Successful pork production depends first upon selection of good breeding stock. The breeding stock selected should have the inherent ability to produce and nurse a large litter that will use feed efficiently. Equally important are proper feeding and management of the brood sow and her litter.

It is a good plan to separate the gilts from the fattening hogs at 4 to 5 months of age and feed them a growing ration.

Whole oats or a mixture of one-half oats and barley or wheat coarsely ground, self-fed, constitute a good foundation for a ration. Enough corn should be fed, probably a couple of ears daily, to each gilt to keep her gaining.

One-half gallon of skimmilk daily or ¹/₂ pound of protein concentrate will furnish sufficient protein for one gilt in addition to what she obtains from grain and pasture. (The protein concentrate may be hand-fed or mixed with the grain on the basis of 5 pounds to each 100 pounds of grain.)