HOMESTEAD HOG PRODUCTION
(Page 5 of 8)
During the gestation period the ration for the sow should
be one rich in proteins, with not too much grain feed so as
to eliminate danger of her becoming too fat. Sows should be
allowed to run in large enough paddocks or pastures to
ensure ample exercise, and in the case of sows who are
raising but one fitter annually, little is needed in the
ration except good alfalfa pasture or some other succulent.
For sows who are producing two fitters each year, more
grain must be fed but the beginner must be cautioned
against overfeeding as heavy fat has a tendency to
complicate parturition. They should never be fed more than
2-1/2 pounds of grain daily for each 100 pounds of live
weight. An ideal mixture being as follows:
Corn or ground barley ............................... 6
parts
Oats .................................................4
parts
Tankage or meat meal .................................1 part
Tankage makes an excellent protein supplement for hogs. It
is the resulting product when packing houses process meat
scraps, fat trimmings and scrap bones. This mixture is
cooked in large tanks, the fat is skimmed off and the
result sold to hog producers as either tankage or meat
meal.
RELATED CONTENT
This ration may be increased or decreased depending on
pasture or hay available ... a good guide for the beginner
be ing that sows should be kept in a thrifty condition but
never permitted to become fat or sluggish. If skim milk is
available, 10 pounds of skim milk replaces 1 pound of
tankage or meat meal.
As the date of impending parturition approaches, each
individual sow should be taken from the herd at least five
days previous to her "time" and should be placed in a
farrowing pen. This pen should be at least ten feet square
and adequate shelter (at least seven feet square) should be
provided. These shelters need not be expensively
constructed. All that is required is a place out of drafts
with solid flooring (either concrete, wood or packed earth)
that can be easily sterilized after each farrowing. A
"bumper board," usually a 2 X 12 placed edgeways around the
shelter about six inches off the floor, will give the pigs
a chance to avoid being crushed when the sow rolls over.
This should be installed and the sow supplied with enough
straw bedding so that she may make her own nest.
Usually, assistance from man is not necessary. However, a
sow should be watched closely during parturition so that if
a pig is presented backwards (hind feet foremost) or in the
event that the sow is overly clumsy and is apt to squash
her pigs, a helping hand may be offered by man in picking
up the pigs and showing them the teat. Some breeders,
living in very cold localities provide small electrically
heated "brooders" for each litter, while others insist that
the sow knows her business and should, in the main, be left
to herself.
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