed by a sow of this kind 
 is the fact that she has no difficulty in farrowing 
 her litter, while a small or narrow bodied sow 
 risks the life of her pigs and herself with each 
 farrow. 
 
 Every hog raiser should qualify himself if not 
 fully posted, with the best up-to-date knowledge to 
 enable him to select correctly. Also to be able to 
 handle, care and feed her in the best manner to 
 attain the greatest success and largest profit from 
 her, the same as a man in any other business or 
 profession would expect to undergo. 
 6 
 
Handling Sow After Breeding 
 
 The natural condition of the sow has proven 
 always the proper one to maintain. This is shown 
 repeatedly by the bad results happening when it 
 is overlooked. The sow needs all of the pure air 
 that she can get ; in good weather when there is 
 sunshine she should have full access to both. 
 F'urthermore she needs exercise every day that the 
 weather is suitable. Some of our best breeders 
 practice turning their hogs out in the field and let- 
 ting them roam over it if they have been properly 
 fed ; it gives them good exercise and a good oppor- 
 tunity to breathe pure air. Some breeders turn them 
 into the cornstalk field and after picking up what 
 pasture and overlooked corn they find, which they 
 seem to appreciate searching for, they return to their 
 feed lots and houses for the regular feed, shelter 
 and beds for the night. This sunshine and exercise 
 has a beneficial influence on the un farrowed litter. 
 
 After the sows are bred they should be fed a 
 little stronger, which should be gradually increased, 
 care being taken that the feed is a well balanced 
 one; but little corn should be given. Oats and 
 barley ground together and fed in a slop, or bran 
 and middlings made into a slop, with clover or 
 alfalfa hay, either ground or as hay, is an appro- 
 priate feed for the brood sow. 
 
 During the cold weather the feed should be cooked 
 or heated. The benefit of this is seen in both the 
 growing pigs and brood sows. They show a real 
 enjoyment for hot feed, whereas a cold feed in bit- 
 ter weather is hurriedly eaten by them and when 
 through they rush to their pens or sleeping places 
 shivering, with their backs up, showing at least 
 no pleasure or comfort in eating. 
 
 Of course there are days when the weather is 
 stormy and disagreeable that it is better for them 
 to be in their shelters than outside. But the value 
 of exercise has been so thoroughly established as 
 an essential that it must be looked after if you 
 want the best results. 
 
 Another point to always keep in view is the con- 
 dition of the bowels of the sow. If she becomes 
 constipated she will be out of condition quickly 
 and liable to take disease, or get into worse condi- 
 tion continuously if it is not relieved at once. For 
 this purpose a little oil cake meal, or tankage, or 
 cracklings, given twice a week, is an excellent plan 
 of correcting the bowel trouble, and maintaining a 
 proper condition of the stomach for best results. 
 
 7 
 
This will prevent costiveness, which is always better 
 than having to cure it. Constipation is the beginning 
 of two-thirds of all diseases of men and animals. 
 When the bowels are in right condition the body 
 is fortified against disease. 
 
 It is the hog's nature to root in the ground, both 
 for roots and worms, and it is provided therefore 
 with a rooter. This natural desire can be satisfied 
 in the winter season by feeding them tubers such 
 as beets, rutabagas and the small, culled potatoes 
 usually fed cooked. There may not be much feed 
 value in them, but they help keep the bowels in 
 proper condition for digesting other food. 
 
 While the sow should not be overfed at any time, 
 which can be determined by her cleaning up her 
 feed each meal, at the same time she should have 
 sufficient so that she will not hunger or be driven 
 to search for food to maintain herself, although 
 moderate action to search for food after more than 
 maintenance supply, is good for her. 
 
 The sow, when carrying her farrow, requires not 
 only the ordinary maintenance food for herself, 
 but must have sufficient in addition to produce the 
 best growth for the unfarrowed litter. A failure in 
 the sufficiency of the proper feed or imperfect feed 
 is sure to have its influence on the coming litter, 
 which will be shown in runts among the same. 
 
 It is desired that the sow should be so fed and 
 handled that she will keep improving and gaining 
 a little flesh continuously from the time that she 
 is bred up to the time that she farrows her litter. 
 
 The brood sow's work is to produce the coming 
 litter and therefore everything should be done that 
 will be helpful to her in producing a large, strong 
 constitutioned, healthy, well developed litter. Her 
 condition and her feed has its direct influence in the 
 realization of the best results to the coming litter. 
 
 The two best feeds for producing exceptionally 
 large, fine, well developed litters of pigs are alfalfa 
 or clover hay, and oats. Parties who have fed 
 these feeds largely, with the addition of a small 
 grain ration, have kept their sows in the best natu- 
 ral condition and have raised the largest, finest, 
 strongest, well developed litters. 
 
 Every hog raiser has to take into consideration 
 the feeds that are accessible to him. Those that 
 are grown upon the farm are first in importance, 
 but it will pay any breeder or feeder to buy alfalfa 
 hay or meal if he has not raised it upon the farm 
 or has no clover hay as a substitute. 
 
This character of feeding with plenty of exercise 
 and sunshine and pure water brings them down to 
 the date of farrowing in the proper shape. 
 
 A few days before farrowing time successful hog 
 men decrease the feed and supply something laxa- 
 tive so that the bowels will be in an easy condition 
 as helpful to an easy farrowing. 
 
 If the sow farrows in the summer season she 
 makes her nest out of doors and the first you are 
 aware of her new family, she comes in with her 
 litter and the exercise they get keeps them in the 
 proper condition to take good care of themselves 
 and avoid thumps. 
 
 But if it is cold weather care must be taken that 
 the little pigs as farrowed, should have a basket 
 with a hot brick wrapped up in blankets so that 
 they are dried and placed around the brick; in a 
 short time they are put to the sow and nature shows 
 them what to do. The sow is only given warm 
 water with bran sprinkled in it for the first twenty- 
 four hours, then feeding commences slowly so as 
 not to force the milk faster than it can be taken 
 by the little pigs. If there is more milk than they 
 can suckle, the udder is liable to become congested 
 and what is known as caked udder occurs, and be- 
 sides an injury to the sow, the milk is bad for the 
 pigs and starts them to scouring, or it may, if 
 caked, prevent them from getting any milk and they 
 may starve, before you notice them, if not watched. 
 
 As the pigs grow, more feed should be given to 
 the sow to sustain her and to produce the milk 
 needed by the pigs, for it is a heavy drain upon her. 
 The pigs should be allowed to follow the sow as 
 soon as they are old enough to run around and 
 the weather suitable, compelling them to take exer- 
 cise in this way, thus avoiding thumps. 
 
 The readers of this book are respectfully re- 
 ferred and recommended to carefully study the in- 
 structive articles from the practical and success- 
 ful breeders who have accomplished success be- 
 cause of their knowledge and practice. 
 
 The man who will consider carefully these meth- 
 ods and plans adopted by these men who reached 
 the topmost round of success in their efforts can 
 make it the reader's work, by thorough study and, 
 absorbing the instructive directions, and in due 
 course meet with the same successful results. 
 
 Overfeeding' the Sow 
 
 Frequently parties buy a sow and are extremely 
 anxious that she should make a great success and 
 therefore do everything for her to help her accom- 
 plish this. 
 
 9 
 
In other words they are overdoing it. They over- 
 feed her, keep her too close in her pen and are too 
 apt to make a hot-house plant out of her. While 
 she should be well fed, she should not be overfed; 
 although she should be housed from the storms 
 and provided with good, warm sleeping quarters, 
 she needs the exercise, the air and the hustling that 
 give her vigor and strength. In their desire to 
 have her do well, they have by their overfeeding 
 and extra precautions rendered it impossible for her 
 to do so. 
 
 Bone-Making Feed 
 
 The brood sow requires an extra amount of bone- 
 making feed. She needs this for her young that 
 she is growing and developing. The lack of it not 
 only is an injury to the growing litter, but a damage 
 to the sow herself and an aid in bringing on paraly- 
 sis of the loins. 
 
 Frequently a litter when farrowed are deficient 
 in bone. Some lacking in some parts, often the 
 head. This should be avoided by giving good bone- 
 making material for the sow while developing her 
 litter, both before and after farrowing. 
 
 By consulting the table you will find the feeds 
 that have the ash in them strong, are the bone- 
 making, viz. : wood ashes, charred corn cobs, lime 
 and bone meal are concentrated bone-making ma- 
 terial. Wood ashes and charred corn cobs are 
 always to be had. Look up your table of digestive 
 nutriments in feeds in this book so as to regulate 
 your feed to the brood sow. 
 
 The Balanced Ration 
 
 Balancing the ration is combining the feeds that 
 will furnish the proper ingredients in the right pro- 
 portions to nourish and develop all parts of the 
 body of the animal without an excess of either 
 portion which would be wasted. 
 
 Taking into consideration the results you desire 
 to obtain, a properly balanced ration is one that 
 will furnish these results. With young pigs or grow- 
 ing hogs it is necessary to have a bone builder and 
 muscle former predominant; and for this reason 
 corn, which has a smaller proportion of protein and 
 a larger proportion of carbohydrates is not a good 
 feed alone to grow muscle and produce bone for 
 pigs or shoats. 
 
 A feeder asks, how shall we balance the ration? 
 This depends somewhat on each particular person 
 
 10 
 
and his resources. For instance, the dairyman who 
 has separator or skimmed milk, has a balance for 
 corn or corn meal that is first class. It has proved 
 best results when fed on the ratio of 3 to 5 pounds 
 of milk to 1 pound of corn meal ; that is, the best 
 gains for the food consumed resulting from this pro- 
 portion of the two ingredients. Buttermilk and 
 whey are combined in the same proportions as 
 skimmed milk. 
 
 One of the cheapest balancers of a grain ration 
 is grass, alfalfa and clover being the two best of the 
 grass feeds. Furthermore they can be used during 
 the winter time through properly cured hay, which 
 may be fed or run through a cutter first or ground 
 into a meal and mixed into a swill. For best re- 
 sults a moderate quantity of grain should accom- 
 pany the grass feed to bring about the proper bal- 
 ance. Of course you are required to take into con- 
 sideration the size and demands of the animals that 
 you are feeding to regulate the proportions. 
 
 As corn is rich in carbohydrates or fat forming 
 ingredients and deficient in protein, one of the best 
 grain balancers is wheat middlings, while shorts, 
 rye, barley, peas or ground oats will also furnish a 
 balance for the corn ration because of their rich- 
 ness in protein. 
 
 Some feeders use an equal amount of middlings 
 with the corn ration, that is, half the ration is 
 middlings and the other half corn. Some use one- 
 third middlings and two-thirds corn. Others use 
 two-thirds middlings and one-third corn; then again 
 this is varied, feeding one preparation for a time, 
 and then changing to the other. In balancing the 
 ration with potatoes, beets, carrots or mangels, 
 five pounds of these are fed to the one pound 
 of corn meal. The feeder will have to use dis- 
 cretion and judgment as to quantity and propor- 
 tion. Study the tables and it will be found that 
 this combination feed will result beneficially both 
 to the growing animals and the feeder. 
 
 It is shown that the younger the pigs or shotes are, 
 the larger the proportion of protein should be. 
 Begin with, say three-fourths middlings and one- 
 fourth corn, then as they grow older change to 
 two-thirds middlings and one-third corn and when 
 you come to the fattening period you can use corn 
 wholly. 
 
 Gluten meal, blood meal and digester tankage 
 have a very high percentage of protein and are used 
 with profit. 
 
 11 
 
As a bone builder pigs should have access to 
 wood ashes, charcoal, charred cobs or bran and 
 thus round out the balance requirements. 
 
 But few farmers realize the immense importance 
 to them of clover or alfalfa upon their farm. Pigs 
 should have a moderate feed of grain according to 
 the size and demand of the animal with all the 
 grass they will eat. Two proper feeds combined in 
 right proportion of balance, increase the beneficial 
 results over either separately. 
 
 Each feeder is compelled to take into considera- 
 tion the feeds produced upon his farm as being 
 the cheapest ordinarily, as there is no freight or 
 transportation charges against them and the feeder 
 gets his own profit from the feed produced. 
 
 It is difficult therefore to make an exact stated 
 ration, as each one will have to study from his 
 standpoint a combination, to get the proper pro- 
 portions of protein, carbohydrates, and succulence; 
 then take into consideration the age and condition 
 of the animal, whether growth is desired, or fat 
 producing only, then regulate the same by studying 
 the tables for the proportions of the ingredients of 
 each feed as shown in this book. 
 
 The exercise of reasoning and studying by the 
 feeder on these tables and on results desired, will 
 be found beneficial to every feeder who will be sur- 
 prised himself at the advantages that he will derive 
 from this class by careful consideration. 
 
 For instance, you have to consider not only the 
 proportions of the ingredients fed, but their cost, 
 as you are running a business to make it a success 
 and the cheaper the feed, if it is of the right charac- 
 ter, the greater the profit. Therefore, we unhesitat- 
 ingly recommend a careful reading of the methods 
 and systems used by the able breeders and feeders 
 who have articles in this book showing how they 
 have reached success and are therefore good ex- 
 amples to pattern after. 
 
 The Marvelous Alfalfa 
 
 The hog raisers of the corn belt 20 years ago 
 were unacquainted with the value of alfalfa as a 
 swine feed, nor was it scarcely known that alfalfa 
 could be grown east of the Rocky Mountains at 
 that time; but today it flourishes in localities all 
 over the United States. Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, 
 Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas and the real corn 
 belt portions of the United States are growing 
 alfalfa in various localities. 
 12 
 
Clover has long held prominence as the best for- 
 age plant for swine ; but is compelled now to take 
 second place as it is preceded by alfalfa. Pas- 
 ture plant growth has been the surest method of 
 cheapening hog feed during the growing season and 
 it is but recentl}' that alfalfa and clover hay cut 
 at the proper time and cured properly have been 
 found to produce as beneficial results in the winter 
 season as the grasses during the growing season. 
 The cured hay shows the following digestible nutri- 
 ents in 100 lbs.; Alfalfa, 11.7 lbs. of protein, 40 lbs. 
 carbohydrates and 1 lb. of fat. This is one-third 
 more than clover in protein and a little more of 
 carbohydrates and a little less fat and it places 
 alfalfa hay almost the equal of wheat bran. 
 
 Alfalfa can be used as a pasture in the growing 
 season for the sow and young pigs or the older 
 pigs and is one of the cheapest feeds that can be 
 supplied. As a sow feed during the winter season, 
 fed either as hay or run through a feed cutter and 
 then cooked, or ground by a mill into meal and 
 fed in a slop, it is unequalled. It is one ingredient 
 of the brood sow's ration that has proved of great 
 value in keeping the sow in just the right con- 
 dition of maintenance, and growing and develop- 
 ing the unfarrowed litter for the healthiest, strong- 
 est constitutioned pigs when farrowed. They are 
 frequently reported as appearing a week old when 
 farrowed compared with those that are fed a corn 
 diet, and they continue this growth after farrow- 
 ing when the sow is supplied with alfalfa feed right 
 along. This makes alfalfa one of the most desira- 
 ble feeds for the brood sow's maintenance and best 
 growth of a litter that can be used. It is the bal- 
 ancer with a small grain ration that makes a cheap 
 feed as well as a good feed which is the desirable 
 point to make. 
 
 Of course, where alfalfa is not to be had, though 
 many buy it in the bale or in the meal for feed, 
 clover hay will take its place though not of equal 
 value. It is good and can be used to good advan- 
 tage in cheapening the grain ration. 
 
 Alfalfa is of inestimable value to the farmers of 
 the corn belt, as well as of other portions of the 
 United States and is growing and spreading over 
 the country, as these facts become known and real- 
 ized by the progressive farmers of our country. 
 
 It was proven by the trials of matured sows 
 thin in flesh, that they would gain a half pound daily 
 on alfalfa pasture without any grain. A well set 
 vigorous field of alfalfa pasture will carry 15 to 25 
 pigs per acre. The number should never be large 
 
 13 
 
enough to pasture it down close, but should per- 
 mit it to be of sufficient growth that the hay could 
 be cut at intervals, so that the plant may be rejuve- 
 nated thereby. 
 
 It was shown by the Kansas Experiment Station 
 that rape and alfalfa produced 100 pounds of gain 
 with practically the same grain allowance, and 
 either feed when combined with grain gave better 
 results than grain alone. One acre of alfalfa 
 proved equal to two acres of rape. 
 
