I got to reminiscing a bit thinking about some of my father's farm operation when I was growing up. He always had hogs and raised pigs. In fact my older brother won some reserve champion and grand champion places with some of Dad's durocs. In about 1967 or 68 Dad built a 12 sow farrowing house. I don't remember us ever having 12 sows and litters in there but we did have 10 lots of times and 11 a few times. Depending on the market at the time he would sell feeder pigs but he would sometimes keep 50 or 60 to "top out" by giving them 24 hour access to all the feed they wanted to eat. I remember falling asleep lots of nights listening to those feeder lids popping.

What I'm trying to remember is, how long did it usually take (days, weeks, months) to get from weaning age to "top hogs" as he called them back then? Sometimes he would save a couple of gilts for replacement sows.

That's his picture in the doorway of the newly built farrowing house. The man standing behind him is believed to be Marion Smith, who was the Mayor of Booneville, MS and President of the People's Bank & Trust Company at the time. Dad may have used some of his money to build the building :-) but I don't know that. I was about 8 or 9 at the time and Dad didn't share those details with me. The man on the right side of the picture (partially cut off) was Jim Archer, long time County Agent for Prentiss County, MS and long time friend of my Dad's. Mr. Archer was also in charge of the county 4-H and FFA programs wherein by brother participated in the hog shows. I did a few shows in 4-H but I never got into it as much as my brother did.

Edit to add: I know the date on the picture says 2014 but it's a picture of a picture.

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