HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Raising Pure Bred Swine Demands Apprenticeship
G. R. Samson Gives Some Pithy Advice to Would-Be Breeder on All Phases of the Industry.
$$$$33$SS3'3
$ There's no royal road to suc-
? cess in raising hogs in the North-
3 west. The breeder needs to be
3 both breeder and fancier, points
$ out the writer of the following
$ article written especially for They s
$ Home and .Farm Magaiue Sec-
S tion. s
S
S$S-SSS$3$3 $
BY G. E. SAMSON,
Animal Husbandly Department, Oregon
Agricultural College.
IT IS questionable whether any one
should engage in producing pure
bred swine who has not served a
successful apprenticeship with grades.
There are so many practical details with
which to familiarie ono's self that can
be learned so much more economically
with grades, that the foregoing state
ment seems reasonable and conserva
tive. The purpose of the breeder of
pure bred swino is primarily to produce
boars which by legitimate advertising
and lots of eloquence he may sell to
pork producers at a price which will
permit him to continue liis existence
upon the earth and his business of pro
ducing boars.
Some sows will, like the girl-babies
in India, enter the eots in which pray
ers have ascended for the advent of
male children only; but most of these
foraale swine could be permitted to con
tinue their tax upon the forobearanee
of their owners until - they are old
enough to become food for men.
The time is nofr yet, but it very soon
will be when plonty of breeders in Ore
gon shall raise pure-bred swine. Then
those who Bhould have stayed out of
the business will most likely suffer
more or less financial loss. Those who
are not producing boars which are good
enough to improve good grade herds,
and even those who are not good ad
vertisers, will find that their wares are
a drug on the. market. ,.
Much Interest In Production.
Up to the present time conditions
have been peculiarly favorable to pro
ducers of pure bred swine. They have
not been too numerous and there has
been a tremendous interest in pork pro
duction. And most of these producers
and would-bo producers of pork have
heeded tht;o3pel of good sires. The re
sult has been an active demand for
boars. Too often the demand has ex
ceeded the supply of good ones so that
men have been induced to embark in
the production of pure-breds without a
proper conception of their work. Every
day letters come to the office asking
where sows of various breeds can be
had and frequently some remark is
dropped which indicatos that they must
bo had cheap.
Too frequently these letters show an
absoluto lack of knowledge of the most
commonplaco details of hog raising. In
answering theso lettors in as conscien
tious a manner as possible, we often
wonder how long the money these men
have will keep them going.
Occupation Anciont One.
Swine raising in an ancient occupa
tion, even if not counted honorablo by
fho none less ancient Jews, and be
iwnso of the economy with which it ;an
fee produced, pork will likely be a Btaple
grocery for a long time to come. But
the production cf pure-bred breeding
stcck is an exigency at modern condi
tions, to whicft thoso who hitve already
made a success of raising market swine
aro best fitted: The wealthy man who
has never raised grade swine and who
takes a fancy to somo pure-breed may
win some prizes, but he is not likely
to leave a permanent imprint on the
swine in which he chances to placs
boa fa. Such a man often serves his
community well by making available
for breeding purposes animals which he
brings in, but it is rare that he hac
the judgment or good fortune to mate
Wisely enough to produce pigs whiph are
good enough to improve the breed.
Swine breeders, lilt breeders of ether
kinds ot' hvrutnek, are usually to the
manor born. AcbWimm cf observation,
judgment to fleiermir.e what will -happen
before It dos fcspt-wi (this judg
mmii baaed ea wtl gtvumled kvl-
Yorkshira Sows at Oregon Agnr.pltural Coileco Stock Farm.
edge of inheritance), infinite capacity
for details with the courage to send to
the feed lot good animals which are
not quite good enough to use as breed
ers, liberality in feeding so as to de
velop all the possibilities innate in his
young stock these aro some of the
qualities which help to ward off fail
ure for the breeder of pure-bred awine.
. '.- Way to Success Told.
Success and failure as hero used refer
to the achievement of the breeder as a
broedcr, net as a financir. A man may
be successful either as a breeder or
finaneior and not as tho ether or both,
or ho may succeed as both.
If nono but those who have already
familiarized themselves with some breed
through grades of that breed, engaged
in raising puro-breds, most of them
would probably breed the kind which
they know best. There io really little
choice in the fat breeds other than that
existing in the minds of the breeders,
present and ' prospective. Good indi
viduals as well as poor ones aro found
in all tho brands. It might bo added
On too Read
Raising Fine Hogs in the Northwest
Some Ideas on the Best Way to Breed and Produce the Farmers'
Mortgage Lifters.
This is the third of a series
t of articles by two men well in-
t formed upon what the hog can
do- for the Northwest.
4
By JAMES E. WITHTCOME and
E. L. POTTO K.
P ALMOST emial importance with
;ood rations is plenty of exer
cise. TImj sows must not be
Howcd to lie nreund in their pons
dav iu and day owt if good strong
littvn pro expeeted. They must
bo i-i iJt to tbke eierewe. la t'je wut-
that tho pror and mediocre are great
ly in the majority as compared with
the beet representatives of the several
sorts; but this is no more than could
be said of ll kinds of siil-ials, includ
ing men.
