The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-07-11
CARE OF BROOD SoWs.
Some Very Practical Suggestions or al
Important Subject.

Important Subject.
From experience l believe a SOW
should be fleshy enough to round up
the body smoothly; for if she raises a
litter of six or eight they will soon draw
on the SOW to such an extent that it will
reduce her flesh materially, and if sow
gets very poor while sucking her pigs
the milk is not healthy, for the system
Is so drained that it can not produce
good wholesome nourishmenu. l believe
That quite often the starting of diseases
IN herd traces to just such cause, for
the pigs as we'll as the dam are in just
such condition as to invite disease.
Therefore l think it of great Importance
to have the SOW in good even flesh at
narrowing time, so that with plenty of
reed she will not get poor while sucking.
But there are other things to be con-
sldered under the head of condition be-
sides fat, for a sow may be fat enough;
yet If that has been put on with corn
and water alone she is not in good con-
ditlon to raise litter of pigs, because,
as We have been told hundreds of times,
corn is heating and will cause too much
fever, and to relieve this we must use
some other kind of of food. such as bran,
oats, shorts, or something of that
nature, so as to produce as little fever
at narrowing time as possible. But
would not advise las some do) to dis
card corn altogether for brood sows, for
l believe corn is proper food for
.h6Se and l have always fed corn to my
sows, but there are very few days that
theydo not also get some oats or sho1 is,
and most of the time it is,shorts. / would
advise variety or change of feed, {
never make the change suddenly, L..
by degrees.
Mo- men say separate the sow from
tie balance of the herd week or ten
days before narrowing time and shut her
in her pen, but from experience l have
included that the better plan is to let
ner remain with her companions as long
as possible, and only few days before
her time is up | would put her in her
pen alone at night letting her out with
the ones she has been running with in
daytime. This seems to prevent her
from becoming lonesome and restless.
OF course this will require her to be
looked after, but this should be done
even if she is in her pen, and when the
proper time arrives she will be willing
to be separated from the herd, and YOU
can then put her in her pen and let her
fix her bed to suit herself, and do not
disturb her more than is absolutely
necessary to save the pigs. Remember,
one man is enough to attend to her,
and he should be as quiet as possible
about it.
If it is cold and the pigs are liable to
chill something must be done, and
will give my method Of handling them,
although there are other ways that I
presume are just as good and may be
better. | have soapStone that is round
like wheel and just large enough to go
inside a common barrel. | heat this
stone, and after filling the barrel about
half full of straw | put in the stone,
spread little straw over it, then putan
old sack or piece of carpet over this so
as to prevent the little pigs from work.
ing their feet through the straw to the
hot stone and in few minutes this is
a very warm nest, and as fast as the
pigs come put them in the barrel and
cover it over with a blanket, and in a
very short time they are dry and warm.
Then take them out, two or three at
time $50 as to be able to handle them)
and let them suck, putting the first lot
in basket and letting the next lot
suck, and so on until all have sucked;
then put them all back in the barrel,
and if you will peep into it few min
utes later you will see q bunch Of
sleeping beauties" When they next
awake Iput them all out and watch them
''march up to the bar and take drink
But l always stand around until l see
that each fellow gets his share of the
''treat;" then it is generally safe to
leave them, unless it is very cold; if SO,
l return them to the barrel, taking
them out to suck about every two
hours until think it perfectly safe to
leave them with their dam.
1t hardly seems necessary to repeat
what has been said so often about the
feed of the SOW just after narrowing, yet
/ believe that if the same thing was
said every month in newspapers Eyes, I
might say every week. there would be
some that would each issue see it for the
first time; hence, we say, do not give the
SOW any thing to eat for twelvs
hours after narrowing, but give drink
rot rich swill, but drink of water.
prefer greasy dish-water for the first
drink, but water with handful of light
shorts is a good drink. / would rather
a SOW have too little to eat the first two
weeks than too much. After that in
crease the feed according to the way
the pigs look. If the pigs are getting
fat hold back the feed and give them
lots of exercise 20 prevent the
"thumps," but if they are gaunt and
hide wrinkled l increase the feed and
richness of slop and get those pigs to
take little milk from small trough
all to themselves. By careful watch.
ing and helping the pigs that are GET
ting behind man can have more even
bunch of pigs. and if they are kept grow
ing evenly until they are weaned there
will not be much trouble to keep them
even from that on.-W. w. McClung, in
Breeding Gazette.
Swinging Door for Hog Yard.