 Nebraska Station found that after sows weaned 
 their pigs, they weighing 260 pounds and fed 8^ 
 pounds of shelled corn each daily and grazing on 
 alfalfa pasture, made 8 per cent larger gain than 
 others fed 11 pounds of shelled corn daily in dry 
 lots. A saving of 43 per cent in the amount of 
 grain for 100 pounds of gain, due to the alfalfa 
 pasture. 
 
 A bunch of JVisconsin brood sonvs 
 eating alfalfa hay 
 
 Through the courtesy of the Wisconsin Agricul- 
 tural University we publish this illustration from a 
 photograph taken by them. Alfalfa is truly named 
 by Prof. Moore of the Wisconsin University as the 
 "Queen of Forage Plants." He states, "No other 
 forage combines so many essentials of merit as 
 alfalfa. No forage plant is more readily relished 
 by farm animals, or exercises a more beneficial 
 effect on the soil. Twenty-five thousand acres 
 are now grown in the state of Wisconsin where 
 twenty years ago it was almost an unknown plant." 
 Ex-Governor Hoard of Hoard's Dairyman, was one 
 of the first men to recognize the great importance 
 of alfalfa as a forage plant for Wisconsin. 
 
 14 
 
Brood sows are wintered on third cutting of al- 
 falfa hay, with a little skimmed milk, and no grain 
 at all, until about two weeks before farrowing. 
 Sows so maintained keep in good fllesh, bear fine 
 litters of strong, healthy pigs, and give an abundance 
 of milk. The pigs are uniform, large, healthy, 
 strong constitutioned and heavy boned ; as one 
 breeder expressed it, they seemed to be ten days 
 old at farrowing time, from sows that received 
 this sort of feed. 
 
 There is a difference in hay. It should be cut at 
 a time when the leaves are supplied with the best 
 strength of the plant before it has gone into the 
 stems or seed. 
 
 Danger Signals 
 
 Constipation is one of the dangers that always 
 threatens the herd and should be looked out for. 
 Especially in the winter time when the feed is dry 
 there is an inclination to become constipated. It 
 does not take a costive animal long to get out of 
 condition all over and ready to take on any disease 
 around. It is the start that leads to so many 
 troubles of the sow or pigs that it should be care- 
 fully prevented. A little oil cake meal in the feed 
 or if necessary, a dose of salts should be given to 
 start them up if they have become constipated, but 
 prevention is better than a cure. 
 
 Where the alfalfa or clover hay is cut and cooked 
 or soaked in hot water it usually furnishes a pre- 
 ventive, just as the succulent grasses do in the 
 growing season. 
 
 Tankage or any oily matter is an aid to preven- 
 tion. If you can't get oil cake meal, you can usu- 
 ally get linseed oil, as a little of this in the feed 
 will start up the bowels. 
 
 Phosphate of lime is an essential feed very much 
 needed by the brood sow carrying a litter or growing 
 her pigs for bone building. We frequently have 
 complaints of a sow farrowing a litter deficient in 
 bone, not having had material enough in her feed 
 to construct the bone for the growing pigs which 
 then are virtually worthless. This can be supplied 
 the sow in wood ashes, burned cobs, charcoal or 
 bone meal or bran in the feed is an excellent bone 
 builder. Consult the tables and use one of the 
 articles of feed that gives them plenty of bone 
 making material in ash and thus save the sow, 
 improve the litter and prevent paralysis of the hind 
 parts so often aflfecting the sow. 
 
 15 
 
Compel exercise of the sow while she is in farrow. 
 She should, every day when the weather permits, 
 be out in the field where she can roam around, pick 
 up feed of some kind and get the necessary exer- 
 cise for herself and her growing pigs. It makes 
 strong, healthy pigs to keep the sow in this condi- 
 tion by plenty of exercise. 
 
 Alfalfa or clover hay in the winter season fed to 
 the brood sow is almost invaluable. Of course it is 
 accompanied by a small grain ration but little corn 
 should be given to the brood sow. We have had 
 breeders and successful feeders inform us that 
 when they first discovered that sows were fed on 
 alfalfa hay alone, they could not believe the reports 
 of the herdsman that they had received but little 
 feed outside of this hay. The pigs were so much 
 larger and growthier, with such strong constitutions 
 that they imagined it was some secret plan of feed- 
 ing that had been adopted. Through their curiosity 
 and desire to become posted spied on the feeder 
 and proved it true and adopted it with the same 
 success themselves. 
 
 Feed no rye either whole grain or ground to the 
 brood sow carrying a litter for fear of her getting 
 ergot, which is so prevalent in rye grain, more so 
 than any other as it is sure to produce abortion. 
 
 Be careful about forcing the flow of milk with 
 the sow too soon before the little pigs are able 
 to take care of it all. If the sow has too large a 
 flow of milk and it is left in the udder it is liable 
 to congest and cake and serious consequences re- 
 sult, both to the sow and the pigs. Read carefully 
 the instructions herein of the breeders. For the 
 first two or three days the sow needs but very little 
 feed, bran in water the first day only. 
 
 If abortion that is contagious should get among 
 the sows, they should be thoroughly disinfected and 
 if at any time a sow aborts, the pigs and cleaning 
 should all be carefully taken away as well as the 
 sow from the balance of the herd and then thor- 
 oughly disinfect the ground, flooring, bedding and 
 the pens as well as the animals themselves to pre- 
 vent the germ infecting the others. 
 
 The sow that is inclined or has the unnatural 
 desire to eat her pigs shows that she is out of 
 condition, that there is a craving demand for this — 
 that something has not been supplied that should 
 have been. This is overcome by keeping the bowels 
 free and furnishing cracklings or bone meal or 
 tankage during pregnancy as a portion of the feed. 
 If the desire is there, the only way to protect the 
 
 16 
 
pigs is to take them and with a woolen flannel 
 dipped in kerosene, rub it over the hair of the pigs 
 without getting it on the skin and this usually pre- 
 vents her from eating the pigs. 
 
 Any sudden change of feed given the brood sow, 
 suckling a litter, is liable to produce trouble with 
 pigs; scours are often started this way. Make 
 all changes gradually. 
 
 Spoiled canned fruit given the sow is almost sure 
 to be followed with diarrhea in the pigs and quick 
 death if not checked. 
 
 Meat Brine. — Salt in moderate quantities pro- 
 motes digestion and the general health of the ani- 
 mal ; but in too large quantities it deranges the 
 stomach and bowels, causing the formation of gas 
 in the stomach and bowels, diarrhea, vertigo, con- 
 vulsions and paralysis and death in from 8 to 24 
 hours. The mucous membrane of the stomach and 
 bowels are found after death highly infected and 
 inflamed, and in some cases the brain is congested. 
 
 If a pig should get too much brine or salt in 
 any form, it is best to give it an emetic. A table- 
 spoonful of mustard stirred up in a half pint of 
 warm water will answer the purpose. Then give 
 two grains of opium in a little sweet oil or melted 
 lard every two hours to relieve pain. If the animal 
 is thirsty give it water in which has been put 
 barley, slippery elm bark or gum arable. This will 
 assist in relieving the pain and inflammation. If 
 there is severe diarrhea, add five grains of acetate 
 of lead to the opium. In paralysis give one tea- 
 spoonful each of spirits of nitric ether and aromatic 
 spirits of ammonia in half a glass of cold water 
 every hour until better. If there should be consti- 
 pation give two ounces of castor oil. 
 
 Ofttimes the water from cooking or boiling 
 salted ham, pork or beef made into slop, has taken 
 off pigs ; and their owners were at a loss to account 
 for their sudden death which is from the same cause 
 as the meat brine. 
 
 Bloat is caused from turning hogs into fresh 
 clover for the first time, when the dew is on, 
 and especially when they are hungry; they gorge 
 themselves with the fresh clover or alfalfa. It 
 forms, a gas in the stomach that in a few hours is 
 fatal to the hogs. It is usually too late to supply 
 a remedy. If you find them suffering, they should 
 be run and made to jump over a bar or rail, so 
 that when they come down suddenly on their fore 
 feet, it expels the gas from their throats and re- 
 lieves them. The better plan is prevention. Turn 
 
 17 
 
your hogs into a clover field for the first time 
 when the dew is off and after they have been fed a 
 good feed at home of slop, so that they will eat 
 but little ; leave them in pasture but a few hours 
 the first day ; the second day this can be increased 
 to double the length of time ; the third day another 
 fourth added and on the fifth day they will be ac- 
 customed to it and will not have any further trouble 
 from the gas. 
 
 Cockleburs when they first start up in the spring 
 are relished by the pigs, liking the fresh plant ; but 
 it carries a poison with it that will kill them. Be- 
 sides when the seed bursts the sprouts lift up the old 
 hull, the pigs in biting off the plant take this hull 
 with it into their stomachs, and it forms into a hard 
 ball that is indigestible and impassable through the 
 bowels and causes quick death. It is necessary to 
 keep them off of fields where cockleburs grew the 
 previous year as they are sure to come up again. 
 
 Cottonseed meal is an excellent feed for cows to 
 produce milk and for fattening steers, but there is 
 some quality that chemists have not been able to 
 discover that makes it dangerous as a pig feed, 
 where it is continued for several weeks at a time. 
 Breeders and feeders throughout the country who 
 have feed cottonseed meal for periods, were mysti- 
 fied at sudden deaths of their animals. 
 
 In some parts of Texas and the south they have 
 found a plan of feeding it safely in swill, where it 
 is left to stand twenty-four hours before feeding. 
 They feed with safety in this manner and have done 
 so in some herds which established the truth that 
 it can be done. Northern feeders have not per- 
 sisted in the use of cottonseed meal since it was de- 
 termined injurious when fed in the ordinary way. 
 
 Changing Feed 
 
 Care should always be exercised in making a 
 change of feed, as a sudden change of feed oft- 
 times causes disorder of the bowels. It frequently 
 brings on scours or dysentery that causes a loss 
 of flesh and with the pigs suckling a sow, it is liable 
 to produce scours that are quickly fatal if a remedy 
 is not at once applied. 
 
 Therefore we say be careful in making a change. 
 It should be done gradually and not an abrupt 
 change at once. By only making a partial change, 
 increasing it each day, can it be accomplished with- 
 out bad results. Some breeders make a practice of 
 using the kitchen swill in feeding their sows. This 
 should not be done when the sow is suckling a 
 
 18 
 
litter, as there is too often canned fruits that are 
 spoiled, or decayed vegetables which if given to the 
 sow acts immediately upon the suckling litter and 
 causes a deranged stomach, frequently resulting in 
 scours or stomach troubles, which are either fatal 
 or damagiiig to the growing litter. 
 
 These sudden changes should be avoided and 
 likewise the kitchen swill should not go to the sow 
 that is raising a young litter. 
 
 Sows Disowning Pigs 
 
 At times the sow refuses to acknowledge her pigs. 
 This is generally caused by the sow being out of 
 condition. She has fever frequently caused by con- 
 stipation which puts her out of sorts with herself 
 and her litter. A well known breeder states his 
 plan as follows : "In regard to a young sow not 
 owning her pigs, I had a fine gilt that wholly re- 
 fused to acknowledge her pigs. It made her furious 
 to have them around. I took them away from her 
 as fast as they came and when she was through 
 let her rest an hour, then put the pigs to her. She 
 got up and danced around and would have killed all 
 the pigs in a short time. I took them away and 
 nailed a two-by-four scantling across the pen, 15 
 inches above the flooring, then with a cotton cord 
 tied one front and one hind leg to it and brought 
 her down on her side with her under legs tied. I 
 put the pigs to her and she then showed signs of 
 repentance. I kept her in this position most of the 
 time for 36 hours, then tried her without and she 
 behaved as nicely from that time on as any sow, 
 and the pigs were as nice as ev^r on the place. I 
 managed a similar case five years previous the same 
 way with the same success. B. L. Gosick, Iowa." 
 
 Comparison of Farm Animals 
 
 Comparing swine with other farm animals we 
 find the hog is favored. 
 
 The annual increase of the horse, cow and sheep 
 run from 60 to 100 per cent. 
 
 While the annual increase of the hog is from 
 500 to 1,000 per cent with a reasonable possibility of 
 2,000 per cent. 
 
 The sow brings forth her litter twice a year, 
 while the other farm animals bring their foals, 
 calves and lambs but once a year. This places the 
 sow far in advance in per cent of increase over all 
 other farm animals. 
 
 19 
 
Dr. Warrington in "Chemistry on the Farm," 
 states that of each 100 pounds of feed consumed, the 
 gains are : For cattle, 9 pounds ; sheep, 11 pounds, 
 and pigs, 23 pounds; or pigs make nearly two and a 
 half times as much gain from a given amount of 
 feed as cattle. This shows the great value of hogs, 
 on the farm for profit to the farmer and for this 
 reason the hog has been given the title of "rent 
 payer and mortgage lifter." 
 
 The hog can sell the farmer's corn, grain and 
 grass through his stomach at a better price than 
 any other animal on the farm. This makes the pig 
 a desirable farm animal, not only because of the 
 fact that he can convert more pounds of meat out 
 of a given quantity of feed, but because he can 
 be marketed quicker, than any other animal and as 
 quickly as a crop of grain. The live stock farmer, 
 therefore, builds up his farm instead of depriv- 
 ing it of its fertility by selling the produce off the 
 farm. 
 
 Money in Water 
 
 Water is a necessity for the health and growth 
 of the pig. It is the cheapest essential ingredient 
 that enters in building the growth or maintaining 
 the pig. At the same time it is an easy conveyor 
 of diseases if the water is impure, stagnant or 
 filthy. This shows the necessity of having pure 
 clean water for the benefit of the health of the 
 pigs. An unhealthy pig is a loss from the start 
 and everything should be done to prevent it from 
 becoming diseased through every channel. 
 
 A thirsty pig worrying for drink is a waste of 
 energy, strength and flesh. Therefore they should 
 be supplied with clean pure water all that they will 
 naturally drink. Water is an aid to digestion and 
 is helpful in every way, because of the large per 
 cent of water in the make-up of the body of the 
 animal. It helps the machine that transforms the 
 different ingredients of feed into the new form of 
 bone, muscle and blood. Water enters very large- 
 ly into the gain of the growing and fattening hogs 
 and since it is usually inexpensive compared with 
 other ingredients in the make-up of the ho^ it should 
 be supplied sufficient for all of its wants to increase 
 the profits. 
 
 Milk in Feed 
 
 The sow's milk is a natural balanced ration. It 
 contains double the solids of skimmed milk from the 
 cow and 5J^ times as much as is found in sepa- 
 rator milk. 
 
 20 
 
The mineral and bone-growing elements will be 
 one-fifth to one-sixth greater showing the neces- 
 sity of securing a full supply of this kind of feed. 
 
 The young sow must and does, when properly 
 fed, provide in her milk a larger amount of dry 
 matter for growth of her young than a dairy cow 
 three times her weight. This shows the benefits 
 for best results to extend the time of nursing to its 
 full limit of 10 to 12 weeks. All should know 
 therefore how and what to feed the sow in order to 
 maintain her vigor and produce the quality and 
 quantity of milk that will cause the greatest and 
 best growth of the pigs. 
 
 The milk of the sow is without exception the 
 richest of all farm animals. 
 
 In weaning pigs at the early age of 6 to 7 weeks 
 care should be taken in supplanting nature with 
 other animal milk, destitute of the elements above 
 mentioned. You should commence to add daily 
 for each pig about two ounces of finely ground 
 grain, middlings with some boiled flaxseed to sup- 
 plant the fat or oil cake meal, feeding them no 
 more than they will eat up clean and leave them 
 hungry for their next meal. It is best to feed 
 three or four times a day and this process should 
 be gradually adopted to introduce this feeding be- 
 fore weaning them, as abrupt or sudden changes 
 in feed are accompanied usually with bad results. 
 
 After pigs have been fully weaned, give mid- 
 dlings, ground grain and barley or oat meal at 
 rate of one pound to four pounds of milk and one 
 ounce of oil meal added per pig. 
 
 It should be remembered that separator skimmed 
 milk and buttermilk have only the water and casein 
 left, being void of fat which acts as a heater and 
 lubricator. 
 
 When deprived of these, and milk is fed exclu- 
 sively, as a rule constipation will ensue, which later 
 will be followed by piles, paralysis or some trouble. 
 
 Buttermilk should not be given in large quantities 
 to a sow that is nursing pigs. It may affect her 
 milk, causing it to curdle prematurely in the stom- 
 ach of the young pigs, causing their death. If fed 
 at all, the quantity should not exceed four pounds 
 to a barrel of swill. If buttermilk from the cream- 
 ery becomes an acid before it can be fed, better 
 avoid feeding it. A four months old pig will do bet- 
 ter and give best results if given four quarts of 
 milk in 2 or 3 rations daily with the addition of 
 the grain feed prescribed herein. 
 
