Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-06
FEEDING sows.

While the feeding Of the sow is in
diligently done by a great MANY, it is
also carelessly done by a great many,
and unsatisfactory results almost inev-
itably ensue. What may be called our
corn-feeding habit prevails to ruin
Gus exteLt in feeding sows, many OF
which are actually fed with the hogs
that are fattening. The SOW gets fat
with the other hogs, and SOW that is
pork fat is likely 20 have smaller pigs
and do badly in narrowing. The food
needs to be largely Of that kind which
is rich in flesh-forming elements, such
as oats, barley or mill-stuffs, the latter
the best Of all. Barley is highly rec
commended by some experienced feed
ers, and from its composition we
should suppose it to be very good but
we do not know from experience how
high it would rank when fed alone as
food for sows. But oats are usually
ut the command of every farmer and
will answer all practical purposes.
Corn, as before said, should be fed
sparingly, which rule will apply to all
foods containing superabundance of
starch o. sugar. We do not think that
alittle corn is productive of any injury,
though some feed none or scarcely
none. Our sows have always done
well in winter when fed on half corn
and oats or some, fesh-forming food.
1t is not fat that the sow needs, but
system kept in perfect repair, all its
parts well nourisi ID and satisfied. We
believe that the destruction of pigs by
sows is attributable TO a lack of proper
food, and, consequently, starved con-
dition of tn system; and all the spe-
cific causes of this trouble mentioned
by any writer or breeder whose COM
ments upon the subject we have seen
are only immediate causes, traceable
TO the more remote cause of starvation
of the system. One writer says it is
because they are kept from earth, coal,
ashes, rotten wood and charcoal
Some of these thiags-charcoal for in
stance-will usually prove valuable to
the sow, independent of the existence
of vitiated appetite. But when a
SOW. or any other animal, becomes
crazy enough to think that she wants
mess of dirt or hard coal she gives
the best evidence that some part of
the system is suffering for nourishment.
But, of course, no one doubts that a
proper system of feeding would supply
every part of the system with what it
requires.
Another cause given for this habit
is great thirst consequent upon the
fcverish condition of the sow at far
rowing time. Whatever fever might
naturally exist would certainly be in
creased by an imperfectly fed con-
dition Of the system and great degree
of fairness /; and so all these specific
causes go back 10 the great specific
cause.-the neglect 10 feed the foods
that are needed to keep the muscular
and bony system in perfect repair
Of such food as we have designated
the animal should have a generous
supply. After pigging the aim is TO
enable her TO make large supply of
milk. Pigs are great feeders as all
growing animals are. The SOW must.
therefore, be fed heavily. But, feed
as heavily as we may and must, she
will lose flesh, thus making the feeding
Of pigs costly operation. SKINNED
milk, wheat bran and shorts mixed
make good food for this purpose
Coburn says that he has had favorable
results from feeding coarsely ground
rye, soaked from twenty-four 10 thirty
six hours, but not allowed TO become
too sour before Westera
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