nOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Pasture For Hogs
This is the first of a series of
articles dealing with crops and $
systems of cropping for pork
$ production, prepared by Mr.
w- Byron Hunter, who is now state
leader in charge of farm-man- $
agement-field studies and dem- $
-s onstratioiiB in the State of J
Washington, and employed co-
operatively by the United
States Department of Agricul- 3
ture and the State College of 8
9 Washington.
..
$$$$&$$
THIS bulletin deals specifically with
orops and systems of cropping that
may be used in economical pork
production in the Pacific Northwest.
Scattered here and there throughout
the Northwest are men who are suc
cessfully producing pork. They have
been visited, and their methods, crops
and feeding systems have been studied.
This bulletin makes the practices of
these successful men available to all.
Owing to the rapid growth in popu
lation of this section during the last .de
cade, the demand for pork has in
creased faster than the ' supply, and
there is little reason why hog raising
should not become a more important
industry in the Pacific Northwest. Al
though there have been some outbreaks
of hog cholera, the Northwest has been
remarkably free from this disease. The
largrr cities have well-equipped pack-
ing houses, and modern union stock
, yaTds are in operation at Portland, Ore
i gon. During recent years a large per
' centage of the hogs slaughtered in the
cities of Portland, Tacoma, Seattle p.nd
Spokane have been shipped from east
of tho Rocky Mountains. In addition
to this, enormous quantities of East
ern bacon and lard are annually con
fumed by the Pacific Coast cities.
Management of Pastures.
Si'iCe economical pork production de-
pen n largely upon the consumption of
a g ;at deal of cheaply grown feed, the
pan ue should be so managed that the
fon i produced will- be clean, tender
and palatable. In practice, hog pas
tures are generally managed in one of
force ways: (1) Continuous close graz
ing, (2) alternate pasturing of equal
areas, and (3) pasturing the meadow.
'The method in most common use is to
tnrn in all the hogs the pasture will
support, leaving them in the field dur
ing the entire season. Usually the pas
ture is kept closely grazed. Too often
it is overgrazed, the plants being crap
ped so closely that the Stand is soon
ffutned. The pasture thun becomes little
'better than a dry lot, and the hogs
make unsatisfactory gains. When the
feed in the pasture becomes scarce,
dither the number of hogs per acre
should be reduced or other furoge pro
vided.
Alternate Pasturing of Equal Areas.
One of the most satisfactory ways of
managing a pasture is to divide it into
two or more fields of equsl area. These
fields are then used alternately, the
logs remaining in each about a week
oi 10 days. In the case of clover and
alfalfa the growth is allowed to be
come 3 f-o 4 inches high be re the hogs
are turned in to eat it off quickly.
When the pasture consists of such
crops as rape, kale and vetch, which
will not stand close grazing, the growth
is permitted to reach a .height of 8
:or 10 inches lefore the hogs are turned
Changing the hogs from field to field
gives the pasture a period o rest, dur
ing which the plants recuperate and
grw rapidly. When the stock is re
turned to the field the forage is clean,
tonder and palatable and large quan
tifies are consumed. Owing to the rapid
gnwth made while at rest, a pasture
that is subdivided and ths areas grazed
alternatolj is capable of carrying a
much larger number oi hogs per acre,
other conditions being equal, than one
that is continuously pastured.
Hogs usually graze a pasture some
what unevenly, some areas being eaten
off much more closely than others. To
keep down the weeds and make the
growth come on evenly, the pasture is
clipped with a mower immediately after
the hogs are removed. Hogs are in
clind to root when the surface of the
son the pasture, if under irrigation, is
irrigated just after the hogs are
changed from one pasture lot to the
next This gives the surface of the
ground time to dry before the forage
is large enough to be grazed.
Pasturing the Meadow.
Many successful ho, raisers prefer
to use such crops as clover and alfalfa
for both pasture and bay at the same
time, 'the number of hogs turned into
the field .s to limited that the usual
crops of hay are made. The chief ad
vantages of this method are (1) the
presence of an Abundance of feed, (2)
the meadow is not grazed closely enough
for the stand to be injured, (3) it it
not necessary to subdivide the pasture
into smaller areas for alternate pas
turing, and (1) the changing of the
hogs from one inelosure to another is
obviated.
When the number of animals pas
tured is so limited that the usual -hay
crops are made, the growth becomes
so coarse and -woody that they do not
consume as much forage as is desirable
for economical gains, as the hogs relish
the young shoots best. When the forage
becomes too large to furnish desirable
feed, an area near the watering place is
eltpped with a mower. This should be
large enough to furnish the desired
amount of pasture. In a few days the
clipped area produces a vigorous growth
of new shoots, upon which the bags feed
without materially disturbing the rest
of the meadow. If the area first mowed
is not sufficient to furnish the required
feed, more of the meadow is clipped,
as necessity may demand. To prevent
the stand of these clipped areas from
becoming injured by overgrazing, dif
ferent portions of the meadow are used
in this way from year to year.
Grain Ration While on Pasture.
While tho cost of -producing pork may
be reduced materially by the use of
such roughage as alfalfa hay, roots, or
green-pasture forage, it is desirable to
feed grain or other concentrated feed
in addition. Mature, dry brood sows
are sometimes maintained in - an ap
parently satisfactory condition on good
pasture alone. Young growing hogs, on
the other hand, usually become ungain
ly in shape, big bellied and thin in
fle&h or stunted when compelled to sub
sist on pastture alone.
