The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-12-01
How to Treat a Breeding Sow.

us Is III A4tTCn OF april, Tor Spring /
pigs, and August or September, for /
Fall pigs for keeping over Winter.
with very little trouble can
have their sows farrow just when /
they wish them.
a SOW will run four months, less |
nine or ten days, from the time she |
takes the boar to her time of litter |
ing. Sows will vary a little. Old |
soWs will run longer than young
ones, and some breeds will run long
er than others, but they will not in
any instance vary more than a week
or two. Pigs that come in April
will do to fatten the following fall
September pigs will be large enough
to stand the cold of Winter.
In breeding hogs as with all other
stock, to insure the success of the
breeder, It is necessary to select the
best stock to breed from. In selecting
breeding sows, take those having
fine head and ears, large deep chest,
long between fore and hind legs,
short back and broad body, large
hams and fine, smooth leg and hair
In selecting the male to breed to, the
same points viii hold good. An
old sow, like an old COW, will give
more milk than a young one. Hence
it is said that an old sow will have
larger and better pigs than a young
one because they get q bounteOus
supply of that which is most natural
to them, to wit, the milk of their
dam. Therefore if you have an ex-
ira fine breeding sow do not fatten
her because she is two or three years
old.
The first certain sign of pregnancy,
is, SOW will not be in heat, as usual,
after a certain number ofdays. An
other sign will be she will appear
very quiet. During the second
month, her belly and TANKS will be-
gin to enlarge, more or less; and
during the third month, the udder
will begin to swell. AS soon as it
is ascertained that a SOW is in pig,
which will be known between the
10Th and 22d days after taking the
boar, should be fed lightly, and al
lowed plenty of exercise. She
should run to grass in the Summer
and the ground.
Sows kept for breeding should
neither be starved nor made very
fleshy, but should be fed with a view
to the most perfect health and vigOr
! they should never be kept in close
pen but should have sufficient range
for exercise; easy access to water
with such variety of food as their
instincts shall call for. Deprived Of
animal and other food which they
crave, they frequently destroy their
young, the cravings ofappetite over
| coming the maternal instincts when
| properly kept and fed this never oc-
ours.
Pregnant sOws, when within three
or four weeks of parturition, should
be separated from the rest Of the herd
and have sufficient supply of good
food but should not be fed so high
as to become lat. But she may be
kept too poor the common results Of
which will be, the young will be un.
| thrifty. About a week before com,
| ing in, commence to decrease hel
| food. so that at the end of the week
it will be reduced from onc-half tC
| two-thirds.
AS the period of narrowing ap.
| proaches, q sow should have plenty
of fine straw for her bed in cold wea,
Their. Cut straw is preferable; but
when it cannot be readily obtained
she may be supplied with long straw
providing it is given her eight or ter
DAYS before farroWing. If the straw
be long, and not broken up fine, the
| young pigs are liable to get tangled
in it, and be crushed by the SOW wher
she lies down.
Little or no food should be giver
the day after farrowing, and but ligh
feed and plenty of water for severa
| days. A pail of swill at this time
will often prove fatal to a sow. Care
full attention to these suggestions viii
seldom tail to secure "lucll" in rails
ing pigs, while neglect of most o
all of them will have a tendency t.
make such a farmer an "unlucky'
J, breeder.
After three or four days then com
mence to increase her food daily TO
about a week she then may be fed al
she will eat The effect of this vii
be not only seen in the sow, but alst
in the thrifty growth of the young
If SOW is not docile, some trusty
person should enter the sty ever!
day, and throw her q few kernels o
corn, pieces of apples, or such like
and endeayor to get near her with
out frightening her. If she is yer,
skittish, it will benecessarv to spenC
more time in the sty while she j
eating and after q few days, she viii
allow one to stroke her. If thi
treatment is neglected the disad
vantage of having a skittish and IN
tractable sow will often appear
when there is no remedy; and tn
, loss of part, or the whole of tn
litter will be the consequence.
If the SOW shows any disposition
= to eat her pigs, she should be care
|. fully watched and prevented froI
! doing so. l have very fine heaV
! Poland and China SOW that had de
|. voured several pigs of other sowt
and as she was heavy with pigs heI
self, l expected that when she di
litter she would eat them up as faF
as she could get them 1 watche
f her closely: she walked up to tn
. first pig, and very deliberately open
, ed her mouth WIDE to take it il
/ screamed at her and Fhe turne
! then upon me. I continued to men
ace her until she had to lay down t
have another pig; l then got quietl
t into the pen and as SOW was natural
e ly very gentle succeeded in gettin
! the pig to her teats, and so l stat
with her constantly, all the Will
petting her, and as fast as the pig
came would divest them of their en-
; tanglements and place them at th
! teats, which they took right hold o
| and before the sow was aware of
= a material interest was enkindled i
e her heart for her offspring. She had
! and saved eight of the finest pigs
I ever saw. They are now over tw
weeks old, and the mother feels a
> the affection necessary for them,
is well to treat sows gently at a.
times. Then at differing" time yo