 21 
 
Do not stufif growing pigs with too much milk 
 more than can be digested and assimilated as it 
 causes dyspepsia. 
 
 One of the good feeds or a large portion of the 
 ration for the sow that is carrying the litter, or 
 for the growing pigs, is alfalfa and clover meal pro- 
 duced by grinding the hay. This is a bone grower, 
 a filler and brings about most excellent results and 
 is relished by the pigs. The sows can be fed either 
 clover or alfalfa hay or hay run through a cutter 
 and heated in hot water mixed with a little rheal 
 feed. Ground oats is especially good as one of the 
 grains, or it can be ground in the Duplex mill to a 
 flour and fed in the mixture of milk or hot water to 
 the little pigs perhaps better than any other way 
 and is a most excellent feed as well as cheap. Read 
 the articles from the successful, practical breeders in 
 this book for further information on this line. 
 
 Partial Paralysis of the Hind Legs 
 
 This is a very common disease in sows, es- 
 pecially in fine bred pigs. 
 
 I have investigated this derangement and find 
 it is caused by a want of sufficient phosphate of 
 lime in the nerve system, especially the nerves sup- 
 plying the hind legs. It is a known fact that the 
 bones and nerves of pregnant animals are deficient 
 in phosphate of lime on account of the drain on 
 the system for phosphate to build up the foetus, and 
 also to nourish the young after they are born. There 
 seems to be more of a drain for phosphate on the 
 system of the sow than any other female animal. 
 The sow is more frequently afifected with partial 
 paralysis a few weeks after farrowing, although 
 the derangement may occur before farrowing. 
 
 To prevent this trouble, the sow should be fed on 
 ground oats, bran and oil meal, and as much milk 
 as possible, during pregnancy, and while suckling 
 young pigs. Should the trouble occur at either of 
 the above mentioned periods, the following treat- 
 ment should be begun as soon as the animal shows 
 the first symptoms of weakness in the hind legs, 
 or knuckling over at the fetlock joints. Of course, 
 cases can be cured even after the animal is down 
 and cannot get up. Give one tablespoonful of cod 
 liver oil, 15 grains phosphate of lime and three 
 drops of the fluid extract of nux vomica in a little 
 food as a dose twice a day. This treatment should 
 be continued for several weeks if needed. 
 
 Through experience it has been found that pigs 
 from a sow that has had an attack of partial 
 
 22 
 
paralysis are no more likely to be attacked by the 
 disease than pigs from a sow that has never had 
 the disease. 
 
 A sow that is afifected with partial paralysis does 
 not seem to suffer any pain, indicating that the 
 disease is a local one, and if the animal can be 
 fattened while in this condition the flesh would be 
 fit to be sold for pork.— D. Mcintosh, V. S., Cham- 
 paign, 111. 
 
 Selecting and Care of Sow 
 
 The following article is from Henry Dorr, Rem- 
 sen, Iowa, who is engaged in the breeding of big 
 bone, big litter, pure bred Poland Chinas under the 
 firm name of Henry Dorr & Sons. Mr. Dorr is 
 acknowledged by all who know him to be one of 
 the prominent, successful breeders and developers 
 of swine. His opinion and practice are recognized 
 as the road to success in the hog business, and all 
 are anxious to avail themselves of his knowledge. 
 We take pleasure in presenting from his own hand 
 the following: 
 
 A lot of Dorr's yearling soavs 
 
 "In selecting my brood sow I look for a good, uni- 
 form, growthy litter, where the dam is a good suck- 
 ler, a good feeder, and of a gentle disposition. 
 
 "I want her to have good length, an arched back, 
 good full hams, full around the heart, rather thin in 
 neck, broad head, indicating intelligence, a slightly 
 dished face, indicating early maturity. Ears should 
 be well set apart, medium in size, and not break too 
 close to head, so as to not cover the eyes. Her legs 
 should be well set apart, out on each corner, be 
 straight, showing a good strong heavy bone, pastern 
 very short, and toes close together. I always look 
 for ten or twelve well-developed teats, indicating 
 
 23 
 
both prolificness and the ability to properly nourish 
 a good litter. 
 
 "I always keep my eye on the gilts showing a good 
 appetite, as they are usually the fastest growers 
 and make the best brood sows. A sow nursing eight 
 to ten pigs must have a good appetite to furnish 
 plenty of milk for her litter. 
 
 "After my gilts are selected for breeding pur- 
 poses, they are let run on alfalfa or clover pasture, 
 with some light slop of ground oats and wheat, 
 with a little corn ; enough of this is fed to keep 
 them growing a good frame, but have them hungry 
 enough to be out in the pasture most of the time. 
 After harvest they have the run of the stubblefield, 
 and as soon as the pumpkins are ripe we feed them 
 all they want by just cracking them. 
 
 "About a month -before breeding we start feeding 
 them heavier and try to have them in pink of con- 
 dition when we start to breed. We make an effort 
 to breed them the second day in heat and allow 
 only one service. 
 
 "After service we keep the sow alone until out 
 of heat. We do not feed any slop through the 
 breeding season until most of the sows are safely 
 bred, when we gradually start on slop of ground 
 oats and wheat and cut alfalfa mixed thick. In 
 cold weather we feed some corn. Our aim is to 
 keep them in good growing condition and not fail 
 to give them exercise. We keep before them 
 all the time a mixture of 20 lbs. of ashes, 4 lbs. 
 of salt and 1 lb. of phosphate of lime. We try to 
 keep our sows gentle, as kindness goes a long way 
 with the brood sow. 
 
 "After winter sets in and snow is on the ground 
 we use the road-drag and make runs for them, 
 scatter corn fodder or sheaf oats along the run — 
 anything to keep them moving around, as exercise 
 keeps them healthy and assures a good strong lit- 
 ter. 
 
 "We learned, many years ago, that to get a good 
 strong litter of growthy pigs we must start to feed 
 them through their dam before born. 
 
 "If a brood sow is fed nothing but corn she will 
 become lazy and just move around enough to get her 
 feed, and then go back to the sleeping quarters. She 
 may look nice and sleek and pleasing to the eye, 
 but she will not bring those robust, strong pigs 
 that her sister will who had to hustle more for her 
 living. A few days before she is due to farrow she 
 is put in a pen by herself through the night, but 
 
 24 
 
in the daytime is let out for exercise. After she 
 makes her nest we make it a point to be around day 
 and night. If the weather is cold we fill a jug of 
 hot water wrapped in a gunny-sack. As soon as the 
 little fellows arrive we wipe them dry, mark them 
 and put them in a barrel, where they soon get 
 close to the warm jug; after all arrive we put them 
 with the sow and see that each one gets a good fill. 
 After this they are put back in the barrel again for 
 an hour, when they are put to the sow again. We 
 do this the first half day, or until the sow is all 
 through cleaning and lays quiet, then we let the 
 pigs with the sow, unless the sow shows much un- 
 easiness. We watch them closely, as we find many 
 a good pig can be saved by attention the first day. 
 "As a rule, we feed them nothing the first day, 
 but give them a warm drink of water with a few 
 handfuls of bran added, and a teaspoonful of soda. 
 Everyone must use judgment, as the condition of 
 the udder will soon tell you what to do. 
 
 "Never give cold water to a sow after farrowing. 
 If the litter nurses well and then sleep, let them 
 alone — they are putting on fat; but if they are un- 
 easy and keep tugging away at the sow and their 
 hair commences to stand up, look out, for there is 
 trouble ahead. We find the best feed for sows 
 the first week or ten days is whole oats and water 
 with the chill taken off. After that we gradually 
 work in a little thin slop, and have very little 
 trouble about scours with this feed. We keep a 
 sharp lookout for thumps, as that takes away many 
 a good pig. Each sow is turned out for a couple 
 of hours for exercise after the second day of far- 
 rowing. 
 
 "As soon as the pigs are strong enough to move 
 around we open the little holes leading to the alley 
 in the farrowing house. We save our newspapers 
 through the fall and winter, and every day after the 
 pigs are big enough to get around we unfold papers 
 and throw them in the alley. It is not long until 
 every pig is out in the alley tearing up the papers. 
 It will make you smile to lay on a couch and see 75 
 to 100 little porkers tearing up papers and fighting 
 among themselves ; it beats driving them with a 
 whip, and is the only cure for thumps without 
 work on the breeder's side. 
 
 "After pigs are three weeks old they will start 
 to eat — we do not encourage them to eat too soon, 
 as we found out that scours and a lot of little pig 
 ailments are due to the little fellows being started 
 out too early. While feeding them strong early, 
 they will look better and be bigger at a certain age 
 
 25 
 
than those going out in pasture, but the others will 
 be of stronger bone and bigger frame, expand their 
 stomachs on the clover and grasses, and when six 
 months old will be larger and show more ruggedness 
 than those crowded along too early. 
 
 "As a rule, we let our sows wean their pigs them- 
 selves, unless we want sows for fall breeding. By 
 the time pigs leave their mothers the sows dry up. 
 We shut the pigs up for twelve hours and then give 
 them three-fourths to one ounce of Santonin to 100 
 head of pigs. We feed these in medium thick slop, 
 have plenty of trough room, so each pig gets its 
 share. Feed this in the morning; at noon give each 
 pig one teaspoonful of epsom salts in slop. In 
 the evening we water them, but give no feed; the 
 next day we repeat the dose of Santonin, also the 
 salts. If your pigs have any worms you will notice 
 them the second or third day if you are up before 
 the chickens. 
 
 "After this operation they get the run of a large 
 pasture of alfalfa and red clover with ground oats 
 and wheat for slop, some dry oats for a change, 
 and also some corn. Enough of this feed is fed 
 to grow them good, but not enough to keep them 
 laying in the yard from one meal to the other. We 
 like to see our hogs after they are fed in the morn- 
 ing go out in pasture and stay there until the sun 
 gets too hot in the summer; then they start out 
 again by 4 p. m. and fill up on grass before evening 
 feed. 
 
 "They have the run to the charcoal, ashes and 
 salts. Crude oil is used for vermin if any show 
 up. Our yards and houses are kept clean and sani- 
 tary. Our aim is to raise 100 to 125 spring pigs 
 and 7.5 fall pigs. By following this system we never 
 have so many together and can keep them in better 
 health and thrift. By having a liking for the hog 
 business, giving close attention to the little details, 
 and using common sense and not trusting to luck 
 alone, we have been very successful in each year 
 raising a good, uniform, growthy lot of pure bred 
 Poland Chinas that the people all want." 
 
 My Way of Selecting the Brood Sow 
 
 We give you here the plan of Charles Marker in 
 selecting his sow, a very successful breeder of 
 Poland Chinas and at the present time in charge as 
 Chief Herdsman of the noted show winning herd 
 of J. E. Meharry, Tolono, 111., and he has won his 
 high rank as a breeder and herdsman by practical 
 work and in doing things. 
 
 26 
 
"In the selection of the brood sow, judgment, 
 whether good or bad, has a prominent place. 
 
 "My ideal brood sow is one that is a show sow, 
 as well as a business sow. By this, I mean a sow 
 that comes out of the show ring bearing her laurels 
 and also produces get that will rank equally with 
 the mother. 
 
 "If you will allow me, I will take Louise Harves- 
 ter as an example. She is a show sow and a brood 
 sow inasmuch as she won first at the state fairs this 
 fall, and she produced two grand champion sows. 
 She produced the grand champion sow at Iowa and 
 Illinois state fairs, litter sisters, sired by Banker's 
 Model. 
 
 "Louise Harvester is a very large sow — will weigh 
 over 600 lbs. — and is a show sow every inch of her, 
 and her daughter, Lady Willow, the champion at 
 Illinois state fair, 1912, is, I think, the best we 
 ever owned. 
 
 "My kind of a brood sow, to start with, has lots of 
 size, and shows plenty of ruggedness, good length 
 and a good high back, but not enough arch to make 
 the hind feet set under her; good heart girth, good 
 deep sides, just as wide on the belly as the back, 
 good wide chest, legs set well on each corner and 
 a good head and ear, but not too much of baby 
 face on her, for it doesn't look well on a large 
 sow. She should have a good coat of hair ; not 
 curly, and not necessary to have a satin coat, but 
 a good smooth coat. 
 
 "Always pick out a sow that is a good feeder. It 
 takes too long to get a mincer started, and their 
 pigs will be the same way. 
 
 "The brood sow should have plenty of range at 
 all times. Don't keep them too fat, but keep them 
 in a thrifty condition. We feed a slop made of 
 equal parts ground corn and oats and shorts or 
 middlings with a little tankage added in winter, but 
 omit the tankage when they have grass to run on. 
 
 "Don't baby the brood sow. Have a good warm 
 house for her to sleep in with plenty of dry bed- 
 ding, and let her get out and hustle and you will get 
 better results when she farrows. We always put 
 our sows to themselves ten days or two weeks be- 
 fore they farrow so they will get accustomed to 
 their pens before they farrow. 
 
 "Be kind to your sows at all times and stay with 
 them at farrowing time. 
 
 "In regard to breeding gilts, it depends on the 
 way they have been grown. If they have been 
 
 27 
 
grown good it won't hurt to breed them at ten 
 months old, but don't breed a little undersized gilt 
 at eight or nine months old. Some of the best 
 breeders don't breed a gilt till she is one year old, 
 which is a good method. 
 
 "It is needless to mention that a sow needs plenty 
 of fresh drinking water at all times. Keep lice and 
 nits off of her and free from worms." 
 
 Winter Temperature for Pigs 
 
 A number of hog raisers who have introduced artifi- 
 cial heat to warm up their farrowing pens have been at 
 a loss to know what temperature would be best to main- 
 tain for the benefit of the little pigs. 
 
 An experienced breeder who has been used to heated 
 houses, informs us that 60 is about the right heat to 
 maintain, that the little pigs will frisk and run about 
 playfully with this temperature, which prevents all 
 danger of thumps, as the pigs take the exercise as if 
 it was summer time and thus avoid the thumps. 
 
 If the house is kept too warm, it lessens the vigor 
 and weakens the pigs, causing them to be too much like 
 hot house plants. 
 
 Litter of six, allnvinners at Illinois State Fair, 1912, in pig 
 
 class oivned by Frank D. Winn, Randolph, Mo. 
 
 Individual Sow Houses 
 
 The advantages of a single or individual hog 
 house are their sanitary qualities, aiding in the 
 prevention or outbreak of epidemic and contagious 
 disease, an improvement over where all are housed 
 in one building. We present therefore a house that 
 is generally known as the "Lovejoy style," which 
 has been adopted quite generally by breeders. 
 
 "The above cut shows the end and side view of 
 the individual hog house; frame made of 2 by 4 pine, 
 which takes six pieces 2 by 4, sixteen feet long for 
 the frame. Then enough for the door and window 
 
 28 
 
casing. There should be a door at both ends of the 
 house and it should stand facing the south, so 
 the sun can shine in window. No window is needed 
 in opposite end. The matched flooring covering the 
 sides should be dry and well seasoned, so as not 
 to shrink and become open. Building paper should 
 be put on the inside of the frame then boarded 
 on the inside, making it double walled, thus giving 
 four-inch air space between inside and outside wall. 
 This makes a warm house in winter and much 
 cooler in summer. Building paper is also used be- 
 tween the boards on ends and even doors 
 are made the same, with paper between the 
 boards. It is much harder to describe how 
 to build one than it is to build it. We built 
 a number of them at once and did not figure just 
 how much lumber was in each. They cost me some 
 years ago $14 apiece, but would cost a little more 
 now, owing to the advance in price of lumber. We 
 had them made by a regular carpenter, doing a well 
 and neat job and are painted with two coats of 
 paint and each with a number on a white shield 
 in gable. 
 
 8 F£CT SOIJAPFE ■ 
 
 "The top is left two inches apart, as seen in the 
 illustrated view, and is covered by an inverted 
 trough, raised a little, which gives excellent ventila- 
 tion the whole length of the roof. 
 
 "To make the most complete farrowing pen pos- 
 sible you need only to take two pieces of 12-inch 
 boards eight feet long and nail on both sides on 
 the inside of the door, raising them about nine 
 inches up from the floor and running from one 
 door to the other, forming an alley eight feet long 
 and thirty inches wide for the sow to lie down in, 
 and the little pigs can come out under the boards 
 raised nine inches, as mentioned above, and can 
 have the run of the whole house, and the sow will 
 not lie on them. The sow should be put in this 
 
 29 
 
alley for three or four days before farrowing and let 
 out a little while each day for exercise and after 
 pigs are farrowed should be kept in for a few 
 da3's or until the pigs are old enough to take care 
 of themselves and not get overlaid. She can be 
 let out often enough to be freshly bedded. 
 
