St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-02
How to Raise Pigs.


is proved by the great quantity of in
ferior animals scattered over the coun-
try; but to raise stock which will prove
profitable to breed, fatten and kill re-
suires more skill and judgment than
most persons are willing to allow. For
instance, it is very easy matter to pro.
duce one or more litters Of pigs each year,
but to produce them of a uniformly high
grade is not so Easy, taking the pigs as a
class. A few may come fnely>formed,
and may grow we'll and pro6tably, but
it is uniformly good animals we are after,
4. 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
utia or details can only be learned by
experience.
In swine breeding it is not advisable to
breed sow too young-not until she is
at least six months old. If she proves
good mixer, suckles her offspring we'll
and produces large and even litters, she
should be kept for breeder just as long
as she will breed, for every subsequent
litter will be almost sure to be an im-
provement on the one that preceded it.
Some farmers permit their sows to run
about in the fields or woods when about
to tarrew, 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, a 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 before the small porkers
arrive. Care should also be taken not to
feed too bigh for few days before farrow-
ing, as ovsrfed sows are apt to destroy
their young. Itis well, too, to feed her
partly on green food to keep the bowels
open and prevent constipation and it's
evil consequences. -<-
As soon as the pigs come, they COM
mence to suck, and the SOW should have
all 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 week or SO old an opening
should be made at one side and
near the bottom Of the pen, SO that the
little fellows can have free egress and
take as much exercise as they please, and
a small trough placed within convenient
distance in which milk should be put
three times day. This the little
porkers will soon Rnd and appropriate to
themselves, and thus relieve the mother
SOW from the constant and heavy drain
upon her by some ten or twelve little
gsduealers. This course of feeding them
should be continued until they are six
or eight weeks old, at which time the
sow should be taken from them and
they placed in the pen and given all they
will eat, such as slops 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 q
clover field or other pasture and fed a
little corn daily until time to put up to
fatten and kill.
The great advantage of this method
consists in keeping tie pig growing
rapidly while it is young, aud allowing
it no opportunity to become stunted.