SPECIAL LEAFLET (April 1938) SPEBR13
Suggestions for Growing Hogs in 
Southeast
Alabama
N 1931 experiments were begun on the Wiregrass Substation 
at
Headland, Alabama, to determine if all the feed 
required by
hogs could be grown under a system of management 
in which
the hogs harvested the crops and also to determine 
the cost of
producing hogs under such a system. The 
following discussions
and recommendations relative to hog production 
are based upon
the results of experiments obtained during 
the past six years,
1931-1936. The experiment was conducted 
on Norfolk sandy
loam soil which was level in topography and 
which was capable
of producing yields of 1,200 pounds of 
peanuts, 30 bushels of
corn, or a bale of cotton per acre. It is believed 
that the recom-
mendations are applicable to soils of a 
lower level of fertility
than the ones used in this test.
CROPS USED IN THE EXPERIMENT
(1) Green oats (7) Alternate 
rows of runner pea-
(2) Mature oats nuts 
and corn
(3) Permanent pasture (8) Four rows 
running peanuts to
(4) Alternate rows of soybeans one row of 
corn
and early corn (9) Solid running 
peanuts
(5) Solid green soybeans (10) Chufas
(6) Alternate rows of soybeans (11) Sweet potatoes
and mature corn
TYPE OF HOGS USED
Pigs used in the experiment were produced by 
good grade
sows and a good boar. Pigs were farrowed 
about March 1 and
September 1. About 85 per cent were 
raised on this Station and
15 per cent were purchased.
COST OF PRODUCTION
During the first year of the experiment such 
crops as chufas
and ripe oats grazed in the field were used. The 
chufas and ripe
oats proved to be rather unsatisfactory for 
hog grazing purposes,
due to the high cost per pound and low yields. 
Interplanting
corn with peanuts for hogs also proved to 
be undesirable. Experi-
ments show very clearly that nitrogen to corn 
makes cheap corn.
Where peanuts are planted with corn, they take some 
of the ni-
trogen if it is applied to corn, and nitrogen does 
not pay on pea-
nuts. Again, there is twice the area to fence and 
twice the area for
hogs to graze over. The hogs cannot get on 
peanuts until the
corn is harvested, which is usually in November, 
and they should
be on running peanuts in early September. Neither can 
this land
be broken in the spring until the peanuts are hogged 
off. For
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
OF THE
ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
M. J. FUNCHESS, Director
AUBURN
SPECIAL LEAFLET
(April 1938)
SEPTEMBER 1937
these reasons, it is always advisable to plant peanuts 
solid where
they are to be hogged off.
By eliminating such unsatisfactory crops and by 
using perma-
nent pasture, green soybeans, and a larger 
percentage of runner
peanuts, the cost of producing hogs in this experiment 
was re-
duced from above $4 in 1931 to below $3 per 
hundred pounds in
1936. Costs charged against hog production 
in this experiment
were $5 per acre for land rent, 75 cents a 
day for man labor, 50
cents a day for mule labor, and the 
current market value of such
items as feed, seed, fertilizer, etc. 
The experiment definitely
shows that hogs may be produced very 
economically under a
cropping system such as is recommended 
in this leaflet.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Farrowing Times.-Produce two litters 
per year, having one
farrowed in November and the other in May 
rather than in Sep-
tember and March as is usually recommended. 
Pigs farrowed in
September seldom reach " tops" by 
March when the fields have to be
broken. This necessitates hand feeding 
or selling No. 2 hogs.
Hogs to Use.-The best sow for this 
section is one that is
thrifty, weighs-when in good living order-175 
to 200 pounds,
has 6 to 8 pigs, is a good milker, is always 
hungry, and takes good
care of her pigs. Breed this kind of a 
sow to a goodboar. A
good boar is one that is easily handled, has 
an arched back from
ears to tail, has a strong bone-that is, 
stands up on his toes. If
his bone is weak, he may get pigs that 
"go down in the lines"
when fat on peanuts.
Houses.-Do not use permanent or portable 
houses or sheds
with hogs at any time. Old houses and 
water holes are frequent
sources of worm infestation. For the fattening 
hogs on the fields
use temporary shade in hot weather and temporary 
windbreak in
cold weather. These may be made cheaply 
from either old tin,
lumber, or poles and brush. In case 
the latter are used, burn
them when the hogs leave the field.
Watch the sow that is about to farrow. 
When she has made
her bed, build her the same kind of protection 
as described above.
Be sure there is no deep hole for water 
to run in. When the pigs
are weaned, remove the shed and 
burn any bedding that may be left.
From August 1, 1930, to July 31, 1937, 
there were very few
hogs lost on experiments conducted at 
the Wiregrass Station.
There have been produced around 
300 hogs without any cash
outlay for medicine of any kind. 
The hogs sold have been almost
free from losses caused by worms. These 
results are attributed
to the following:
(1) No old buildings for hogs. (3) 
Sunshine on every piece of
(2) No permanent hog houses and ground.
pens. (4) Bringing 
in no infected hogs
from outside.