 "The little drawing shows as well as possible how 
 our individual houses are made. It is rather a hard 
 thing to describe so anyone will understand and 
 yet they are simple to make. 
 
 "I neglected to say that these houses when the 
 sow and litter of the weaned pigs are in them with 
 doors shut are almost frostproof even in a cold 
 climate, and should one have a sow to farrow in 
 very cold weather he could hang a lantern inside 
 high enough so the sow cannot get to it and he 
 will have as warm a place as he wants for a sow 
 to farrow. 
 
 "We allow about one acre of grass lot for each 
 house separated by a woven wire fence. We make 
 the sides of the house about nine feet, so they 
 won't look so squatty in appearance. But they can 
 be made out of 16-foot boards cut in two if de- 
 sired. 
 
 "Hoping this will be understood by your readers 
 and inquirers. A. J. Lovejoy, breeder of Berk- 
 shires, Roscoe, 111. 
 
 A Satisfactory Hog House 
 
 The following is a detailed description of the 
 hog house of J. O. James, Braddyville, la., a widely 
 known breeder of big type Poland Chinas, who is a 
 successful and experienced breeder, and whose hog 
 house a satisfactory one which others can take 
 advantage of. 
 
 It is made of good material and it shows that 
 good workmanship has been exercised. One of 
 the many good features is the hallway which gives 
 ample room for the pigs to take their proper exer- 
 cise. The windows are so arranged that the sun- 
 light shines in all day. Mr. James has kindly 
 given us full particulars about this structure. Fol- 
 lowing is what he says : 
 
 The size of the building is 24x42 ft., height 14 ft. 
 with a 3x2 drop, back side 6 ft. to eaves, front 
 side, 7 ft. Bill of lumber as follows: 1,000 ft. drop 
 siding, 1,100 ft. of roofing, sheeting, 300 ft. B. & M. 
 for doors, 775 ft. of shiplap for lining, 960 ft. of 
 rough lumber for floor and partitions, 9-2 M 
 shingles, 300 lin. ft. Ix4s, 2's corner boards and 
 
 30 
 
window frames, 28 barn sash, 10x14-4 ft. lin. ; 16 
 pieces 2x6, 18 ft. ; 24 pieces 2x6, 16 ft. ; 4 pieces 2x4, 
 12 ft. ; 22 pieces 2x4, 20 ft. ; 13 pieces 2x4, 10 ft. ; 31 
 pieces 2x4, 12 ft. ; 24 pieces 2x4, 18 ft. ; 8 pieces 
 4x4, 14 ft. ; 8 pieces 4x4, 10 ft. ; 1-2x8, 18 ft. ; 2-2x8, 
 12 ft. 
 
 The estimate cost, as building stands, is $475. 
 
 The first thing one should do in building a house 
 of this kind is to select a place where the ground 
 is dry and drains well, so they can have a lot that 
 will dry early in the spring. You can turn the 
 little pigs out then much earlier than if the house 
 were located where the ground was low and wet. 
 
 You should take a team and grade a place at 
 least ten feet wider and longer than that you ex- 
 pect to build the building, then put your founda- 
 tion on whatever kind you want to use and if the 
 foundation comes above a grade line fill it up with 
 sand and gravel or if this is not convenient fill it 
 in with dirt, then your floor will set right on the 
 ground and there will be no weather or wind to 
 get under the floor. The inside of the house is 
 arranged for 13 sows or can be used for 14 by 
 leaving out the feed bin; but it is very important 
 to have a place to keep the feed. The stalls are 
 6x8, ten partitions are made solid, 36 inches high 
 being made so that they can be set in or taken out 
 as one likes. The front of the pen is the same 
 height with a 2x4 nailed flat ways as seen in the 
 picture. This makes it much stronger and better. 
 
 About getting in and out of the pens, the doors 
 are made 24x32 and are made to slide up and down 
 with a bolt through the top. By having them made 
 this way they can be raised so as to allow the little 
 pigs to come out in the hallway whenever they 
 want to. The hallway is 8 feet wide. This is di- 
 vided into five stalls, the one in the center is for 
 the stove and the two at each end can be used 
 for sows in case of emergency. The partitions for 
 the hall are made of 1x4 boards and made in swing- 
 ing gates so they can be easily taken down. You 
 will find this 8 ft. hallway the most convenient part 
 of the house. 
 
 The inside of the house is lined with shiplap 
 and sawdust packed between it and the outside 
 wall. We first built the house with just a single 
 wall, but in severe cold weather we found that 
 of a morning that the wall and roof would be cov- 
 ered with a thick coat of frost; as this would melt 
 it would make the house very damp, so we decided 
 
 31 
 
to line it as above stated and found it a big im- 
 provement; as there is never any frost on the walls 
 now, no matter how cold the weather is, and it is 
 much easier to keep an even temperature than with 
 just a single wall. 
 
 Again speaking of the farrowing pens, we have 
 fenders on each side and back of the pens, set 
 about 8 inches from the floor, a 2x6 is plenty heavy 
 enough for this. Some think a pen 6x8 isn't large 
 enough for 700 and 800 pound sows. We have 
 few of those kind of sows and have had quite a lot 
 of experience with them farrowing in these sized 
 
 J. Ott Ja) 
 
 pens. I have also taken out one partition, 
 thus giving a sow a 12x8 ft. pen, and could 
 not see where there was anything gained by 
 so doing; as I have found that the worst damage 
 that these extra large sows do to their litters is in 
 getting up and down when they are farrowing and 
 for the first three to five days after farrowing by 
 stepping on the pigs. As many sows do not have 
 a flow of milk to satisfy the pigs for a day or 
 two, the pigs hang on to the teats when the sow 
 is up and in this way get stepped on. I have found 
 the best way to handle these extra large sows is 
 
 32 
 
to fix the pen so they can't turn around and step on 
 the pigs. This can be easily done by taking two 
 pieces of 2x4 about 26 or 28 inches and spike them 
 to the back wall 30 inches apart and also spike 
 two the same length and distance apart at the front 
 end of the pen, then nail two six inch fence boards 
 on each side, putting the bottom one about 10 
 inches from the floor, then nail a board across the 
 two bottom boards about 12 inches from the back 
 wall to keep her from backing up against the back 
 wall. The space gives a sow that will weigh 800 
 lbs. room enough to get up and down easily and 
 
 wg house 
 
 she can lay over flat on either side and she can not 
 flop down quick and catch the pigs, as these boards 
 on each side prevent her from doing this act. It 
 gives plenty of room on each side to get in and 
 clean out the pen and for the pigs to lay in per- 
 fect safety, as the old sow can not lay over on 
 them or get up and turn around and step on the 
 best pig she has and kill it. 
 
 I would be very glad to have you come and view 
 the hog house yourself, as we have found it to be 
 A number 1 in saving pigs. 
 33 
 
Selecting and Care of Brood Sow 
 
 The following article is from Williams Bros., Vil- 
 lisca, Iowa, breeders of big type Poland Chinas with 
 quality, who have made a marked success of their 
 business and whose advice, counsel and experience 
 must be valuable to every man raising hogs. 
 
 "One of the first things we consider in selecting 
 a brood sow is her breeding. 
 
 "To the breeder of pure bred hogs this means 
 pedigree and to the producer of hogs to supply 
 the pork market it means practically the same, for 
 every man engaged in rasing hogs should have 
 some system of marking his litters ; then by observ- 
 ing his brood sows carefully he can choose brood 
 sow material from sows that have made good, from 
 sows that have produced good sized litters and 
 then have been good careful mothers and good 
 sucklers. 
 
 "These are tendencies that are quite likely to be 
 transmitted to the daughters and they are qualities 
 that are absolutely essential if the sow is to prove 
 profitable in the farrowing pen. There is consid- 
 erable difference from the standpoint of profit, be- 
 tween the sow that raises eight or more pigs and one 
 that raises three or four. These are things that are 
 impossible to determine by looking at the sow, hence 
 the necessity of choosing good sows from good 
 litters and of having a system by which you may 
 know that you are getting them from the right 
 kind of a family. 
 
 "We imagine that the lack of a system of mark- 
 ing litters is largely responsible for many farmers 
 raising small litters of pigs. 
 
 "If a sow produces only three pigs the chances 
 are she will push them faster than the one raising 
 from seven to nine and they are still ahead when the 
 time comes for selecting the brood sows. Without 
 any system to go by, the man picks the best looking 
 ones and is quite likely to get them from small lit- 
 ters. In a few generations he has a strain of hogs 
 that don't produce more than half enough pigs. 
 If, on the other hand, they had picked their brood 
 sows from large litters they could fix this charac- 
 teristic as well. 
 
 "Another thing to consider is individuality and 
 this is as important, perhaps, as breeding. There are 
 a number of different qualities that go to make up 
 individuality. We first, unconsciously observe that 
 indefinable something which we will call charac- 
 ter. We say a sow has a broody or motherly look. 
 
 34 
 
This is in contrast to the sow that is irritable or 
 nervous. We determine these qualities largely by 
 observing her movements for a little time. 
 
 "The ideal brood sow should conform closely to 
 the type we are endeavoring to breed, for as "like 
 tends to produce like," we must have a sow that is 
 an easy feeder if we are to produce pigs that are 
 good feeders. We pick a sow that is broad between 
 the eyes, short face and a short neck. She must be 
 a good roomy sow, that is, one with plenty of 
 length and depth, with a good strong back, slightly 
 arched, good spring of rib, one that carries her width 
 evenly from end to end. We would seriously object 
 to a sow that is deficient in heart girth, as it in- 
 dicates a weakness of constitution and a lack of 
 heart and lung room. We can readily see the ne- 
 cessity of having plenty of room for the organs 
 of circulation and respiration when we consider that 
 the sow must breathe for these unborn young as 
 well as supply them with nourishment for their 
 growth through the blood. 
 
 "When it comes to feet and legs we are especially 
 particular. We want a sow with a good strong 
 bone, or, might we say, a heavy bone. However, 
 the number of inches of tape line it takes to go 
 around the hog's leg doesn't determine whether 
 the hog has a good bone or not. There is such a 
 thing as quality of bone. Consequently we demand 
 a sow with a good sized, clean, flinty bone. We 
 want our sow to have short, straight pasterns and 
 stand up straight on her feet. The kind of a pas- 
 tern and foot the hog has, has more to do with him 
 carrying his weight properly than the size of the 
 bone. When we can get a sow with a large bone of 
 the right quality and texture so much the better, but 
 the brood sow must be able to get out and carry her- 
 self around in good shape while carrying her litter, 
 as exercise is a ve.y important factor in her pro- 
 ducing good, strong litters. 
 
 "Now as we have been writing about the brood 
 sow and have confined our remarks to her alone 
 
 35 
 
we want to say we think the selection of the brood 
 sow almost as important as the selection of a sire. 
 Now we don't want to be thought of as not advo- 
 cating care in selecting a sire, but we don't think, as 
 we had a breeder remark to us not long since, that 
 the boar is nine-tenths of the herd. We immedi- 
 ately took issue with him, but remarked that we 
 were afraid it was true in some cases, but it should 
 not be. 
 
 "The care given the brood sow from the time 
 she is bred until she farrows, and the sow and 
 litter from then until weaning time, largely deter- 
 mines the profits derived from the hog business on 
 the farm. 
 
 "In order to get the best results from our sows we 
 begin to give them special care a month before 
 we want to breed them. 
 
 "The matter of fecundity in the sow is determined 
 first by heredity, which we consider in choosing the 
 brood sow, and in the second place by the care she 
 is given previous to being bred. The sow should be 
 in the very best condition at the time she is bred, 
 consequently about a month before breeding time 
 we increase the ration (which should be a well-bal- 
 anced ration) to the aged sow as well as the younger 
 stuff which should be kept growing all the time. 
 
 "In this way we bring them up to breeding time 
 gaining in flesh. We have demonstrated to our entire 
 satisfaction, that by following this plan we can get 
 larger litters than by not giving the sows any special 
 care before breeding. 
 
 "In our herd last year we had 36 sows farrow 
 366 pigs. These prolific qualities have been culti- 
 vated by giving attention to heredity and care pre- 
 vious to breeding. 
 
 "After the sow is bred until she farrows, she 
 should be given a ration rich in protein and bone 
 making material. The unborn pigs must receive all 
 the nourishment to make them grow through the 
 dam, and when we consider that the pig at the time 
 of birth is composed almost entirely of bone muscle 
 with very little fat, we can readily see the necessity 
 of feeding the sows a ration that will produce this 
 bone and muscle. We like part of this ration to 
 be quite bulky. 
 
 "Some of the feeds that might be used to supple- 
 ment the corn in the ration are bran, shorts, oats, 
 tankage, oil meal, alfalfa in various forms or bright 
 clover hay. 
 
 "The best feed we have ever used has been 
 chopped alfalfa hay in generous quantities mixed 
 
 36 
 
with the other feeds and after being wet good put 
 in their troughs. This feed is bulky, cooling and 
 keeps the sows in fine condition. They milk good 
 and don't scour the pigs as when fed lots of shorts 
 or other concentrated feeds, and being bulky the old 
 sow is full and goes to bed contented. 
 
 "The reason we dwell on alfalfa as a part of the 
 ration is because it is a bulky feed that is very 
 rich in protein, and where we can raise it on the 
 farm, as we believe we can, on almost any well- 
 drained corn land, we can thereby materially cheapen 
 the ration. 
 
 "Where one doesn't have alfalfa, second crop 
 clover or even first cutting of cut at the right time 
 and properly cured, may be used to take the place of 
 alfalfa in the brood sow's ration. Another thing 
 of prime importance is the matter of exercise. The 
 sow must be forced to take exercise every day if 
 she will not take it voluntarily. Aged sows espe- 
 cially, if well fed, are the most lazy animals on 
 the farm, hence the necessity of forcing them to 
 take exercise. One way of getting them to take 
 exercise is to feed part of their feed at least as 
 far from their sleeping quarters as possible. 
 
 "The sleeping quarters should be dry, roomy and 
 well bedded in order to prevent piling up in cold 
 weather. 
 
 "Of course, all breeders, and we take for granted, 
 all farmers, who are raising hogs in earnest, keep 
 a list of their sows and when they are bred, so they 
 know when the sow is due to farrow. 
 
 "About a week before the sow farrows we shut 
 her away in the pen where she will farrow her pigs. 
 Always take time then to get acquainted with the 
 sow. Get into the pen and handle her. She will 
 soon learn that you are her friend and mean no 
 harm. By the time she farrows her litter she will 
 be quite tame and easily cared for at that time. 
 After shutting her up we decrease the amount of 
 feed, shutting oflf altogether on corn and giving 
 a cooling bulky ration like bran or oats. It is very 
 necessary at this time to guard against constipation, 
 hence the value of this kind of ration. 
 
 "When the sow farrows we always have some one 
 there to look after her whether that time is mid- 
 night or noon. If the weather is cold, as soon as 
 the pigs come put them in a box, and if necessary 
 have some kind of artificial heat to keep them warm. 
 In any event, look after the pigs until the sow is 
 through farrowing, when they may be put with the 
 sow and allowed to nurse. When they have become 
 
 37 
 
thoroughly warm and well filled with milk their 
 chance of getting along is good. This period and a 
 few days following is the most critical time in the 
 care of the brood sow. 
 
 "Have her in good comfortable quarters with a 
 good, clean, dry bed. we say first, don't give her any- 
 thing to eat for twenty-four hours, but give her a 
 drink of good, clear water. Then begin by only 
 giving her a real small amount of feed, such as 
 shorts, ground oats or barley and chopped alfalfa. 
 We never give any corn before three days after far- 
 rowing, and sometimes not that soon and then very 
 small amounts. 
 
 "There are great numbers of pigs lost each year 
 from neglecting to feed the sow properly the first 
 week or ten days of the pigs' lives. Do not be in 
 a hurry to crowd these pigs, for they don't need as 
 much the first week of their lives as many imagine. 
 A little too much rich feed the first few days is 
 very apt to give the pigs the scours, and if so you 
 have given the pigs a setback that very many of them 
 never get over, so feed sparingly the first week or 
 ten days and increase it gradually as the litter be- 
 comes able to take more. 
 
 "It is a great drain on the sow to suckle a large 
 litter of pigs, hence the necessity of feeding plenty 
 of good, rich food, giving a ration that is conducive 
 to a large flow of milk. 
 
