HOGS Can Be Produced Profitably in Parts of Northern Great Plains

A comparison of the number of hogs in the northern Great Plains area with those in Corn Belt centers of production might easily lead a person unacquainted with conditions in the former region to believe that hog production there is unprofitable. As a matter of fact there are probably few sections of the country where pork production has yielded more profitable returns than in some sections of the northern Great Plains. Necessarily, the number of hogs there will always be comparatively small, owing to the fact that large areas of the land are better adapted to sheep and cattle ranges than to crop production.  However, in many localities, especially along the eastern border of the area, and up the creek and river valleys to the westward, where corn and small grains are easily grown, conditions are peculiarly suitable for profitable pork production.

There has been a steady increase in the number of hogs in this general region for the last 20 years, and nothing indicates a change in this trend in the near future. The most important factor responsible for the increased number of hogs in the Northwestern States has been a trend away from the one-crop system of wheat farming to a more diversified agricultural system. Continuous cropping with wheat had caused loss of fertility, decreased yields, and the appearance of weed pests and resulted in a trend toward larger acreages of corn and barley, and alfalfa and other pastures. An increased number of hogs on the farms has followed these changes in the cropping system, and has led many farmers to the discovery that they had overlooked many natural advantages for profitable swine production.

Since 1920 the corn acreage in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming has practically doubled, and the yield has been found to compare favorably with average yields for the entire country. During the same period the barley acreage in those States has increased about 50 per cent, so that an increasing quantity of feeding grains has been available. The small grains produced are usually of excellent quality and high feeding value. Barley grown there commonly weighs 50 pounds to the measured bushel, and oats often 36 or even 40 pounds a bushel.

The northern great plains area has been found to be a very healthful place to raise hogs. As the region is largely semiarid the cold, damp weather and frequent storms experienced in humid climates are unusual, with the result that losses from hog flu or pneumonia are light. The summer days are long, with a maximum of 16 or 17 hours of sunshine, a condition which is very desirable in swine production and especially advantageous for the young pigs. The isolation of one farm from another in the more sparsely settled localities is also an important factor affecting the healthfulness of the hogs, as parasites and infectious diseases are not so prevalent where there is little or no contact with herds of adjoining farms. At three Federal experiment stations in the area it has been found that the death losses in hogs, especially in suckling pigs, are considerably smaller than at experiment stations in the more humid regions.

Pastures play an important part in hog raising everywhere and alfalfa grows luxuriantly in the area described. Where there is sufficient moisture from either rainfall or irrigation, the alfalfa pastures are unsurpassed in carrying capacity, palatability, and in high-protein content. Alfalfa hay also is used to a considerable extent in winter feeding, so that only small quantities of high-priced protein feeds are needed. Sweet clover, field peas, and rye a%so are used as hog pastures to a lesser extent.

While it is true that hog raisers in the area are a long way from the central markets, this drawback is partially offset by the competitive nature of the available markets. The rapid increase in population on the Pacific coast in recent years has created a stable demand for hogs at the coast markets, whose attractive prices draw many hogs from the Northwestern States.