Minerals.-The following mineral mixture 
should be kept be-
fore all hogs at all times, and a fresh supply 
added every two or
three days:
3
100 pounds charcoal or wood ashes 
100 pounds hydrated lime
100 pounds salt
This should be kept in a trough 
with a long board nailed
across one end so it cannot be 
rooted over. It should also be near
the water supply as hogs 
drink water more freely just after 
eat-
ing this mixture.
Size of Fields to Graze.-The size 
of field to graze depends
upon the number and size of hogs 
going on the field. In general,
there should be from 800 to 1,200 
pounds of live hog per acre of
solid runner peanuts.
The peanuts should be near water, 
not farther than one-
fourth mile from the farthest corner 
of the field to water. For
greater distances than this, 
it will pay to graze the peanuts
nearest the water in September, 
October, and November and then
haul water to hogs in December, 
January, and February while
grazing those peanuts that are over 
one-fourth of a mile from water.
It is always advisable to cut up 
the peanut area with tem-
porary fences, and graze small 
areas. This eliminates what
farmers call "standing still" 
of hogs. They eat over a field 
and
just eat enough daily to hold their 
own, even though the field has
plenty of feed. Grazing small areas 
eliminates this condition. Again,
by grazing small areas, the big hogs 
can be moved out and the No-
vember pigs let in to clean up the 
field so plowing can be started.
CROPS
The following crops may be 
used in the most economical
production of pork:
(1) Green oats 
(4) Runner peanuts
(2) Otootan soybeans 
(5) Permanent pasture
(3) Spanish peanuts (possibly)
Green Oats.-Plant one acre of oats 
for each sow for grazing
in November, December, January, 
February, and March. Plant
21/2 bushels of oats per acre in October 
and turn the hogs on the
oats as soon as they will not pull up. 
If oats are grown to be
harvested in the spring, graze sows and 
pigs on them until time
to top dress, or about March 1. If oats 
are not planted to harvest,
allow the pigs and sows to graze on 
them until next spring, then
break the land and plant any crop 
desired. The sows farrow the
November pigs on these oats and are 
fed a little corn. In addi-
tion to the oats, let the pigs clean 
up the field behind the fatten-
ing hogs or where peanuts were gathered, 
or run in a corn field
or potato patch. These pigs are 
the "clean up" hogs which make
a living on "waste" until April, when 
planting begins; then they
go to the permanent pasture.
When the November pigs are weaned, breed 
the sows to far-
row again in May. Leave them on 
the oats and feed just enough
corn to keep them in living order. 
Never let sows get fat. When
they leave the oats, move them to 
the permanent pasture.
Soybeans.-About cotton planting 
time, plant one acre per
sow in Otootan soybeans. On good 
land soybeans need no ferti-
lizer. On thin land use 400 pounds 
of basic slag, or 200 pounds
4
of superphosphate, or 200 pounds of mixed fertilizer per acre at
planting. Plant in 3-ft. rows with hills 10 inches apart. A 10-
inch running peanut plate may be used for planting. This will
take about 20 pounds of seed per acre. Cultivate the soybeans suf-
ficiently to control weeds. When the soybeans are about knee high,
they are ready for grazing by hogs. This should be about July 1.
Spanish Peanuts.-On land that grows Spanish peanuts well,
plant in early April one acre of Spanish peanuts, per sow, in 18-inch
rows and 6-inch hills. Put the November pigs on these in August.
Runner Peanuts.-On fairly thin land, plant 4 to 412 acres
per sow in solid runner peanuts during the first half of April.
This will provide runner peanuts ready for grazing in early Sep-
tember. Hogs should be turned in on these just as soon as the
peanuts are ready to be grazed.
Permanent Pasture.-This pasture should be free of shade
(except a few high trees), mudholes, old buildings, and perma-
nent hog houses and pens. To make a good hog pasture, clean up
a branch bottom or other moist land, break the land, and broad-
cast 1,000 pounds of basic slag per acre, disc the slag in, sow 30
pounds of common lespedeza seed per acre in early March, 
and
drag a brush over it to cover seed. One acre per sow of this 
kind
of pasture is sufficient. Keep November pigs and sows on this
pasture during April, May, and June. Feed enough to keep 
in
fair living order. The sows farrow the May pigs in this pasture.
MOVEMENT OF HOGS
Sows: On oats from 
November to April.
On pasture from April to July.
On soybeans from July to November.
November Pigs: On oats from 
November to December.
Gleaning from January to April.
On pasture from April to July.
On soybeans from July to August 15.
On Spanish peanuts from August 15 to September 10.
On runner peanuts in September and October.
Sell the pigs in October.
May Pigs: On pasture in May to 
June.
On soybeans in July to August.
On runner peanuts from September to February.
Sell the pigs in February.
Farmers will find it desirable to grow hogs on the thin sandy
land near streams and ponds which are handy to water. These
rolling thin sandy lands are the poor cotton lands and will make
poor yields of peanuts if they are harvested from year to year.
By clearing the bottom land along branches and ponds for pas-
ture purposes and planting hog grazing crops on the thin sandy
lands adjacent to streams, hog production may be added to the
farm program in South Alabama without materially curtailing
cotton production. In this way the farm income may be definite-
ly increased by having both cotton and hogs for sale.
J. P. WILSON, SUPERINTENDENT, WIREGRASS SUBSTATION