 "Right here we want to say that exercise is abso- 
 lutely essential for the litter especially ; of course 
 the pigs that are farrowed when it is warm take 
 care of themselves, while those that come in colder 
 weather must be forced to take exercise, or they 
 become fat and take the thumps from which there 
 is no cure, at least we have never found one that 
 was one-tenth part as good as prevention. 
 
 "We have had a number of men tell us that their 
 pigs just laying in the nest, fat and doing fine, as 
 they thought, just dropped off one at a time with 
 thumps; so give them exercise, whether they want 
 it or not, and avoid the thumps and this consequent 
 loss. 
 
 "Now as soon as these pigs get well started and 
 get to eating some out of the trough with the 
 mother, make a place for the pigs to go in where 
 the sows cannot, and put some feed there for the 
 pigs. They soon learn where it is and will be on 
 hand for it at feeding time. They thus supplement 
 the milk, and as they get ten to twelve weeks old 
 they can be weaned and go right along and never 
 miss the sow. 
 
 38 
 
"If the pigs are farrowed within a short space of 
 time they may be all handled together this way, 
 but if the farrowing season extends over a con- 
 siderable length of time they must be separated, for 
 "pigs is pigs," and the larger will rob the smaller 
 ones, and after all are weaned the big ones crowd 
 the smaller ones out so they cannot get their share 
 of feed and so do not make the gain they should. 
 
 "The more lots and pastures one can have in which 
 to keep the different ages and sizes, the more satis- 
 factory and profitable the hog raising will become. 
 
 "We have mentioned a few of the common mis- 
 takes and suggested remedies and just want to men- 
 tion one more thing, that we all have to contend 
 with more or less, and if to any extent it proves a 
 serious menace to the profitable production of pork 
 if not attended to at the right time, it is worms 
 in the pigs. All pigs seem to be affected more 
 or less, and we never know how badly they may 
 get, so, as with other things, the best thing is to 
 expect them and feed" something to prevent. There 
 are a number of worm remedies on the market, 
 and each endorsed by successful swine raisers, so 
 it is left to you to choose which one you will use ; 
 but use something and begin in time, before you 
 wean the pigs, and whatever one you use follow the 
 directions for feeding and you may save yourself 
 a lot of grief. 
 
 "So just keep the pig thrifty, free from all these 
 parasites, and keep him growing all the time, and 
 do it every year and your hog business will be a 
 paying one." 
 
 Selection and Care of Brood Sow 
 
 The ability and success of Lloyd Mugg, Kokomo, 
 Ind., as a hog man of national reputation is well 
 known, having spent nearly half a century as a 
 breeder, showman and judge, and placing the rib- 
 bons at some of the most important state and 
 greatest fairs of the country. He is justly con- 
 sidered one of the Supreme Court judges of swine. 
 The benefit of his knowledge and experience in 
 selecting and caring for the brood sow is worth 
 good money to any breeder; even the best breeders 
 acknowledge that there are none of them who can- 
 not learn every year of their lives something of ad- 
 vantage from the experience and knowledge of 
 others. Here is Mugg's plan: 
 
 "I would select a young gilt or sow out of a 
 good brood sow and from a big litter. The gilt 
 should be of good color, coat and good growth. She 
 
 39 
 
should have a good, broad head and face, nice ears 
 of medium size, good neck and jowl, broad, straight 
 back and loin, medium in length of back, so as 
 not to swag down. I want good, deep hams and 
 shoulders, the hams well let down on hocks. A 
 good under loin, even, wide belly, and a good num- 
 ber of teats, not less than ten good ones or more. 
 Good, large chest, strong, stout bone, short legs, 
 short in joints, good feet and legs set well under 
 the body, straight and wide apart. 
 
 "This gilt should be taken good care of from 
 time of selection until matured and grown on good 
 feed. I use bran and shorts mixed about half and 
 half in water, slop or milk. I often use one-third 
 corn and two-thirds oats ground fine, fed in slop. 
 I feed a small amount of corn also. The gilt 
 should have a good run of blue grass or clover as 
 much as possible to give her plenty of exercise. 
 I keep this sow pig growing fast and in good flesh 
 until eight or nine months old, providing she was an 
 early spring gilt, she would be ready to breed to a 
 good boar about November 1st. I feed and care 
 for the sow in the same way as mentioned hereto- 
 fore. She should have a good, dry sleeping house, 
 kept clean and well disinfected. After breeding 
 her I would not let her run and sleep with too many 
 other sows or pile up with hogs. She must have 
 plenty of exercise through winter. Two weeks pre- 
 vious to farrowing I would put her by herself in a 
 good house in cold weather. I use a house where I 
 have a stove. This house is so it can be ventilated 
 or shut up if necessary. Adjoining the house I 
 have a lot so the sow can be let out to exercise. 
 Upon putting the sow into this house I stop feed- 
 ing her corn and feed her only slop stuff. 
 
 "When the sow farrows, I am with her to see 
 that the pigs are not chilled. I take the little pigs' 
 teeth off by the use of a small pair of nippers to 
 prevent their fighting over the teats and biting the 
 sow. This biting often causes the sow to jump 
 up and drop down on them, and there is danger of 
 injuring or killing a pig. 
 
 "I then leave the sow for eight or ten hours 
 and then I give her a drink of water with some 
 bran and shorts mixed thin. I also throw in the 
 remains kept from my butchering, in rendering the 
 lard, called cracklings. This keeps the sow's bowels 
 in good condition, and as the pigs get older I in- 
 crease in the feed of slop in quantity, making it 
 richer with the shorts, and when the pigs are ten 
 or fourteen days old I commence feeding the sow a 
 little corn twice a day, but not too heavy on corn. 
 
 40 
 
"When the pigs are old enough to go out with 
 the sow I let them run out, providing the weather 
 is fit. I want them to have the exercise. If the 
 weather is too bad I make them take exercise in 
 the house by getting in with them and running them 
 around while the sow is in the out lot. When the 
 pigs are a month old I begin feeding the little pigs 
 by themselves and I increase the feed for the sow 
 as I think she needs it and increase the feed to the 
 pigs. I use milk or kitchen slop to mix pigs' feed 
 when I have it. Also use shelled corn and crack- 
 lings when I can get them. They are good feed 
 for the sow and pigs. The sow and litter should 
 have plenty of exercise and be kept in good dry beds. 
 Disinfectants should always be used. When the lit- 
 ter is about three months old I wean them, as they 
 have learned to eat and will grow nicely from this 
 time on. If I want to keep the sow as a brood 
 sow I turn her out on pasture of good, green food, 
 with a small amount of ear corn. Then she will be 
 in good condition for breeding again. I have said 
 nothing about oil meal, condition powders, or alfalfa 
 meal, as I do not use them, I always want to use 
 what I grow on the farm so as to be able to sell 
 as cheap as possible to my customers and hold 
 my trade and give satisfaction." 
 
 Non-Breeding Sow Treatment 
 
 This remedy is one that has been used with un- 
 failing success for fifty years by a veteran breeder 
 who has the utmost faith in it. 
 
 A breeder will sometimes have a sow, that after 
 repeated trials fails to breed and if the sow is one 
 of extra value, this failure is quite a loss to him 
 and he is anxious for information of an easy way 
 to treat her to insure her to breed. 
 
 A sow thus affected is suffering from a disease, 
 which is sometimes called by breeders "Whites," 
 because of the discharge of this color from her. 
 His treatment for a sow in this condition is to use 
 "Hemp Seed." This can usually be secured at any 
 drug store, and this party has never failed in 50 
 years in getting a sow to breed that was treated 
 in this manner, and his reputation for success be- 
 came so well known on this treatment, that sows 
 have been sent to him that had failed to breed for 
 over two years, and inside of two months he has 
 them proven with pig and raise good litters. 
 
 The treatment is one-fourth of a pint of hemp 
 seed twice a day in the morning and evening, fed 
 in a slop made of bran and shorts. This can be 
 followed for a week or two weeks if necessary 
 until it proves a success. Sometimes it takes more 
 
 41 
 
than at other times, depending to some extent on 
 how long the sow has been in this diseased con- 
 dition. While this is a home remedy it is simple, 
 cheap and easily administered. 
 
 Treatment for Aborting Sows 
 
 I will give you some actual experience with sows 
 aborting. I had trouble of this kind in my herd 
 about two years ago, and experienced considerable 
 difficulty before it was completely eliminated. My 
 experience would indicate that all sows and gilts 
 that show the least indication of a light discharge 
 should be put in a lot by themselves and their pens 
 be kept thoroly disinfected ; then as fast as these 
 gilts or sows come in heat, treat them with an 
 iodine wash ; using two ounces of iodine to 2 quarts 
 of warm water. The sow should be put in a breed- 
 ing crate and a rubber tube syringe used, holding 
 the wash above the sow as far as the rubber hose 
 Avill permit, which is usually about three feet. Use 
 the largest size hard rubber tip that goes with the 
 syringe (a little vaseline should be used on the rub- 
 ber tip). The parts should be thoroly cleansed by 
 the iodine wash. Never treat the sow unless she 
 is in heat, and repeat the treatment the second time 
 in heat if the case is bad, and she shows any indi- 
 cation of the disease, or the parts show an un- 
 healthy inflamed condition. 
 
 Do not breed the sows for twenty-one days after 
 she has been treated, and then not, unless she is in 
 good condition. As soon as the sows have been 
 treated, place in a lot away from the other hogs 
 and keep the pen thoroughly disinfected. If any 
 are not completely cured after the second treatment 
 they should be taken from the herd. The disease 
 seems to be very difficult to control in a very large 
 herd, but not so difficult in a small herd, as you 
 know the disease is contagious. It was caused in 
 my herd by feeding smutty rye and had quite a 
 start before I was aware what was causing the 
 trouble ; the discharge was at first very slight, and 
 I experienced considerable trouble getting some of 
 the sows with pig. This condition gradually grew 
 worse, until it developed into abortion ; I then 
 started to treat the sows and reduce the herd and 
 soon had the herd entirely free from the disease. 
 Never treat a sow when she is with pig, as it wall 
 cause her to lose her pigs. If she show's symptoms 
 of the disease, put her by herself until she has her 
 pigs, then treat her the first time she comes in 
 heat. The treatment in no ways injures the sow 
 and once cured will stay cured. My sows that were 
 cured had large strong litters and I saw no bad 
 eflfects in the pigs ; the disease apparently being a 
 local one. — J. D. Collins. 
 
 42 
 
Easy Farrow 
 
 One of the breeder's duties is to prepare the sow 
 for an easy natural farrow. The sow that is con- 
 stipated at the time that she is due to farrow is 
 in bad condition and this should be prevented. Con- 
 stipation causes difficult farrowing and labor. It is 
 also the beginning of a fever that adds to the bur- 
 den of the sow and causes her milk to be harmful 
 to her coming litter. There is always every year 
 more or less trouble on some farms, especially with 
 young sows farrowing. The sows should always 
 have had sufficient exercise, daily if possible, from 
 breeding time up to farrowing time and received 
 feed of a laxative character, preventing constipa- 
 tion and just giving them free natural voidings. 
 Nothing is much better for a week before farrow- 
 ing at any time and especially if there is any show 
 of constipation to give them in their feed a double 
 handful of oil cake meal. Also to assist the sow 
 into the proper condition she should be fed some 
 cracklings as we have mentioned elsewhere. 
 
 In the event that the sow is in bad condition of 
 constipation she should be given a mild physic with 
 a good dose of Epsom salts, if she is not relieved 
 by the linseed oil cake ; care should be taken not to 
 produce scours and all changes of feed should be 
 gradual. It is presumed that the sow has had ac- 
 cess to wood ashes, charcoal and some lime and 
 if there is any show of weakness in the hindquar- 
 ters a little phosphate of lime is a help. 
 
 At the time she is due to farrow she should be 
 carefully watched and attended to, so that the pigs 
 can be taken care of as they come, dried and put 
 in a warm box in which a warm brick wrapped up 
 in gunnysacks will keep the pigs in a comfortable 
 condition until they are put to her to suck and get 
 their first nourishment. By doing this you will pro- 
 tect the pigs, save them and prevent the sow from 
 lying on them, by putting them back in the basket 
 after they have had their first fill. 
 
 Feed lightly for three days before the sow is due 
 to farrow and if she is in good condition there 
 should be no trouble to her in. farrowing. After 
 farrowing she should not be fed anything but 
 warm water, with a little bran, the first 24 hours 
 and but very light feed for three davs after far- 
 rowing so that the milk will not be forced, as the 
 pigs need but little and an over-supply left in the 
 udder causes fever and deranges the little pigs' 
 
 43 
 
stomachs, bringing on scours. This treatment will 
 usually give an cas}' farrow ; have had no trouble 
 with sows farrowing in five years by treating in 
 this way is the report of an Illinois breeder. 
 
 Brood Sow Pointers 
 
 Have your brood sows take daily exercise each 
 
 day, unless the weather is too stormy. It is a 
 
 necessity', next to feed, for the benefit of the 
 coming litter. 
 
 The brood sow does not need fattening feed, 
 but feed to build muscle and bone. She should be 
 in good flesh, strong and vigorous with only enough 
 corn given to keep up the heat in cold weather. 
 
 The brood sow should be fed a laxative feed to 
 keep the bowels in good condition. Oil cake meal 
 is one of the best aids for this purpose, a handful 
 for each sow in the slop will usually keep the bow- 
 els in good order. 
 
 Free access to a box of charcoal, lime, wood 
 ashes, all of which is moderately salted, will fur- 
 nish mineral matter, which is needed by the brood 
 sow for maintenance of the sow's bones and the 
 growing of the bones of the litters. 
 
 Be careful that your sows or pigs, in their sleep- 
 ing quarters, are not subject to cold air draughts 
 upon them, as colds are often taken this way and 
 sometimes runs into pneumonia. Ventilation is all 
 right and needed for health's support. 
 
 Do not feed jour brood sows after breeding them 
 any rye, either whole grain or ground, nor rye bran 
 or middlings. Rye carries more ergot than any 
 other grain. Ergot eaten by the sow is sure to pro- 
 duce abortion. This ergot is apparently a blighted 
 black hard substance growing on the head of the 
 rye. 
 
 Sows that have been bred for Spring litters every 
 season by some feeders in some section (but sel- 
 dom the second time) are injured, and the litter 
 virtually lost bj' abortion or weaklings if they carry 
 till farrowed, because of feeding a ration of too 
 high a percentage of protein, being an unbalanced 
 ration and causing more serious losses than from 
 too large a percent of carbohydrates. Take the 
 benefit of the other fellow's costly experience and 
 beware. 
 
 44 
 
Experience in Selecting and Handling 
 Brood Sow 
 
 Chas. E. Keller, Newark. Ohio, has won his laur- 
 els as an experienced, successful breeder and de- 
 veloper of swine and proved it with the goods. His 
 success at the World's Fair in St. Louis in capturing 
 the championship on sows, whose picture is given 
 herein, established his record as a famous breeder 
 and he has been making good ever since. 
 
 We are pleased to submit to the readers of this 
 book from his hand, his ideals, plans and methods 
 of selecting and caring for the brood sow. 
 
 "I will start this subject by selecting a gilt of 
 early spring farrow that has had good care and is 
 well developed. My first consideration in choosing 
 this gilt is to know she is from a prolific family, 
 but some times we get small litters from sows whose 
 dams have proven themselves prolific mothers, 
 which cannot be accounted for. These are excep- 
 tions. 
 
 "Experience has taught me that a sow selected 
 from such a litter is as prolific as the family se- 
 lected from. 
 
 "Next, the individuality of the sow is looked after. 
 She should be of ample size that would at mature 
 age weigh around 600 lbs. or over with good qual- 
 ity. The word quality as I have used it, pertains 
 to all of the different qualifications of the sow, 
 show quality, feeding quality and killing quality. 
 She must have good length, strong arched back with 
 a well sprung rib, deep sides with flank well dropped 
 and a straight under line. Her hams should be 
 deep and wide and should carry the width well 
 down ; the neck should be short with a full crest, 
 short nose and wide head, with face slightly dished, 
 a natural sized thin ear, breaking over one-third 
 to one-half from the points; set wide on head, 
 with points of ears standing as wide apart as pos- 
 sible. She should have a medium sized jowl and 
 a full wide chest with legs set well apart, with a 
 good sized bone of flinty quality. There should be 
 as much consideration for the quality of the bone 
 as for its size. The legs should be short and slight- 
 ly tapered with short pastern joints, straight in 
 hock joints as possible. Good strong straight feet, 
 standing up on toes. She should have a thin 
 straight, soft black coat of hair which denotes a 
 thin skin and mellow finish, with easy feeding qual- 
 ities and free from creases. Feet, tail and nose 
 should be slightly tipped with white, which is mere- 
 ly a condition of fancy. 
 