Judgment must bo exercised in select
ing a foundation of whatever breed is
decided upon, and good individuals with
good ancestry for several generations
back are to be preferred. Good indi
viduality is of more importance than
the ancestry or than any one individual
in the ancestry. For pedigreed scrubs
exist and occur in all breeds, and while
these often breed better than them
selves, they should not bo chosen; for
what they contribute directly to their
offspring drags downward rather than
upward from the average of tho breed.
The average of no breed is good
enough for foundation stock.
The foundation purchased should bo
better than the average cf the breed,
and as much better than tho pockotbook
will afford. If it will not afford eb
good as the average, keep on raising
irrados until it will afford it.
to S.iccch.
ern Northwest tliic it often quite dif
ficult, but in the eastern part tho ground
is more frequently frozen aai deep mud
is less common. In this case ' feeding
at a distance from the neeping sheds
iu quite an advantage when the sows
do not get cut enjugh of their owu ac
cord. WhtH farrowing time approaches the
sow should be separated from the re
mainder of the herd, and given a nice,
wel'-sliilterod pen, such an one of the
peas in the hog houses' shown, connected
if possible with a small lot on the ont
F.ide. A fender should bo made around
tho sides of the pen by arranging a
piece of lumber along the sides about
aeveii oi eiylvt itithos from he wall and
an equal distance from the floor. This
will prevent the sows from lying down
close to the wall and thus crushing tha
pigs. Such fenders should be put in
temporarily, as they are only in the
way and take up a great deal of room
after tho pigs have attained some Bize.
A good dry floor with light bedding
should be provided. Where there is too
much bedding the pigs are apt to get
tangled in it and crushed by the sow;'
This is especially true of long, fresh
straw. It is often recommended to cut
tho straw, but this is unnecessary if it
is put in a few days prior to farrowing
so that tho sow will hava time to wear
it down a little. .
Dangers Are Told.
If the sow has been fed a proper ra
tion and is in comfortable quarters lit
tle or no trouble may bo expected; if
she has been fed on an unbalanced ra
tion, or is excessively poor or exces
sively fat, or if she is unduly exposed
to tho cold and wet, various troubles
may bo expected.
Among these may be mentioned: diffi
culty in farrowing; weak or dead pigs;
pigs chilled to death; refusing to own,
pigs; eating pigs, or crushing pigs by;
lying on them. -
If tho simplo rules above outlined ara
followed these troubles will be largely;
obviated. However, if in addition
record of the date of farrowing be kept
and the attendant will be on hand when
the pigs are born, a large number of
pigs may be saved.
When it is quite cold and there is dan
ger of the first pigs farrowed chilling
to death before the others are delivered,
the first may be put in a tub or keg
containing a jug filled with hot water,
and with a blanket over it. This will
keep them warm, and when all have
come they may be put back and allowed
to suck.
Sometimes it is necessary to place,
them ia the tub a few times before
meals. In ordinary cases such precau
tions are not necessary. Quite often
the scum and mucus covering the pig at
birth will close up tho nostrils and
smother the pig, but wiping the nose at
once with a wisp of straw will prevent
this.
Where the sow is extremely restless
and there is much danger that the pigs
will be trampled or crushed, in spite of
the fenders, they may be removed one
at a time as fast as they come and put
into a warmed tub, as previously de
scribed. ."
Prevent From Eating Young.
Often by keeping them there for a
few hours, except when with the sow.
for sucking, the sow will quiet down
and there will be no further .danger.'
There are many remedies proposed for
sows eating their pigs, but about the
only real remedies are preventives.
Sows usually start eating their pigs
because cf a feverish condition of the
system. Sometimes this is due to hav
ing been fed on feeds that were- exces
sively heat-producing, and lacking in
mineral matter and protein; sometimes
it is due to a lack of exercise; often it
is due to cold, wet and general discom
fort at farrowing time '
After a sow has once learned to eat
her pigs she will very likely do the
same thing the next time, though the
condition which caused her . to begin
the practice bo no longer present. In
other cases the sow is apparently natur
ally vicious and restless. After the
habit is once formed the chances for its
cure are small. The sow should be sent,
to the butcher and the pigs ptt with
other sow3 if possible. Feeding the
sow raw meat, salt pork and various
other remedies have been suggested, but
they are not reliable. j
Fortauio electrical machinery has
been invented for screening coal and
Infill! if infn vaffnna
loading it into wagons.
RAT SWAT
The New Bodent Exterminator
RATS AND SQUIRRELS
GO IN A SINGLE NIGHT
If Your Dealer Does Not Ilave It,
Write Us.
AMERICAN DISTEIBTJTING CO,
1004 Broadway Bldg., Portland, Oregon.
f