Hog growers differ quite widely re
garding the quantity of grain that
should be fed while on pasture. Same
feed a full grain ration, i. e., all ' e
grain the hog will consume. Others
teed a medium ration, one that is equal
to about 2 to 3 per cent of the live
weight of the hog. Still others prefer
a light grain ration, one that is equal
rnly about 1 per cent of the live
weight of the hog. Occasionally men
are found who run yo'mg shotes on pas
ture without otheT feed This is a mis
take, for it almost invariably results in
a stunted hog. No fixed and fast Tule
can be laid down, for the supplemental
grain ration which should be fed in
conjunction with green pasture depends
upon a number ef factors, the more im
portant of which are .(1) the age nt
which the hogs are to be marketed, (2)
the price of grain, and (3) the plonti
fulneas and quality of the pasture.
Rations for Hogs of Various Conditions
and Market Ages.
If hogs are to be marketed when 7
to 9 months old, it is necessary to
feed them about all the grain they will
consume, in addition to the pasture, in
order to make them reach the weight
demanded by the market, 170 to 225
pounds. Hogs that are marketed when
10 to 12 months old are usually main
tained on pasture alone during the graz
ing season. If fed at all, the grain ra
tion is very light. . This results in a slow
daily gain, but a greater percentage
of the growth is mndo from the cheaply
grown forage. The added cost of main
taining n hog nntil 10 to 12 months old
however, usually more than equals the
saving of the grain ration.
Mature breeding stock that is not ex
peoted to make any gain in weight re
quires but little, if any, additional feed
when on good pasture. Hogs that are
thin in flesh and nearly grown may be
expected to make small daily gains
without other feed when on the bost
of pasture. Pigs and small shotes usual
ly become stunted when on pasture un
less given a liberal quantity of addi
tional feed. Young hogs should be
becoming stunted. During the fattening
period, hogs on pasture should be fed
all the grain they will eat up dean
three times a day.
Tho Price of Grain.
Owing to the fluctuation in the price
of hogs and of grain, the supplemental
grain ration is sometimes expensive.
Under such circumstances there is great
temptation to place the bogs upon an
exclusive pasture Tation. This seldom
pays, for it usually takes approximate
ly as much concentrated feed in the
end, and mueh more time, to lit far
market hogs which have been on an
exclusive pasture diet as is required
for hogs fed liberally while on pasture.
Under extreme circumstances mature
breeding stock or bogs which are near
ly grown may be carried on good pas
ture until cheaper concentrated feed
can be obtained.
Quality and Abundance of Pasture,
The composition of pasture forage is
quit variable. Alfalfa, clover, vetch,
peas, ete furnish feed that is much
richer in protein than most other crops.
Generally, therefore, hogs which are
feeding upon leguminous pasture require
slightly less concentrated feed than
when grazing upon no leguminous pas
ttnre, such as timothy, orchard grass,
blue grass or the cereals.
It frequently happens that a farmer
has more hogs than his pasture is eapa
bio of supporting. When such is the
ease the pasture will go mueh farther
if a full grain ration is fed. The more
grain a bog consumes the less he will
feed upon the pasture.
In general, pigs and shotes should be
kept in a thrifty, growing condition At
all times. It never pays to allow them
to cease growing and become stunted.
Brood sows, likewise, must be kept in
good flesh (not fat) if large litters of
strong, healthy pigs are to be expected.
In gathering the material for this
bulletin it was quite generally observed,
on the one hand, that the men who
are enthusiastic pork producers feed a
liberal supplemental grain ration to
young, growing hogs when on pasture.
On the other hand, those who think
there is little profit in Taising hogs run
them very largely on pasture without
other feed during the grazing season.
Hogging Off Crops.
Turning hogs into a standing field
if mature or nearly mature wheat, bar
ley, peas or corn and allowing them
to feed at will until the crop is eon
sumed is called "hogging off"
"hogging down" the crop. To soms
this may appear to be a wasteful prac
tice. Under good management, how
ever, it is a very satisfactory and eco
nomical method of utilizing limited
areas of these crops.
Advantages in Hogging off Crops.
Some of the advantages in hogging
off crops' are (1) tho cost of harvest
ing and marketing ths erop is saved,
(2) the labor of earing for hogs is
greatly reduced, (3) ths vegetable mat
ter in the soil is increased, () we drop
pings of the animals are distributed
quite evenly, and (5) ths hogs are given
exercise. It costs from 15 to 25 cents
per bushel to harvest and market wheat
in the greater part ox ths wnesu dbii
of the Pacific Northwest, the cost Yary-
ing with ths yield, ths method of har
vesting and thrashing and ths distance
the wheat is hauled to market, in soms
of tho more arid wheat-growing dis
tricts of both Oregon- and Washington
the yield of wheat is frequently as low
as 6 to & bushels per acre. Ths cost ef
harvesting and marketing such crops
runs from 35 to 40 cents per bushel Ths
cost of harvesting and marketing bar
ley is approximately the sams as that
of wheat When the hogs are so man
aged that the erop is thoroughly elsaasd
op, hogging off tho erop practically
saves the cost of harvesting and mar
keting. In the case of light-yielding
crops this saving is considerable.
Most of the crops that are soitabls
for hogging off are utilised daring ths
hnainst season of the year, L s., at a
time when it is very desirable that ths
hogs require as little attention as pos
sible. If turned into a mature Cold at
wheat, pears or corn and provided witn
water, shade and salt, the hogs require
very little other attsntion.
Most of the arable lands of ths Pa
cific Northwest would be materially
benefited by the Addition of more or
ganic matter. When ths erop is hogged
off, the straw, pea vines or cornstalks,
as the. ease may be, are left on ths
ground. By cutting this material thor
oughly in the fall of the year with a
sharp disk harrow and plowing it under,
the soil is enriched in vegetable matter.
This, in turn, greatly reduees the ten
dency of the soil to wash.
In hoceine off the crop, the drop
pings of the animals are scattered suits
evenly over the liela.
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crrouad is Wbt u a&mo. f or uu rea
fed that they grow rapidly instead oi