Domesticated Pigs. |
Swine flesh, from its ready reception of salt, is the most easily preserved of all the farm animals. It enters largely into farm dietaries because of this fact. The ease with which hogs can be raised and slaughtered will always cause them to be a source of household economy and comfort. Emphasize the economy of hogs in the production of meat.
The flesh of the pig is known as pork, and is used either fresh or cured. The sides when cured and treated are sold as bacon. Some breeds of hogs deposit so much fat in the region of the sides that a good grade of bacon is not possible to obtain. The best breakfast bacon is secured from those breeds bred up as bacon hogs and so fed as to get a good mixture of lean meat and fat. Pork contains a large proportion of fat and is therefore difficult to digest compared with beef. The fat is quite soft in character. It has been estimated that salted pork requires five hours for digestion, roast pork four hours and boiled ham three hours. Bacon is the most digestible form of all.
To obtain lard, the tissues containing the fat are cut into small pieces, heated in an open vessel over the fire and constantly stirred. The heating causes the fat cells to burst. After this is accomplished the liquid fat is poured off and is ready for use. Lard is a mixture of fats, containing palmitin, olein and stearin. Much of the fat of the hog is formed under the skin and round the kidneys. The large layer of fat deposited around the kidneys is called leaf lard, and is considered the best in quality. Pure lard is white and nearly tasteless and odorless. It is principally used in cooking, and for making oleo, soap and ointments.
Of the three principal fats in lard, olein is the most prominent. It is also the softest, going to a liquid at ordinary temperatures. It occurs in varying amounts, much less in lean pork than in fat pork. Pigs fed exclusively on corn give a lard containing over 90 pecent of olein, while pigs fattened on a more balanced ration, or one consisting of oats, peas, and barley, in addition to corn, yield a lard with less than 70 percent of olein. The kind of ration, therefore, has most to do with producing a soft or firm class of pork or bacon. Soft pork makes a poor grade of bacon. From these facts it is evident that to secure high grade bacon the hogs must be fed a mixed ration in which the protein or lean meat elements shall occupy a leading place.
Baby pigs suckling. |
As the outcome of market requirements and local methods of feeding, two types of hogs have resulted. By far the most prominent is the fat or lard type, which includes most of the breeds, and particularly the larger and best known breeds in the United States. These hogs not only yield a large amount of fat, but the meat portion of the carcass supplies the greater part of the fresh and cured pork consumed at home or exported. Corn is the principal grain used in fattening. The second class is the bacon type, represented by a few breeds of slightly different conformation and which supply the demand for a leaner class of meat. Hogs that yield this character of meat are called "bacon hogs." A mixed diet, with considerable protein in the ration, is most suitable as a food for hogs developed and fattened for bacon.
People who eat bacon demand a choice article. They want plenty of lean mixed with the fat. Hence a hog that will yield the largest amount of bacon of high quality must not be expected to yield at the same time a maximum quantity of lard or fat. The ideal bacon hog is long in body, only moderately deep and thick, and light in shoulder and ham. The back, if wide, will carry too much fat for a good grade of bacon. A full, strong loin well packed with flesh, is required. A flat, straight side is the result of the bacon rib that springs out boldly from the backbone, and after making a sharp turn, drops down evenly and straight. Length of side is always held in high favor. The flesh of the good bacon hog is always firm and the bones heavy.
On the other hand, the lard hog is compact and blocky, rather than long and open. Depth and thickness in the region of shoulders, hams, back and loin are among the first points considered in this type. Packers demand as much meat and lard as the frame will carry. A high percentage of dressed product in proportion to live weight commands a premium in the market places. Hogs of this type may be fattened to the limit, and a ration that produces fat with a moderate amount of lean is acceptable. For this reason corn has become the most popular hog food, and the fat hog industry a profitable business in the corn states. The limit in fattening is more a matter of profit than of nature of product. The lard type of hogs may be fed to weigh 250 pounds and up, but the bacon trade demands a hog weighing 190 pounds and under.
The weaning season is more or less critical with young swine. Loss in growth always follows a setback at this time. When young pigs have learned to take slop freely, made of shorts or middlings and skim milk, they are ready for weaning without a serious check to their growth. Pigs may be weaned at the age of eight weeks. If they cannot be given skim milk, it is better that such pigs remain on the dam until, say, 10 or 11 weeks old. In no case should they be weaned until they can take food freely. Much care should be exercised to furnish those kinds of foods that promote good growth. Slop food is best. Corn meal, linseed meal and middlings or shorts make an ideal combination.