 45 
 
"This gilt should be bred to farrow the last of 
 March or first of April so she may pick a little green 
 grass which will stimulate the milk flow. The gilt 
 with her first litter never furnishes the nourishment 
 that is produced by the aged sow. 
 
 "After she is bred give her access to good range 
 that she may take plenty of exercise. A sow that 
 fails to be exercised is liable to become out of con- 
 dition and bring a weak puny litter. She should 
 have a dry, warm sleeping house kept in a sanitary 
 condition and furnished at all times with good bed- 
 ding so that they will not pile up during the ex- 
 tremely cold weather. 
 
 "Experience has taught me they should not be 
 crowded in their sleeping quarters, nor should too 
 many be permitted to sleep together during the cold 
 winter season. 
 
 "I feed my brood sows a limited amount of slop 
 composed of bran shorts and oil meal. I would ad- 
 vise slopping once a day and feed oats and corn 
 once a day. If you see the sow is taking on too 
 much flesh cut down the corn ration and feed more 
 oats. The feeder must use his own judgment in 
 this matter, the sow should be kept in strong flesh 
 but not to get fat, a sow in high flesh will farrow 
 a good strong litter but often fails to furnish the 
 proper amount of nourishment that the young re- 
 quire to make a thrifty and rapid growth. 
 
 About one week before time to farrow I take her 
 to the farrowing house which contains 6 pens 7x7 
 feet and a four foot aisle in center with a stove at 
 one end of the aisle. Each pen is protected with a 
 rail fender 2x4 placed 10 inches from the walls and 
 the same distance from the floor to prevent sow ly- 
 ing on pigs. Each farrowing pen is provided with a 
 lot for exercise. When the sow is taken in the 
 house I cut out the grain ration and just feed bran 
 slop with a little oil meal added. When the sow far- 
 rows I am with her, for some sows become nervous 
 and uneasy at such times. Constantly getting up and 
 down, rolling from one side to the other is likely to 
 kill a number of the pigs while farrowing. If it is 
 cold weather have a fire in the house to prevent the 
 pigs from piling. If the sow is uneasy place pigs 
 in a basket before the fire as fast as they come, if 
 she is quiet keep them in the nest and get them to 
 nursing as soon as possible. As soon as she is 
 through farrowing, I cut their tusk teeth ofif close to 
 the gums with a small pair of nippers which pre- 
 vents them biting the sow if they fight over the 
 teats. This biting causes the sow to become uneasy 
 and injure her pigs by getting up and down. Keep 
 
 46 
 
the sow quiet until she shows signs of wanting some- 
 thing, then offer her a drink of water which is usual- 
 ly from six to ten hours after farrowing. The 
 second day I give her a very thin bran slop with a 
 little oil meal. If her udder seems hard and caked 
 place in the slop one tablespoonful of Glaubers 
 Salts and one teaspoonful of Saltpeter once a day, 
 continue feeding bran slop and oil meal but sparing- 
 ly as long as there is fever in the udder. If the 
 feed is increased it will induce a greater flow of 
 milk than the little ones can consume and conse- 
 quently the udder becomes caked and the pigs starve 
 and die. After the first week I feed some whole 
 oats with the slop and when the pigs are four weeks 
 old I begin using shorts in the slop, two parts bran 
 and one part shorts, also some corn and a little less 
 oats. The amount they should be fed must be gov- 
 erned by size of sow and the amount of exercise 
 she is permitted to take. If she farrows in cold 
 weather and is confined to the farrowing house she 
 should be fed more sparingly than if she were roam- 
 ing over the fields. The most trouble with the little 
 pigs comes from indigestion through the mother. If 
 her digestion is all right there will be no scours in 
 the litter. 
 
 "If it is too cold to turn the little pigs out, I let 
 the sow out. for exercise and while out I clean and 
 disinfect the nest and add dry bedding. This prompts 
 the little pigs to take part in the work for they like 
 the plan after their nest is renovated. 
 
 "Some time a litter gets fat and lay in the nest, 
 when this is discovered, they are taken out several 
 times every day and placed in the aisle of the hog 
 house, which causes them to fret and worry trying 
 to get back to the sow, and in a short time they will 
 become active and exercise in their pens, otherwise 
 thumps will be the result. 
 
 "As soon as the pigs are inclined to eat, prepare a 
 place away from the sow to feed them. A nice 
 clean corn meal and a small quantity of oil meal 
 scalded with boiling water, and thinned with milk 
 direct from the cow is the best and cheapest feed I 
 can prepare for them. When older I feed them 
 some shelled corn. When ten weeks to three 
 months of age, I wean them and turn the young 
 sow on a good range of grass and feed her well all 
 summer, that she may make a good growth and be 
 in strong condition to breed for a litter. I never 
 allow a gilt to raise but one litter the first year. Do 
 not turn this young sow with old ones to chew her 
 ears off and whip her to death, for she will not 
 thrive under such treatment. 
 
 47 
 
"Miss Fairbanks was the first prize gilt and junior 
 reserved champion and one of the Lena Perfection 
 litter that won 8 prizes at the World's Fair St. Louis 
 in 1904. In her yearling form she was grand cham- 
 pion sow at Ohio State Fair and one month later she 
 
 Misj Fairbanks, 700 lb. brood soiv 
 
 was grand champion at the Illinois State Fair where 
 she met and defeated the grand champion of Iowa, 
 Missouri and Indiana. She now is in her 9th year 
 of age and last spring she farrowed 7 strong pigs 
 and looks to be good for several more years. 
 
 A Successful Breeder's Methods 
 
 The man who has made a success of his business, 
 is always entitled to the attention of his fellow men 
 engaged or interested in the same line. He is able 
 to give them advice and instruction of just how he 
 proceeded to reach success in his business. Anyone 
 searching for information to enable them to attain 
 success, can thus profit by the instruction they get 
 from him. 
 
 You will discover by investigation that a good por- 
 tion of the accomplishment of a herd of hogs is 
 caused by the skill of the feeder, no matter how ex- 
 cellent the hogs themselves are, the feeder's work 
 is an important part to their success. 
 
 Judged by results entitles R. M. Cassell, La Harpe, 
 111., a place in the front rank of the best feeders and 
 developers in the United States. We present below 
 from his own hand a statement of his ideals and 
 how to select them, and his method of handling, 
 feeding and caring for them. As a breeder of Big 
 Type Poland-Chinas, he has made a reputation 
 second to none. 
 
 "The boar is called half the herd; the sow there- 
 fore, must be the other half. In my experience the 
 results from dififerent sows have, of course, been 
 varied. The sow of my choice has not always been 
 
 48 
 
the best producer. There are sows of ideal propor- 
 tions, that are failures as breeders, in that they do 
 not reproduce true to their form. I have found a 
 safe rule to go by; that is, that LIKE PRODUCES 
 LIKE, more so in the hog family than in any other 
 stock. If we select our sows when young, paying 
 particular attention to size, quality and the size of 
 the litter she is from, we may be reasonably sure, 
 by properly feeding, to have a profitable brood sow. 
 "In selecting the future brood sow I try to get one 
 with great length, she must be wide from end to 
 end, the back well arched and above all avoid that 
 droop behind the shoulder, well sprung rib and the 
 head short and wide and a heavy jowl. The top and 
 bottom lines should be near the same distance apart 
 
 A 700 brood soiv in my herd 
 
 the entire length. I avoid the small boned gilt, also 
 the one with bad feet. I like the medium to small 
 drooping ear, but will stand for an ear a little too 
 large if the other points mentioned are all right. 
 It is needless to say that I avoid the swirl. 
 
 "The feeding I consider a very important part of 
 the brood sow problem. I like to keep the gilts up 
 in good flesh, that is, I keep them growing and 
 gaining from the time they are bred until farrow- 
 ing time; now I do not mean that the gilt should 
 be fat; there is a great difference between a gilt 
 that is in good growing condition and one that is 
 fat. A stunted animal, rarely attains the size that 
 one does that is carried along in good condition. 
 
 "I seldom breed the gilt to farrow before she is a 
 year old and two months later is better. After far- 
 rowing she is fed carefully, watching her litter all 
 the time and increasing her feed to keep her up in 
 flesh as a set back at this time is detrimental to the 
 
 49 
 
future brood sow. The young sow is kept separate 
 from the older sows, as she requires more feed to 
 keep up her condition and is usually allowed to wean 
 her litter herself. I rarely breed the young sow 
 for a fall litter as I usually have plenty of older 
 sows for that purpose. 
 
 "The gilt is given as much of a variety of feed as 
 the farm affords, she has clover hay, oats, some corn 
 and a slop made of shorts, ground oats and wheat 
 or rye and always a large field, preferably clover, to 
 run on. I consider oats one of the most valuable 
 feeds we have ; I have fine results using it in the 
 brood sow ration, it seems to balance up the feed 
 in a Satisfactory manner without the expense of 
 buying the much advertised foods. 
 
 How to Select Feed and Care for Sow 
 
 We give you the plan and method of handling the 
 sow and litter by Geo. W. Sefrit, Lucas, la., breeder 
 of Big Type Poland-Chinas who has made a great 
 success in the breeding business as results show. 
 These plans are from his worked out experience 
 thoroughly practical in every particular. 
 
 "In giving you my methods of handling the sow 
 and her litter I will start with the sow before breed- 
 ing. The sow should be from a good family, with 
 good disposition and a good suckler. If she is not 
 a good milker she will not raise good pigs, no dif- 
 ference how good an individual she is. She should 
 be a large roomy sow with a good bone, arched back 
 and straight wide lines, with a smooth coat. Here 
 is presented a picture of one of my best brood sows, 
 Nellie Price, bred by myself and has proved a won- 
 derful good brood sow. 
 
 "The sow should farrow a good sized litter ; but 
 am not particular about extreme large litters, such 
 as 12 to 14, my preference is for 8 or 10 as being 
 better. 
 
 "Don't get the sow in too high flesh before breed- 
 ing; but have her in good thrifty shape when bred; 
 then feed her so as to gain a little more flesh from 
 that time on ; but don't feed her much corn, feed 
 ground oats, bran, shorts and alfalfa. Be sure and 
 have her take plenty of exercise, this is a necessity 
 for best results. Always use a breeding crate when 
 using a large aged boar. The boar should be fed a 
 balanced ration consisting of corn, ground oats, 
 shorts and milk; but don't get him fat, keep him in 
 a pasture away from the other portion of the herd, 
 give him plenty of exercise and don't overlook the 
 fact that a good herd boar will pay to use always, 
 the extra cost will be a good investment. 
 
 "I take the sow away from the herd a week or ten 
 50 
 
days before farrowing time, place her in a small pas- 
 ture to herself with an individual farrowing house 
 where she will have things quiet and to herself. 
 Make the farrowing pen 7 feet wide and 9 feet long 
 Vf'ith a window in one end and a door at the other. 
 Have the door facing to the South, if she is a very 
 large aged sow have a door in both ends. The sow 
 can then go in at one end and out of the other and 
 will not be so apt to trample on the little pigs. If 
 the weather is cold, line the house with tar paper 
 and bank it up on the outside, so that no frost will 
 get in. If the weather is very severe hang a large 
 lantern inside or get a carriage foot warmer, either 
 one will keep the house in good shape almost any 
 kind of weather; but be sure and have some ventila- 
 tion. Just as soon as the weather is fit hang a can- 
 vas or gunny sack over the door nailing it at the 
 top of the door and let it hang loose at the bottom. 
 The sow can then go in and out at her pleasure. 
 
 "If the sow has been taken care of in the right 
 way, the pigs will be large and strong at farrowing 
 time. Always look after the sow when farrowing 
 and get the little fellows to sucking as soon as pos- 
 sible. If they get chilled take them to the fire and 
 warm them and get them to nursing as soon as you 
 get them warm. This is a good time to mark the 
 litter, also remove the little tusks and be sure and 
 do not pull them out, nor break them ; but cut them 
 square off. There are several instruments made for 
 this but none that suit me, so I got a pair of side 
 cutter pliers and sawed six jaws and have only the 
 side cutter left and they are just the right thing. 
 
 "I feed the sow lightly the first few days before 
 and after farrowing time, don't feed much corn, 
 feed ground oats and bran, as bran is one of the best 
 feeds there is for sows at farrowing time both be- 
 fore and after. If the sow is fed the proper ration 
 she will seldom eat her pigs, if she should show any 
 inclination to eat them, give her a little tankage and 
 then take a cloth saturated with kerosene and rub 
 over the pigs once a day and she will not be apt to 
 touch them. 
 
 "Keep the farrowing pen well cleaned out and dis- 
 infected, with good clean straw for bedding, get the 
 pigs to eating as soon as you can, feed them on 
 shorts and milk with some soaked shelled corn. 
 Keep the sow in an individual pasture until the pigs 
 are a month or six weeks old, they then can be' 
 taken to larger quarters. 
 
 "If the pigs should get the scours it is the fault of 
 the way you have taken care of the sow. The first 
 thing to do is to change feed of sow, feeding her on 
 bran for a day or two and perhaps a good dose of 
 
 51 
 
salts would be good, then one tablespoonful of 
 sulphur once a day for two days. Keep the pigs and 
 sows out of filth and mud and disinfect the pen ; 
 also keep some charcoal where the sow can have ac- 
 cess to it. 
 
 "I have a large hog house made for sows farrow- 
 ing, with hall four feet wide and pens 6x8 arranged 
 so that the windows will let the sunshine in both 
 rows of pens. Some breeders think this is a good 
 way to have sows farrow. I use both kinds but 
 prefer the individual pen for several reasons. I 
 think pigs are more subject to disease in keeping 
 many together and the sows do better when there is 
 nothing to bother them. When several sows are in 
 one hog house and one sow steps on a pig and the 
 pig squeals the rest of the sows in the hog house 
 will jump up and perhaps there will be other pigs 
 
 Anna Price 1st 700 lbs. Poland-China sonxj ivit/i quality, 
 a good suckler, alavays raises tivo litters a year. 
 
 stepped on. Tf some of the sows are farrowing it 
 is necessary to keep the hog house too warm for 
 the rest of them that have older pigs. 
 
 "If the pigs should get canker sore mouths, make a 
 little solution of corrosive sublimate, one table- 
 spoonful to a half pint of water, take a small syringe 
 and inject it into the small ulcers and be sure to get 
 to bottom of canker. Take a little probe and re- 
 move all foreign matter before injecting. Do this 
 once a day for three days and your pigs will be all 
 right; but the pigs will never have canker sores if 
 they have plenty of air and sunshine and are kept in 
 good clean quarters. 
 
 "I will also add that I raise but one litter of pigs a 
 year from a gilt; but after the first year I breed 
 them for two litters a year, and find that they do as 
 well, if the sow has proper care. With large sows 
 they get too fat if you only breed them for one 
 litter, and do not do as well as when they are bred 
 to raise two litters a year. 
 
 52 
 
AVERAGE VALUE FEED STUFFS. 
 
 NAME OF FEED 
 
 C!orn 
 
 Dent Corn 
 
 Flint Corn 
 
 Sweet Corn 
 
 Corn Meal 
 
 Corn-and-Cob Meal 
 
 Wheat 
 
 Wheat Bran 
 
 Wheat Middlings 
 
 Wheat Screenings 
 
 Red Dog Flour 
 
 Rye Middlings 
 
 Barley Feed 
 
 Oats 
 
 Ground Oats 
 
 Oat Meal 
 
 Buckwheat Feed 
 
 Rice 
 
 Rice Meal 
 
 Rice Bran 
 
 Rice HuUs 
 
 Canada Field Pea 
 
 Cowpea 
 
 Soybean 
 
 Kaffir Corn 
 
 Ground Kaffir Corn Heads 
 
 Sorghum Seed 
 
 Milo Maize Seed 
 
 Broom-corn Seed 
 
 MiUetSeed 
 
 Flax Seed 
 
 Linseed Meal, O. P 
 
 Cotton Seed 
 
 Cotton Seed Meal 
 
 Sunflower Seed 
 
 Peanut Kernels, without 
 
 hulls 
 
 Peanut Cake 
 
 Rape-seed Cake 
 
 Gluten Meal 
 
 Gluten Feed 
 
 Dried Brewers' Grains. . . 
 
 Bakery Refuse 
 
 Dried Beet Pulp 
 
 Sugar Beat Molasses 
 
 Cow's Milk 
 
 Skim Milk 
 
 Buttermilk 
 
 Whey 
 
 Digestible Nut- 
 rients in 100 lbs. 
 
