Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-05-26
Breeding Hogs.

In the breeding of swine as much as
in that of any other livestock, it is
important to pay great attention not
only to the race, but to the choice of
individuals. The SOW should produce
great number of young ones, and she
must be well fed to enable her to sup
port them. Some sOws bring forth ten,
twelve, or even fifteen pigs at a birth,
but eight or nine is the usual number,
and sows which produce fewer than
this should be rejected. It's, however,
probable that fecunditY depends also on
the boar; he should therefore be chosen
from race which multiplies quickly.
A boar left on the pasture and at lib
erty with the sows might suffice for
thirty or forty of them, but as he is
usually shut up and allowed to leap at
stated time only, so that the young
ones may be born nearly at the same
time, it is usual to keep one boar to
ten or twelve sows.
The SOW should have at least twelve
teats, for it is observed that each pig Sc
lects teat for himself and keeps to it,
80 that pig not having one belonging
to him would be starved. A good SOW
should preduce great number of pigs,
all of equal vigor. She must be very
careful of them and not crush them by
her weight; and above all she must
not be addicted to eating the afterbirth,
and what may often follow, her own
young ones. If il SOW is tainted with
these bad habits or if she has difficult
labors, or brings forth dead pigs, she
must be castrated forthwith. 1t is
therefore proper to bring up several
young sows at once, so as to keep those
only which are free from defects.
Sows and bears must not be raised from
defective animals.
Sows are almost always in heat until
they have received the boar; they get
into this state even at the age Of four
or five months, but they are commonly
not put to the boar before the end of
the first year. 1t is, indeed, often de.
fered for two years, when it is desirable
to raise large breed from one Of
middling size. Sows are sometimes re-
quired to produce one, sometimes two
filters in year. When highly fed
they may be covered three times il
thirteen months, but it is rarely advis
able. If two filters be wanted in the
year, as is usually the case in establish
ments where this branch of economy il
pursued on large scale, and there is {
sufficiency Of nouriShment for the pur
pose, the boar is put to the SOW at thu
beginning of October and the end o
March. AS the SOW goes with young
from four months to eighteen weeks
(some persons profess to have met Will
examples of sows going for twenty Of
even twenty.one weeks, and to hay,
remarked that old sows carry longe
than young ones, she brings forth il
March and Augyt; but if she is t
produce only one litter she should lii
ter in April, and the pigs be reared OIL
pasturahe. The arrangements to b
made with relation to this matter will
be determined by the various object
contemplated and the general circum
stances of the establishment. Suckin,
pigs born in August or the beglnnin
of March require good winter feeding
When the only object in raising swim
is to turn the pasturage to account an
sell the young pigs, it may be prefer
able to have but one litter, in April
Badly arranged, cold stys, may ais
afford reason for not having NOR
than one litter produced a year; br
when the management of swine is we
arranged and winter food abundant,
is always advantageous to have two Ii
tiers in the year.
When several sows farrow at one
and one of them has but small nun
Der of pigs, she may be made to suck
some of the young ones belonging
those which have produced too man,
They must, however, be put to h,
before she gets up, that she may not
aware of it. The number of your
ones often exceeds that of the teats
such a case, if recourse cannot be h,
to the method just spoken of, the sms
est pigs must be killed, that they m,
be eaten as sucking pigs by those wi
like that dish.
Sows at their first farroWing usual