VOL. XXXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., AUG. 29, 1896.
NO. 35       1
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Economical Hog Feeding for Market.
lst Premium. Hogs fed through the
summer are the easiest made ready for
market The pigs should come in April,
so as to be turned onto the clover. Feed
sow and pigs on a slush food of ground
oats and corn and wheat bran, mixed
with water, or milk if you can spare it,
in the proportion of one-fourth bran one-
fourth corn and two-fourthsoats. To every
bushel of the dry mixed feed add a quart
of oil meal. This food produces lots of
milk in the sow, and bone and muscle in
the pigs. It also keeps the stomach enlarged so that it will hold large quantities
of the soaked corn meal on which I feed
them six to eight weeks before marketing. This corn meal should be ofthe
best quality. Mix it with water, just
enough to dampen it thoroughly, so that
it will shovel like wet sand. As soon as
one feed is dealt out the next feed should
be put to soak. Pure Poland Chinas fed
' in this wary twice a day will be marketable at the age of nine months, having
attained a weight of from 350 to 400
pounds. W. J. C.
Wayne Co. '     .
2d Premium. 1/ suppose, from the subject before us, that we are expected to tell
how to make the greatest number of
-t" po^oda of pork with tjle least expendi-
t tureoffeed and labor. I think all Indiana farmers will agree that the two great
economical hog foods for this section are
corn and clover. These must be rightly
combined and supplemented where possible with other foods as bran, middlings,
oil meal, etc. Although, pigs may be
raised at any time of year, in my opinion
spring pigs may be grown to a given
weight, more cheaply than any other. To
begin -with, then, we will have our pigs
come in the latter part of Jiarch or first
of April. Have each litter to itself. Feed
sow lightly for a few days after farrowing, afterwards with plenty of milk,
bran, shorts and perhaps a little corn.
Let the pigs eat -with the sow as soon as
they will. I do not believe in feeding
them separate and with better feed than
the sow gets, unless a large number are
kept together, which is in itself quite objectionable. If a sow is worth keeping
her pigs will get the benefit of all she
eats so she aannot be too well fed, if care
and intelligence are used. Both pigs and
sow must have exercise and plenty of sunshine from the start; and they should
have a good dry bed of clean straw, no
dust After a month or so, or as soon as
pasture gets good, they should be turned
in the clover field if you have one; if not
blue grass is good, and no place is much
better than a good woodland pasture.
They should be fed same as before,
though as they now have plenty of grass
less grain food is neccessary; but at all
times of the year I feed more or less slop
and mill feed. Bran and shorts are most
of the time relatively higher than corn,
but in consideration of the two facts that
they help make a balanced ration, also
, their greater palatability and healthfillness, they may be fed in moderation with
profit at all times, except perhaps for a
month before marketing. Plenty of good
water is essential at all times, preferably
from deep wells or springs. About the
middle of August begin feeding more
corn, and in another month change gradually to new corn, as it is more palatable
and more easily digested, although hardly
so nutritious. Increase feed until they
have all they will eat up clean. Never
let corn lay by them. You can now leave
off slop and give no drink but clean
water if so desired. Sell from Oct. 15th
to Nov. lst if market suits. Don't hold
early pigs mnch later than Nov. 10th.
Fed in this manner they will weigh 225 to
250 pounds per head and should make a
fair profit even at a low price. At other
times of the year other factors enter into
the question of feeding which must be
intelligently considered by every breeder.
To conclude I will say this: At all times
if we use judgment, if we mix brains
with our feed, we will be successful in
feeding hogs for market. J. G. W. B.
Economy.
3d Premium. As I have taken a great
interest in the experience department I
thought I would try my hand on No. 25.
Economical hog feeding for market It
has been truly said that a child's training
really begins before it is born—with the
mother; the same is true with pig feeding, as the markets demand small hogsi
Keep the brood sows in good healthy con.
dition, not over fat, bnt in good flesh, and
give them such feeds as will produce the
mo3t milk, for that is the pigs whole diet
the first few weeks of its existence. As
soon as the pigs are large enough to begin to eat, fix an enolosure where they
can go at will, but the sows cannot, and
begin feeding them crushed oats or wheat
and a little corn, well soaked; feed lightly
at first and gradually increase the ration
as the pigs grow; do not stuff them but
feed them liberally, so that their growth
will not check. If you.keep one cow for
the baby's sake, keep another one or two
for the pigs sake. If possible have a good
patch of clover for the pigs to graze on,
and keep-plenty of fresh, pure water in
the trpughs, aud keep the. feed yards ae,
clean as possible. As the pigs get large'r
and the frame is nearly complete, then
begin to increase the corn ration, as it is
the best fat producing grain we have.