As soon as young pigs are weaned, they must be kept entirely away from the dam until she ceases to secrete milk, but not necessarily for a longer period. Give them access to a good pasture in the day, and a grain slop in addition, morning and night, until the time of fattening. The amount of slop or meal will depend, to some extent, upon the character of the pasture, but it should be nitrogenous in character. When fed in connection with skim milk, a less quantity can be given, and the meal can be more of a carbonaceous nature, like corn.
Pasture may consist of alfalfa, clover, green cereals, cowpeas, or mixed grasses. In addition to pastures, green crops may be grown with advantage for store pigs, such as field peas, sweet corn, squashes, mangels, rye, cowpeas and soy beans. These are to be fed to supplement pastures and also the meal part of the ration. Store pigs will make a substantial growth when gleaning among wheat stubbles, providing they be given access to the stubble soon after the wheat has been cut. If clover has been sown in the spring, no grain will be required.
When store pigs are to be reared in winter, the aim should be to have them farrowed early in the season, in order to be considerably advanced in growth when winter sets in. The pens must be warm, well lighted and dry, and the pigs must be allowed exercise. The food may be essentially the same as that given in summer, except that roots, milk, clover or alfalfa may be given in lieu of the green food of summer. The pigs usually bring a better price when sold before the season for grass pasturing. For various reasons there is more hazard in rearing autumn than spring litters, but with due preparation and due care such litters may be profitably reared.
Young sows should be mated 10 months to a year old, according to growth. An individual hog house for shelter should be provided. This house may be of any form and style. but one A-shaped in construction is becoming very popular. These are built on runners and can be drawn to any part of the lot or field. Change of location insures cleanliness and does away with filth and mud at the entrance.
If the period of birth occurs in winter, the house cannot be made too warm. A lantern hung inside at the top of the house is excellent protection at farrowing and when the pigs are very small. Always have a yard for the sow outside the pen; or what is better, give her the run of a pasture field. Such attention not only gives her contentment, but exercise, thereby preventing the accumulation of flesh, which is a detriment to the coming brood. Exercise also develops bone and muscle and imparts to the offspring vigorous constitutions.
Feed at this period light, tasty food, such as middlings, bran, alfalfa, or clover hay and a bit of corn. Give just enough bedding to lie upon. It is a good plan to chop it up. At least add fresh straw sometime before farrowing, in order that it may be broken up. Otherwise, after the little fellows arrive, they may be crushed if covered up in the litter. Feed moderately for two or three days, when the milk will come in full flow. Then gradually increase the ration, giving a variety of feed, and let the dam have about all she will eat. Whole corn at this time will be relished, but let the milk-making foods be given in greatest abundance.
The more important considerations in selecting breeding stock include lineage, general individual qualities, characteristics as to form, and constitutional vigor. In respect to type, the aim should be to get individuals with short heads, dished in the forehead and having good width between the eyes; fine muzzles, with a short snout ; strong, bright eyes ; drooping or upright ears, not thick or coarse ; soft, mellow skin, with fine silky hair, somewhat abundant, but without bristles ; short, well-knit, and straight legs, standing well on small, strong feet; full, long body, square and broad, with a straight back and underline. Hogs of such conformation are certain to be of good breeding and to possess early- maturing qualities.
Pigs wallow in the mud. |
Swine of all ages should be kept free from lice and other vermin. Otherwise the best growth is not possible, nor can the best thrift be expected. The dipping tank offers an easy method of treatment. This may be made of concrete, or purchased ready made of galvanized iron. A homemade device for use except during winter is a shallow vat about 10 inches deep and 10 to 12 feet square. It may be built of concrete or timber. It should be placed conveniently to the well or other watering place. The vat is partially filled with water and a quart of one of the coal tar dips added. The hogs will do their own dipping. The dip is renewed once or twice a month and the water supplied as needed. No harm will result if the hogs drink some of the liquid. Occasionally, the mud, as it settles at the bottom of the vat, should be removed.
Cattle furnish meat, milk, hides for clothing and sometimes labor. Sheep furnish meat, wool, hides and sometimes milk. Hogs, however, furnish only meat, lard and bristles. Hogs are, therefore, a single-purpose animal. The reason they can compete with other domestic animals is due to their prolificacy, to their ability to convert efficiently food, often waste products, into human food, and to the ease with which these products can be preserved. Before the days of cold storage pork was the only meat that would stand long shipments.
The best means of identifying pure-bred hogs is by means of permanent ear tags inserted in the ears. These may be purchased of dealers, with a number on each tag. In the absence of tags, markings may be made in the ears, the position being the governing factor. The small numbers are represented by the right ear, the larger numbers by the left. The corner of each ear is marked, and two other incisions are made on both the lower and upper edges. A hole punched in the center may be used in case a number of hogs are to be identified or recorded.
New baby pigs on the Arms Family Homestead.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your thoughts. All comments are moderated. Spam is not published. Have a good day!