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Show Midwestern Farmer Finds Flight Lighting Helps Hogs Gain Weight By IRA MILLER Farm Electrification Bureau Ever hear of an accident that benefited bene-fited anybody? Once in a blue moon it happens, and when it does it makes news. This occurred in the case of a mid-west farmer who accidentally left the lights burning in his hog area covers approximately 5,000 square feet. Illumination is provided Only at night by three 100 watt lamps for 150 hogs. Lights are located so as to provide brighter illumination over feeding and watering areas than over sleeping quarters. Actually a 24-hour feeding and watering schedule is sound, since a rl 'a r - ' i " - 4 " , I - ?' ' . NIGHT LIGHTED HOGS . . . add weight, says this mid-west farmer. house one evening after he had completed com-pleted his round of late chores. When he returned to turn them off, however, he forgot his annoyance. annoy-ance. The hogs seemed to be eating and drinking in shifts, with about 25 of them making trips to the automatic feeders and waterers at one time. He watched the performance perform-ance for 45 minutes and left leaving the lights on. Now the hog house is illuminated every night throughout the year. For later tests showed that hogs which did not have an added after-dark incentive in-centive to eat, drink and get ready for market were slower to put on gains than those in the night-lighted house. Thermostatically controlled electric hog waterers provide water at the right temperature during cold Weather. This farmer's sleeping and feeding hog's stomach is smaller than in the case of other commercial animals and they must eat and drink at frequent fre-quent intervals. This being the situation, situa-tion, it is natural that they should enjoy a longer period to participate in their favorite pastime. Observations during the last few years show that night lighting of hogs not only brings them to marketable mar-ketable weight sooner, but also prevents pre-vents crowding after dari- in sleeping areas and prevents fighting at the customary first feeding in the morning. morn-ing. Also it reduces the danger of pneumonia, and enables a farmer to keep more hogs in the same space. In the summer, hogs will eat and drink more under lights in the cool of the night than during hot days. Night lighting feeding programs can be started when, pigs are 2lk monthj : old. |