In fact they can be "finished up" entirely
on corn alone. If grass cannot be had, a
little oil cake will be good for them,
mixed with their regular ration. This is
quite cheap, especially when bought in
large quantities. Claude Stoiim.
Boone Co.
I use mature brood sows; the- pigs are
stronger and grow faster. They are full-
blooded Poland Chinas or Duroc-Jerseys
and crosses; they fatten younger and on
less feed than scrubs. The pigs are farrowed in February and March, so that I
can feed in warm weather and on grass.
In warm weather it takes less feed to keep
up the heat of the body and grass will add
two pounds or more of weight to each
bushel of corn fed. From the time the
pigs are old enough to drink slop, I give
them ground wheat and milk or bran and
milk; this keeps the bowels in good order
and makes growth of bone and muscle. I
feed half as much soaked corn as they
will eat It is better than dry corn, and
cheaper than meal. They have all the
gait and charcoal they want, more of the
food is digested. When they will weigh
140 pounds I begin feeding all the soaked
corn they will eat, to finish the fattening.
When they will weigh 175 pounds I sell,
because then they bring the very best
price, and that is a part of economical hog
feeding. With corn at 30 cents per bushel,
bran $12 per ton and wheat at 50 cents per
bushel, I can produce pork in this way at
2 to 234 cents per ponnd.
Franklin Co. H. F. McMahan.
Many farmers have many notions
about hoe feeding for market. I prefer a
clover or rye field for pigs and hogs to
run on that. I am nearly ready to sell.
I begin feeding pigs by making a slop of
shorts, always cooking it. I feed my
hogs on a mush made from corn meal and
shorts or shipstuff, nntil I am ready to
take them oft of the pasture, which is
about three weeks before I am ready to
sell. Then give them mostly corn, with
some good rich slop. It makes the meat
nice and solid. Bye and barley ground
together, make a good feed for pigs when
they are small. For fattening hogs, oats
and corn ground together make a good
feed.  The oats makes lean streaks in the
meat When my hogs weigh about 150
or 200 pounds a piece I consider them
ready for market For my own use I do
not want them to weigh over 200 poundB.
I can get plenty of lard and the meat is
not so fat, as it is in larger hogs. Beets
and pumpkins make a good change for
hogs, and I know of nothing else that will
fatten hogs quicker nor cheaper. Hogs
will never fatten right after they have
been stalled. Ear corn is as good a feed
as I know of to finish the hogs ready for
market. A Farm eh.
Harrison Co.
pigs that have previously been well cared
for, feed all by-products at your command'
Feed in spring or till, give plenty of pasture range at first' Confine them tbe last
month, giving little exercise, and feed as
often as hogs will clean up.
W. B A.
Well, we have got him up to about 140
to 100. pounds, at six or seven months old.
Of course he has been brought up on bone
and muscle forming food largely. We
will put him in a grass field where there
is plenty of shade and pure water, with
salt, wood ashes and slacked lime accessible at all times. Now we will commence
to feed him corn, gradually Increasing to
two full feeds each day, feeding only so
much as he will clean up nicely. In
about 60 days we will have a hog weighing something like 250 pounds. We will
not feed any longer as lard and cotton
seed are too cheap, as they mix too well.
Feed ln warm weather if possible as wo
don't want to burn any corn to keep up
heat. S. S.
Hawkins.
My method of feeding hogs has been
gleaned from those paper-s of which the
Indiana FaIimku has not been the least
I presume the breeding carries the pig
through the suckling stage to weaning
time. If this has been properly done we
have a nice thrifty pig to start with. I
now begin or (if I have had charge of the
breeding) continue feeding bran and
shorts, with all of the spare milk that
the little fellows can nfSnage with the
run of the orchard. This plan of feeding
is continued until piggie's about four
months to four and one-half months old,
when the amount of bran is reduced and
corn or corn meal is added in increasing
quantity until piggie is a hog, at about
six months old, weighing 220 to 200
pounds; when he is sold to make room
for another lot of pigs to go through the
same process. I have never handled a
large lot of pigs at any one timo. My experience has been with from two to six
or eight, mostly bought of some neighbor
with a surplus.        Joe. W. Williams.