 
 Lbs. 
 89.4 
 88.7 
 91.2 
 85.0 
 84.9 
 
 89.5 
 88.1 
 88.8 
 88.4 
 90.1 
 
 88.2 
 91.1 
 89.6 
 88.0 
 92.1 
 88.4 
 
 87.6 
 89.8 
 90.3 
 91.2 
 
 85.0 
 85.4 
 88.3 
 
 90.1 
 
 86.4 
 87.2 
 91.0 
 87.2 
 87.9 
 
 90.8 
 90.2 
 89.7 
 93.0 
 91.4 
 
 92.5 
 89.3 
 90.0 
 90.5 
 90.8 
 91.3 
 87.0 
 91.6 
 79.2 
 
 12.8 
 9.4 
 9.9 
 6.2 
 
 Crude 
 Protein 
 
 Lbs. 
 7.8 
 8.0 
 8.8 
 6.7 
 4.4 
 
 11.9 
 
 13.0 
 
 9.6 
 
 16.2 
 
 11.0 
 11.5 
 10.7 
 10.1 
 11.9 
 15.6 
 
 6.4 
 7.4 
 7.6 
 0.3 
 
 19.7 
 16.8 
 29.1 
 
 5.2 
 4.2 
 4.5 
 4.9 
 4.6 
 7.1 
 
 20.6 
 30.2 
 12.5 
 37.6 
 14.8 
 
 25.1 
 
 42.8 
 
 25.3 
 
 29.7 
 
 21.3 
 
 20.0 
 
 7.0 
 
 4.1 
 
 4.7 
 
 3.4 
 2.9 
 3.8 
 0.6 
 
 Carbo- 
 hy- 
 drates 
 
 Lbs. 
 66.8 
 66.2 
 63.7 
 64.3 
 60.0 
 
 67.5 
 42.0 
 45.7 
 48.2 
 57.0 
 
 52.9 
 60.3 
 50.3 
 52.5 
 65.1 
 38.2 
 
 79.2 
 48.3 
 38.8 
 19.9 
 
 49.3 
 54.9 
 23.3 
 
 44.3 
 42.4 
 61.1 
 
 44.8 
 42.2 
 48.5 
 
 17.1 
 32.0 
 30.0 
 21.4 
 29.7 
 
 13.7 
 20.4 
 23.7 
 42.5 
 52.8 
 32.3 
 55.5 
 64.9 
 54.1 
 
 4.8 
 5.3 
 3.9 
 5.0 
 
 Fat 
 
 Lbs. 
 4.3 
 4.3 
 7.0 
 3.5 
 2.9 
 
 1.5 
 2.5 
 4.5 
 1.9 
 3.4 
 
 2.6 
 2.9 
 3.8 
 3.7 
 6.7 
 4.4 
 
 0.4 
 
 11.9 
 
 7.3 
 
 0.1 
 
 0.4 
 
 1.1 
 
 14.6 
 
 1.4 
 1.2 
 2.8 
 1.3 
 1.5 
 2.5 
 
 29.0 
 6.9 
 
 17.3 
 9.6 
 
 18.2 
 
 35.6 
 7.2 
 7.6 
 6.1 
 2.9 
 6.0 
 4.8 
 
 3.7 
 0.3 
 1.0 
 0.2 
 
 53 
 
AVERAGE VALUE FEED STUFFS. 
 
 NAME OF FEED 
 
 Meat Scrap 
 
 Meat and Bone Meal .... 
 
 Dried Blood 
 
 Tankage 
 
 Fodder Corn with Ears . . 
 Corn Stover, Ears off . . . . 
 
 Timothy Hay 
 
 Kentucky Blue Grass. . . . 
 
 Bermuda Grass 
 
 Prairie Grass 
 
 Buffalo Grass 
 
 Red Clover 
 
 Alsike Clover 
 
 White Clover 
 
 Sweet Clover 
 
 Soybean Hay 
 
 Cowpea Hay 
 
 Alfalfa Western Hay . . . . 
 
 Alfalfa Eastern Hay 
 
 Peanut Vine Hay 
 
 Fresh Green Roughage 
 
 Fodder Corn 
 
 Sweet Corn without Ears. 
 
 Red Kaffir Corn 
 
 Sorghum Fodder 
 
 Yellow Milo Maize 
 
 Kentucky Blue Grass . . . . 
 Timothy 
 
 Wheat Forage 
 
 Rye Forage 
 
 Oat Forage 
 
 Barley Forage 
 
 Johnson Grass 
 
 Bermuda Grass 
 
 Hungarian Grass 
 
 Japanese Millet 
 
 Common Millet 
 
 Fresh Green Legumes 
 
 Red Clover 
 
 Mammoth Red Clover. . . 
 
 Alsike Clover 
 
 Sweet Clover 
 
 AKalfa 
 
 Spring Vetch 
 
 Cowpea 
 
 Soybean 
 
 Horse Bean 
 
 1=2 
 
 »-< a 
 
 Digestible Nut- 
 rients in 100 lbs. 
 
 Lbs. 
 89.3 
 94.0 
 91.5 
 93.0 
 
 57.8 
 59.5 
 86.8 
 86.0 
 92.9 
 90.8 
 85.0 
 
 84.7 
 90.3 
 90.3 
 92.1 
 
 88.2 
 89.5 
 93.2 
 93.6 
 92.4 
 
 20.7 
 20.0 
 18.4 
 20.6 
 16.8 
 
 34.9 
 38.4 
 
 22.7 
 23.4 
 25.0 
 21.0 
 
 25.0 
 28.3 
 28.9 
 25.0 
 20.0 
 
 29.2 
 20.0 
 25.2 
 20.0 
 
 28.2 
 15.0 
 16.4 
 24.9 
 15.8 
 
 Crude 
 Protein 
 
 Lbs. 
 66.2 
 36.7 
 60.8 
 50.1 
 
 2.5 
 1.4 
 2.8 
 4.4 
 6.4 
 3.0 
 3.0 
 
 7.1 
 
 8.4 
 
 11.5 
 
 11.9 
 
 10.6 
 
 5.8 
 
 11.1 
 
 11.7 
 
 6.7 
 
 1.0 
 0.7 
 0.8 
 0.6 
 1.1 
 
 2.8 
 1.5 
 
 1.7 
 2.1 
 2.6 
 1.9 
 
 0.8 
 
 3.6 
 1.9 
 1.8 
 3.1 
 2.3 
 
 Carbo- 
 
 hy- 
 drates 
 
 Lbs. 
 
 'sis 
 
 34.6 
 31.2 
 42.4 
 40.2 
 44.9 
 42.9 
 42.0 
 
 37.8 
 
 39 
 42, 
 36 
 
 40.9 
 39.3 
 39.1 
 40.9 
 42.2 
 
 11.9 
 11.6 
 
 9.7 
 11.6 
 
 9.3 
 
 19.7 
 19.9 
 
 12.0 
 14.1 
 11.0 
 10.4 
 
 13.7 
 13.4 
 15.9 
 13.6 
 11.0 
 
 14.9 
 
 9.1 
 
 11.4 
 
 8.4 
 
 12.1 
 6.6 
 8.7 
 
 11.0 
 7.3 
 
 54 
 
AVERAGE VALUE FEED STUFFS. 
 
 NAME OF FEED 
 
 Velvet Bean 
 
 Canada Field Pea, in bud 
 
 Barley and Vetch 
 
 Barley and Peas 
 
 Oats and Peas 
 
 Roots and Tubers: 
 
 Potato 
 
 Common Beet 
 
 Mangel 
 
 Sugar Beet 
 
 Fait Turnip 
 
 Carrot 
 
 Rutabaga 
 
 Artichoke 
 
 Sweet Potato 
 
 Cassava 
 
 Miscellaneous: 
 
 Acorns 
 
 Apples 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 Field Pumpkin 
 
 Garden Pumpkin 
 
 Purslane 
 
 
 Lbs. 
 17.8 
 15.0 
 20.0 
 20.0 
 20.3 
 
 20.9 
 11.5 
 
 9.1 
 13.5 
 
 9.9 
 
 11.4 
 11.4 
 20.5 
 28.9 
 34.0 
 
 44.7 
 22.2 
 10.0 
 
 9.1 
 19.2 
 
 9.0 
 
 Digestible Nut- 
 rients in 100 lbs. 
 
 Crude 
 Protein 
 
 Lbs. 
 2.7 
 2.6 
 2.1 
 2.1 
 1.8 
 
 1.1 
 1.2 
 1.0 
 1.3 
 0.9 
 
 0.8 
 1.0 
 1.3 
 0.8 
 0.8 
 
 2.1 
 0.8 
 2.3 
 1.0 
 1.4 
 2.0 
 
 Carbo- 
 
 hy- 
 drates 
 
 Lbs. 
 8.4 
 6.8 
 6.5 
 9.1 
 
 10.2 
 
 15.7 
 7.9 
 5.5 
 9.8 
 6.4 
 
 7.7 
 
 8.1 
 
 14.7 
 
 22.9 
 
 28.9 
 
 34.4 
 16.5 
 5.9 
 5.8 
 8.3 
 4.5 
 
 Fat 
 
 Lbs. 
 0.4 
 0.3 
 0.3 
 0.4 
 0.4 
 
 0.1 
 0.1 
 0.2 
 0.1 
 0.1 
 
 0.3 
 0.2 
 0.2 
 0.3 
 0.2 
 
 1.7 
 0.2 
 0.1 
 0.2 
 0.4 
 0.1 
 
 FEEDING STUFFS CONTAINING BONE BUILDER 
 
 NAME OF FEED 
 
 Ash 
 Per Cent. 
 
 Wheat Bran 
 
 Wheat Shorts and Bran 
 
 Barley Feed 
 
 Oat Feed 
 
 Rice Meal 
 
 Linseed Meal 
 
 Tankage 
 
 Fresh Bone 
 
 Raw Ground Bone 
 
 Red Clover Hay 
 
 Cowpea Hay 
 
 Alfalfa Hay 
 
 Peanut Vine 
 
 Soybean Hay 
 
 Dried Beet Pulp 
 
 Bakery Refuse 
 
 55 
 
 6.2 
 
 5.6 
 
 4.4 
 
 5.3 
 
 8.1 
 
 5.5 
 
 15.9 
 
 22.8 
 
 64.4 
 
 6.2 
 
 14.2 
 
 10.6 
 
 10.8 
 
 7.0 
 
 4.5 
 
 10.1 
 
Definition of Feed Terms 
 
 DRY MATTER— That portion of a feeding stuff 
 which remains after all the water or moisture has 
 been expelled by heat. 
 
 DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS— That portion of 
 the dry matter which can be digested by the animal 
 and does not pass off through the bowels as excre- 
 ment. Feeding stufif is of various degrees of digesti- 
 bility — regardless of the composition. So you should 
 keep this fact in mind, as the indigestible portion 
 is of no value in producing results. 
 
 PROTEIN— That part of the digestible nutrients 
 which goes to the formation of lean meat, ligaments, 
 bones, hair, skin and the casein (or curd) of milk. 
 It is generally believed, also, that protein may be, 
 and many times is, converted into the fat found in 
 milk. The basis of protein is nitrogen, hence the 
 protein elements are frequently termed the nitro- 
 genous parts of the food. They are also called 
 albuminoids. 
 
 CARBOHYDRATES— That part of the digestible 
 nutrients which is the primary source of sustaining 
 animal heat and furnishing the energy for keeping 
 the animal mechanism in operation. They are com- 
 posed of the woody fiber of the plant and grain, 
 and the starch, sugar, gums, etc., and in the pub- 
 lished tables of chemical analyses, are usually sub- 
 divided into the terms crude fiber, which is the least 
 digestible portion of feeding stuffs, and nitrogen-free 
 extract, so-called because it does not contain any 
 nitrogen. 
 
 ETHER EXTRACT— That portion of the digesti- 
 ble nutrients which may be dissolved out of the 
 food stuffs by ether. It is frequently called crude 
 fat. It can be used by the animal for maintaining 
 the body temperature, and for this purpose is from 
 2.2 to 2.5 times more efficacious than the carbo- 
 hydrates. It is maintained, by some, that the fat 
 in the milk comes, largely, from the crude fat in 
 the food, but it has been demonstrated that it is 
 not absolutely necessary for this purpose. 
 
 Sow's Loss of Teats 
 
 The sow that loses one or two of her teats by 
 failure to supply milk thru them by reason of 
 spoiled udder is an injury that decreases her value 
 for breeding purposes. Where you havs a very 
 valuable sow as a breeder, it is quite a serious loss, 
 if she has two or three dry teats. 
 
 . ,; 56 
 
The teat that is destroyed of its natural func- 
 tion of furnishing milk, most frequently occurs in 
 the following manner : 
 
 About farrowing time, by reason of too strong 
 feeding, the sow's udder accumulates too much 
 milk and the little pigs have more than they want 
 at this time, while but a few days old, the milk 
 thus remaining in the udder until it congests and 
 inflammation sets in with fever, the udder becomes 
 swollen, gathered and hard. 
 
 The fever is accompanied with constipation gen- 
 erally, which increases the trouble. Each teat is an 
 outlet for the milk of its separate section of the 
 udder and only this compartment of the udder is 
 reached by this individual teat. If not relieved of 
 this milk, it infects the cells of the udder and de- 
 stroys their usefulness thereafter and the teat be- 
 comes dry because of no supply of milk. 
 
 Also the loss may occur by a sow having ten or 
 twelve good teats to start with and only have a 
 small litter, then a portion of the teats are not 
 used by the suckling pigs, the milk in the udder 
 sometimes dries up without injury, yet there is oc- 
 casionally too much milk left, which forms a gath- 
 ering and inflammation thus spoiling the teat and 
 the loss of it permanently. Each pig usually has 
 his ov/n teat, which he regularly applies to for his 
 milk ration. 
 
 Prevention is alwaj^s easier and therefore better 
 than a cure. Cut down the feed ten days before 
 due to farrow and watch for any enlarged udder 
 before farrowing, feed lightly for ten days after 
 farrowing so as not to force milk production greater 
 than the pigs can use, after two weeks they can 
 usually take care of all the sow can furnish on full 
 feed. 
 
 If the udder, or any teat section of it, shows 
 signs of enlargement from too much milk before 
 farrowing or afterwards, it should be milked out 
 with the fingers. This is not easy and requires 
 patience and should be milked gently so as to keep 
 the sow quiet. She soon becomes aware that it 
 relieves her and seemingly invites it. 
 
 Placing hot water-soaked heavy bath towels that 
 retain the heat, over the udder, will be helpful. 
 Using water as hot as you can bear your hand in 
 for bathing it and gently knead the udder with the 
 hand, so as to decrease the hard matter and apply 
 turpentine and vaseline. If she has young pigs, 
 allow them to suckle so as to get all of the milk 
 out possible. You can use acetate of lead, half an 
 ounce ; tincture of arnica, two ounces ; water, one 
 quart. Bathe three times daily with hot water and 
 
 57 
 
apply the lotion after each bathing. Give from one 
 to two ounces of Epsom salts ; follow this by giv- 
 ing ten grains of nitrate of potassium in a little 
 water three times a day. If matter should form 
 when it breaks inject water into it to clean it out, 
 then inject carbolic acid, one dram; water half a 
 pint. Clean the parts out twice a day with a little 
 of this, if the parts become hard or caked, rub on 
 iodine one dram and vaseline, one ounce. Do this 
 twice a week until the part becomes soft or the 
 hardness disappears. 
 
 There are exceptional cases where sows have, at 
 time of farrow, one or more what are termed "blind 
 teats." These are small without any show of an 
 udder connected with them, while the balance of 
 the teats may be all right. It is claimed that a sow 
 inherits them. We have articles from other vet- 
 eran, successful, experienced breeders in this issue 
 on this line, which will be well for joung breeders 
 to study carefully and use their own intelligence in 
 applying to the cases that they may have to deal 
 with. 
 
