The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-02-22

Almost any person can raise stock s.
IS proved By the great quantity Of in
fefior animals scattered over the couu-
try but to raise stock which viii prors
profitable to breed, fatten and kin re-
quiIes more skill and judgment than
most persons are willing to allow. For
instance, it is very easy matter TO pro-
duceone or more litters OF pig, each yesr,
but to produce them of uniformly high
grade is not 50 Easy, taking the pigs ass
class. A few may come finely~forped,
and may grow we'll and Proftat1Ursat
it il uniformly good apimals we are after
/ e., we want all or nearly all Of each
litter to be Of an equally high degree Of
excellence. This can be accomplished,
but can only be done by using expe-
rienced judgment in breeding and feed
ing. There are many points that can be
brought to view on paper, but the min
ute or details can only be learned by
experience.
In swine breeding it is not advisable TO
breed a SOW too young-not until she Is
at least six months old. II she proves
good mixer, suckles her offspring well
and produces large and even litters, she
should be kept for breeder Just IS long
as she will breed, for every subsequent
litter viii be almost sure TO be an i'm
provement on the one that preceded it.
Some farmers permit their sOws TO run
about in the fields or woods when about
10 farrow, but in this way many OF the
pigs are lost from sudden exposure TO
cold and rainy weather. A better plan
is TO put the sow in clean and airy pen
a week or ten days before the pigs are
due, portion of the pen to be well cov-
cred, and the whole bottom laid with
plank or poles to prevent the SOW from
burrOwing, giving her but little litter,
well broken up be'ore the small porkers
arrive. Care should also be taken not TO
feed too high for few days before farrow-
ing, as overfed sows are apt to destroy
their young. 1t is well, too, 10 feed her
partly on green food to keep the bowels
open and prevent constipation and Its
evil consequences.
As soon as the pigs come, they corn-
mence to suck, and the SOW should have
al the food she will eat, the greater the
variety the better, as it will serve to
keep her quiet and healthy. When the
pigs are a week or so old an opening
should be made at one side and
near the bottom of the pen, 20 that the
little fellows can have free egress ard
take az much exercise a. they plsa-e, sna
small trough placed within convenient
distance in which milk should be put
three times a day. This the littk
porzers viii soon end and appropriate TO
themselves, and thus relieve the mother
COW from the constant and heavy drain
upon her by some ten or twelve little
squealers. This course Of feeding them
should be continued until they are six
or eight weeks old, 1t which time the
BOW should be taken from them and
they placed in the pen and given all they
viii eat, such as Stops from the kitchen
refuse milk from the dairy, cut clover,
etc, until they are four or FIVE months
old, when they may be turned into a
clover field or other pasture and fed a
little corn daily until time to put up to
iatten and kill.
The great advantage Of this method
consists in keeping Ike pig growing
rapidly while it Is young, and allowing
it no opportunity to become stuntsd.