Fresh cows milk should tirst be used
for weaning purposes.   There may soon
be added to it middlings, bran or ground
wheat.   Meal, corn, is hardly to be  de.
sired.   It produces fat  rather than bone
and muscle.   During the summer season
there should   be  provided green   clover.
At other seasons   thoroughly well saved
cured   clover will do equally  well.   It
is ".better,  however,   to    cut wet   and
add middlings or ground wheat A clover
field and a rye field should be-used  fora
summer run.   The clover  field will last
from the first or middle of April until
well lu Jnne.   It may then  be broken up
and planted in late corn.   If the   work is
well done their will be time for tbe crop
to mature.   If no rooting has been done a
crop of clover seed may be secured and
follow with wheat or rye.   There should
be a transfer totheryo field by tho time it
begins to doughs.   This will practically
do  until  market  time.    There   should
havo been sown clover among  the  rye
It will serve  as a  green  and succulent
food after the rye straw ls dry  and grain
is hard and very likely as a clover pasture the next season.   This   treatment of
laud will insure-vsteady -j-Sica?>o-ia4st-__
tility and an improved condition   of  the
soil.    As   for   corn   the   quantity   used
should be  determined by  the  object ln
view.   If lard is the chief aim then mucli
corn  should  be  used  at  least   several
weeks    previous   to   marketing.    It Is
scarcely advisable to use it to any great
extent,   however,  during   the  period of
growth.     Plenty   of  pure    frosh  wator
should be accessible at all times.
E. Ii. 15.
After getting "economical" hogs to
feed, that's not only a well bred hog, but
one young and growing, give them a
mixed diet, the proportion of the component parts depending upon the age and development of tbe individual as well as the
length of the feeding period. If the hoe
is young, lean, time of feeding period
long, feed largely a nitrogenous (ship
stuff, skim milk, clover, etc ) ration for
first half of feeding period, gradually increasing the carbonaceous (corn) ration
until the middle of last half of feeding
period when the fattening ration be
greatest in the food. If the animals
are older, and the feeding period shorter,
increase fattening ration faster than for
young pigs, and for the last month feed
exclusively the corn ration. Always
feed the animals three times a day, even
more dnring the last of feeding period,
making them clean up food, given. If
in early feeding period, give them
the range of clover rye fields, at
night, if days are hot At the last of fattening period give little exercise, keep
hogs confined in a cool, shady place, with
as little dust as possible, plenty of cool
water, charcoal, ashes and salt. The best
time for laying on flesh is April, May,
June, September and October. Arrange
the feed lot to save time in feeding,to save
manure, to save time in watering, the
trough to save the food and so divided as
to give each animal its share. In summarizing would say, get young, well bred
The first object should be a well bred
pig to commence with, although not necessarily a thorough bred or full blooded
pig or a pig of any particular breed. I
havo fed the Poland China, Berkshire
and Chester White, and can see but little
if any difference. The second object
should be to get a healthy pig and keep
him healthy until matured or marketed.
And I think this can best be accomplished
by discarding all so-called hog cholera
remedies, prepared stock food and other
articles of like nature, that are peddled
over the conntry or for sale at stores, and
by giving them the same treatment that
our cattle, horses and sheep require. I
think the cause of much or all of the so-
called hog cholera is keeping hogs confined in small and filthy pens that are de.
void of vegetation. The hog, like tho
sheep, require a wide range and frequent
changing from one field to another. They
should have access to pure, fresh water_
also equal parts of salt and wood aBhes
thoroughly mixed. The pasture should
be either clover, timothy, blue grass, rye,
oats or wheat, as is most convenient,but
probably clover is preferable for summer
and rye for winter. My principal feed for
fattening is corn, and is fed without grind.
Ing or any other preparation, except shelling and soaking for small pigs. Pigs that
are farrowed in the spring are fed abont
half what they will eat until about September lst, when they are given all they
will eat until marketed, ln December or
January. Pigs that are farrowed in fall
are treated ln about the same way and
marketed in June or July following.
There seem to be two courses pursued in
hog feeding, viz: scientific and haphazard, and I must admit I am inclined to
follow the haphazard way and I think I
have been fairly successful. The scientific way seems to require expensive machinery to prepare the feed, and necessitates confining to small enclosures, thus
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