 Proper Age to Breed Gilts 
 
 This question is asked quite frequently by young 
 breeders and sometimes by men who have been in 
 the business quite a while. Perhaps every breeder 
 has his opinion, but some of them do not always 
 carry out their belief. It has been well determined 
 that a gilt bred at about one year old or a little 
 later is more apt to do better and to raise larger 
 litters, especially without injury to her own growth 
 than if bred earlier. In an article in the December 
 issue of the Swineherd a big type breeder states that 
 he was of the opinion that breeding gilts too young 
 was very largely the cause of decreasing the size of 
 the litters, that he had never had any trouble in 
 having large litters with both medium and the big 
 type Poland-Chinas, but his gilts were always over 
 a year old before breeding them. We give you the 
 following from Ed. Klever, in reference to breeding 
 gilts, which should be of benefit to every breeder, 
 as he has had forty years of experience and is a 
 close observer of results : 
 
 "The above question has been referred to me for 
 answer by the editor, and I will say from my ex- 
 perience and observation of a good many years in the 
 breeding business that the proper age to breed 
 Poland-China gilts is when 11 or 12 months of age. 
 They certainly should not be bred before they are 
 this old for the best results of litter and the gilt. 
 Yet many breeders breed them at 9 to 10 months 
 
 58 
 
of age, but very few will justify or approve of too 
 early breeding. When bred at 9 to 10 months of 
 age they will farrow at a little over a year old. 
 Some of our very best brood sows have been bred 
 at 9 and 10 months. But when we breed them at 
 that age and raise spring litters of pigs we should 
 keep them in good, strong breeding flesh, and after 
 the litter is weaned we always continue to grow the 
 sow until time to breed her again in the fall. 
 
 "Don't turn a gilt out with a lot of old sows after 
 raising her first litter. She will fare badly and get 
 nothing but cuffs from the old sows when she ought 
 to be well cared for and thereby take on growth. 
 It is not necessary that she should be fattened, but 
 it is that she should be grown. It requires good 
 feeding to do this to keep her in good, strong, full, 
 smooth flesh. Then she will also be able to raise a 
 large litter and be at her best as a brood sow. 
 
 "Therefore, I conclude that for the best purposes, 
 taking into consideration the litter and gilt's indi- 
 vidual improvement, that she should be bred at 11 
 or 12 months old, generally speaking. This should 
 be the rule, and if the exception is made of younger 
 breeding, the very best care should be given to in- 
 sure success." 
 
 Feeding Pigs Just Farrowed 
 
 Frequently it occurs that for some reason little 
 pigs just farrowed are deprived of milk from the 
 mother, sometimes by her death, other times because 
 she has no milk to give them, without which they 
 would soon starve unless fed. 
 
 An easy way of feeding is to take a shallow tin 
 plate, pour fresh cow's milk a half inch deep ; the 
 little pigs will push their nose against the bottom 
 of the plate and suck up the milk. If it was a 
 couple of inches deep they could not breathe and 
 would soon choke up. It is the best plan of feeding 
 them with a shallow plate when so young. If you 
 have a sow that is just suckling pigs about the same 
 age you can sometimes put them to her as foster 
 mother. 
 
 Best Bone-Making Feed 
 
 Wheat bran, wheat feed (shorts and bran), oat 
 feed, including hulls, are leaders as bone builders. 
 Rice bran, rice meal, soy bean, linseed cake meal, 
 molasses beet pulp, dry blood, tankage, alfalfa hay 
 and clover hay are also good, while raw ground 
 bone or meat and bone meal are the two highest. 
 
 59 
 
Peanut vine without nuts is on a par with cowpea 
 and alfalfa. This will give parties an opportunity 
 of making selections to increase the bone-making 
 material and will show that for cheapness alfalfa 
 and clover hay or cowpea vine and peanut vine are 
 among the cheapest of the bone-making feeds. 
 
 The brood sow needs to grow a strong and healthy 
 litter. Protein and ash should therefore be promi- 
 nent factors in her feed ; young ones require a higher 
 proportion of this substance than old ones. A sole 
 corn diet lacks in protein and ash and for that 
 reason tends toward small litters and weak-boned 
 pigs. As before suggested one-half to two-thirds of 
 the ration may consist of alfalfa or other legume 
 hay. A ration found successful is one-half alfalfa 
 hay (third cutting), one-half grain made up of six 
 parts barley, three parts shorts and one part tankage. 
 
 The Feeder 
 
 The responsibility for the outcome of the pig crop 
 rests very largely with the feeder. The farmer or 
 breeder who buys a good sow bred to a great boar 
 and then neglects to give proper care and attention 
 to feeding and developing his pigs is wasting money. 
 Too many farmers have an idea that the hog must 
 rustle for himself; while we appreciate a good rustler 
 and hustler, it is necessary to guide and provide feed 
 to enable the best, greatest and most profitable de- 
 velopments. 
 
 To show you that it is a loss of good work and 
 money to buy choice stock and then virtually desert 
 it, is just the same as buying a good farm and then 
 neglecting it. The good, enterprising, thinking 
 farmer who is both progressive and aggressive not 
 only maintains his farm, but builds it up, increases 
 its ability to produce, making it more valuable and 
 more profitable all the time. This is in compliance 
 with nature's laws, progress, growth, improvement. 
 It takes work to do this, but when you put your 
 mind into it and your interests are served thereby, 
 work is really a pleasure. 
 
 To show the difference in treatment and feeding we 
 call attention to the photographic views of the two 
 pigs of the same litter, one fed by an aggressive, 
 progressive, ambitious boy, who had the seed of 
 enterprise planted in him by the suggestions of his 
 teacher, and who has shown his father the way to 
 do it. He has not done this with costly feeds, but 
 with plain, profitable feeds, and the result is so em- 
 phatic that no man can help realizing its value. 
 
 60 
 
This is a day of intense farming, and intense feed- 
 ing is a member of the family. The limits of im- 
 provement are the limits of your achievements. They 
 virtually have no limit if you have none. When we 
 look at vi^hat Edison has done by thought in his line, 
 and Burbank in his line, it shows that the young 
 farmer can have just as great a future as he chooses 
 to make. The man who does not give his pigs the 
 care and thus produce the development and the good 
 results should not be engaged in the breeding busi- 
 ness. He should be only too glad to accept the 
 superior results that others have obtained and fol- 
 low instead of lead. One of the necessary things to 
 start on the right road should be the brain. Get 
 it to working and thinking. The thinking farmer 
 will be the successful one. Of course it is necessary 
 to not only have fine spun theories, but keep the 
 mind going in a practical way, step by step, until 
 you have accomplished your dream of better things. 
 
 A half century ago the human race in the large 
 cities in many countries and even in our own coun- 
 try were subject to dreadful contagious diseases and 
 plagues, but today they are handled with sanitary 
 rules and requirements that have cut down the losses 
 to the minimum. Nothing shows this more com- 
 pletely than the city of Havana, a disease breeding, 
 infected city, where it was dangerous to life during 
 nine months of the year until the United States army 
 took possession of the city and made it a model of 
 cleanliness and as healthy as other cities, showing 
 the benefits of observing sanitary measures. 
 
 For the health of the hogs, sanitary rules must be 
 better observed. First, we must have strong con- 
 stitutioned hogs, which we can have by better feeding. 
 Next, we must have their houses and lots properly 
 cleansed and air slacked lime under the troughs, 
 around the corners and throughout them. They must 
 be supplied with pure water and clean feed, then 
 the condition of their bowels should be watched with 
 closeness, for constipation is the beginning of trou- 
 ble. Don't permit it. Give laxative food, good pas- 
 tures, careful feeding, and never make a sudden 
 radical change of food ; do it gradually and it will 
 be for best results for the health of your hogs. 
 
 It pays to take the best of care. This progressive 
 era in farming demands intense farming and feeding. 
 
 Revolution in Hog Feeding 
 
 The benefit derived from feeding brood sows al- 
 falfa or clover hay is the greatest evolution in hog 
 feeding that has occurred in many years. It must 
 
 61 
 
prove worth many thousands of dollars to the farm- 
 ers of the United States. 
 
 Those who are unacquainted with the advantages 
 realized by the brood sow and litter from feeding 
 two-thirds of the ration in alfalfa or clover hay, cut 
 at the right time to contain the best strength in the 
 leaves, are dumbfounded when they are shown the 
 results. It is almost impossible for them to believe 
 that such could be the case. 
 
 The sow does exceptionally well, while the im- 
 farrowed litter of pigs that are being developed are 
 of strong constitution, average large number to the 
 litter and are apparently a week to ten days old 
 when farrowed, compared with pigs from sows that 
 have had mostly a corn diet. 
 
 We believe that nothing in the feed line within 
 the last twenty years is as important as the discovery 
 of the value of alfalfa and clover hay as a feed for 
 brood sows. It opens a new era not only as to the 
 worth and the strength of the animals but the cheap- 
 ness of maintaining and feeding compared with a 
 concentrated corn feed. The methods of feeding 
 are given in this book. It may be fed when ground 
 into a meal and mi.xed with other feed, or run 
 through a cutter and wet with water, or as hay. 
 Hogs will soon learn to eat it out of the rack. It 
 gives added values to alfalfa and clover as hog feed. 
 Its importance is on a par with silage for cows. 
 
 Difficult Farrowing 
 
 If the sow has been kept in proper condition with 
 laxative food there should be no trouble in farrow- 
 ing. However, there are times when a case of dif- 
 ficult farrowing comes up from a sow that is out 
 of condition. At other times from a gilt, because 
 of her close build, rendering forceps necessary to 
 remove the litter. Then you want them badly. 
 
 Thousands of breeders in all parts of the country 
 have tested and used the "Barbers Pig and Lamb 
 Forceps" with the greatest of success. In many cases 
 they have been successful after trying six to nine 
 different kinds, and when the sow is in the last 
 agony, have secured a pair of Barbers and relieved 
 her. They are therefore recognized as superior 
 to all. They can always be had at $1.50 a pair 
 sent postage paid by addressing, American Swine- 
 herd, Chicago, 111. 
 
 62 
 
How to Grow an 800-lb. Sow 
 
 This matter of growing- an 800-lb. sow is a much 
 simpler affair today than it was five years ago. At 
 that time an 800-lb. sow was almost a novelty be- 
 cause a comparatively small number of Big Type 
 were being bred and grown. Now everyone has 
 them, no matter what stock they are from or what 
 they would really weigh on the scales. It's our 
 experience that they are much more rare than a 
 parson would think at first. But there is a lot of 
 them and they are not all in one place or one com- 
 munity either. 
 
 Now our experience has taught us to get a gilt 
 that will weig:h 800 lbs. at maturity, she must have 
 that kind of a mother and a sire that is really in the 
 1,000-pound scale class. Also, she must have a lot of 
 tiiem in the second, third and fourth or fifth crosses, 
 or as far back as you want to g^o. 
 
 Pick your gilt with a g^ood broad head and rather 
 heavy ear. Don't be particular that she has a heavy 
 full crest, but be sure she has a good strong back 
 with a fairly well sprung rib, but not so she looks 
 as broad as she is long. That kind can't get past 
 500 pounds no matter how hard they try. Get a 
 fairly low ham and a good, strong middle and heart 
 girth. Now give her plenty of length. Not good 
 length but exceptional length. And then put her up 
 in the air so high she looks a little stilty. You can 
 feed any of them to the ground, but you have to 
 breed them up into the air. Have a bone that is 
 considerably lieavier than looks pietty on that sized 
 gilt. Have a g^ood, strong pastern joint as short as 
 possible. But don't expect a half-inch pastern on a 
 14-inch leg. Have a good coat of hair just a little 
 coarse and if she has a few stray spots it won't 
 make her a bit smaller, although it won't make her 
 any larger, either. 
 
 Now take this gilt and put her with twenty-five 
 others if you want to. That kind don't need babying 
 or pampering or new milk. They will take care of 
 themselves. Give this gilt all the whole oats she 
 will eat at all times if you want the greatest 
 growth. Keep her on good pasture in the suminer 
 and feed alfalfa in some form in the winter if you 
 can. Make her slop ration of wheat middlings 8 
 parts, oat middlings 8 parts, tankage 1 part, and oil 
 meal 1 part. Give her corn if you are in a corn 
 country. What good would hogs be to our grain 
 belt farmer if they can't eat corn without hurting 
 them. But don't make her feed all corn. Don't 
 overfeed at any time and don't let lier stop growing, 
 but don't make her grow over one pound or a little 
 better each day. When this sow is twelve or thir- 
 teen months old she should farrow her first litter 
 and with proper care should raise two litters each 
 year and keep growing all the time. This means a 
 judicious and liberal cross of the feed basket. 
 
 So pick your gilt with good stretch and bone. 
 Give us that and a good back and good legs and 
 we'll make a hog- out of her. Feed her growing 
 rations without fattening. Give a dry warm place 
 to sleep in and g:ood pasture to exercise in and if 
 she has the stuff in her pedigree she will weigli 800 
 pounds at three years old, at least seventy-five 
 times out of one hundred. But remember, you can't 
 get big harvests if you plant inferior seed. And also 
 remember, the demand for good seed is always such 
 that it takes a nice little pile of money to get very 
 much of it. But it pays. Look at the sow and not 
 your pocketbook and your pocketbook will look 
 better in the future. When a breeder once sees an 
 800-pound sow he is never satisfied until he owns one. 
 
 63 
 
INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Alfalfa 12 
 
 Balanced Ration 10 
 
 Best Bone Making Feed 59 
 
 Bone Making Feed 10 
 
 Breeder's Method, by Cassell 48 
 
 Brood Sow, by Dorr 23 
 
 Brood Sow, by Keller 45 
 
 Brood Sow, by Marker 26 
 
 Brood Sow, by Mugg 39 
 
 Brood Sow, by Sef rit 50 
 
 Brood Sow, by Williams 34 
 
 Brood Sow Pointers 44 
 
 Brood Sow, the Mortgage Lifter 2 
 
 Brood Sows, Eating Alfalfa Hay 14 
 
 Changing Feed 18 
 
 Comparison of Farm Animals 19 
 
 Danger Signals 15 
 
 Definition of Feed Terms 56 
 
 Difficult Farrowing 62 
 
 Easy Farrow 43 
 
 Feed Value Tables 53, 54, 55 
 
 Feeder 60 
 
 Feeding Pigs Just Farrowed 59 
 
 Handling Sow After Breeding 7 
 
 Hog House, by James 30 
 
 Improvement in Hog Business 1 
 
 Individual Sow House, by Lovejo}- 28 
 
 Milk in Feed 20 
 
 Money in Water 20 
 
 Non-Breeding Sow Treatment 41 
 
 Overfeeding the Sow 9 
 
 Paralysis 22 
 
 Prolificacy 3 
 
 Proper Age to Breed Gilts, by Klever 58 
 
 Revolution in Hog Feeding , 62 
 
 Sows Disowning Pigs 19 
 
 Sow's Loss of Teats 56 
 
 Treatment for Aborting Sows 42 
 
 Winn's Show Pigs 28 
 
 Winter Temperature for Pigs 28 
 
 64 
 
Make More Money With Hogs 
 
 This largely involves the feed question, as feed 
 is the principal cost of producing pork. It is not 
 only what to feed, but how to feed, to enable the 
 feeder to get the most- out of hogs, in the quickest 
 time, at least cost. 
 
 It is a proven fact, two or more feeds, properly 
 combined, are better than any one of the same fed 
 singly. The general farmer, without knowing it, 
 wastes one-fourth of the feed given his hogs, 
 which is a total loss. This is where the balanced 
 ration comes to the relief of the wise feeder. It is 
 not what the pig eats, but what he digests and 
 assimilates, that makes the profits. 
 
 Expert feeding means success. It teaches you 
 how to cheapen the feed, how to get greater 
 growth and gain over the common way of feeding, 
 from the same feed given, and how to get more 
 pounds of pork from a bushel of corn. 
 
 The AMERICAN SWINEHERD is progressive 
 and aggressive. It instructs you in the wisdom 
 gathered by experience from the greatest experts 
 in their line, being successful, practical feeders, 
 managers and caretakers of the herd. It is a 
 specialist in producing pork from pighood to the 
 pork market. This is the era of advancement and 
 adoption of up-to-date, scientific methods in the 
 hog business. There is a new crop of experience 
 grown monthly. 
 
 The American Swineherd was founded 34 years 
 ago by the present editor. We have subscribers 
 who have taken the paper for over 25 years. 
 Hundreds of them on renewing say: "Do not let 
 us miss a copy." One party writes: "I found 
 information out of a single sample copy, that, put 
 to practice, saved me more than the cost of your 
 paper for 10 years." No matter how many papers 
 you take, you need the money making information 
 the Swineherd gives you. Another party writes: 
 "I believe the Swineherd the most valuable publi- 
 cation on our list, which includes 16 of the best, 
 dealing with all branches of stock raising, dairying 
 and farming." 
 
 SPECIAL OFFER: For $1.00 we will mail you 
 the American Swineherd for two years. This is 
 the cheapest expert help you can hire. It pays 
 and is economy to take advantage of the experi- 
 ence that brought the other fellow success. 
 
 We will also give you as a premium, a copy of 
 the "Hog Doctor," 68-page book of home remedies. 
 Address, 
 
 AMERICAN SWINEHERD 
 Old Colony Bldg. Chicago, Illinois. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 002 834 954 3