The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-03-14
Diversified FARMING.
BY JAMES ARNOLD.

Having selected our stock hogs and
bred them, we have now to prepare
for the reception of the little porkers.
l shall not stop to describe a model
hog house, but just give q few points
necessary for a narrowing pen. 1t
must be dry and warm, and if the
sun can shine in, so much the better,
for the little fellows like the warmth
of the sun and will grow better in the
sunshine. 1t should be at least Z
feet square for each SOW and if your
SOW is properly rung, a dirt floor will
do, but it must be dry. Some rec
commend scantling around the pen
to project six inches. and six inches
from the floor. This is to keep the
SOW from crushing the pigs against
the side of the pen. l have used this,
but don't bother with it any more.
Your pen should be fixed so that you
can get your SOW out and in easily,
and there should be openings wide
enough for the pigs to get out in the
alley to feed by themselves. There
should be in your pen trough, so
that you can feed without spilling
your swill. Your hog door should be
SO fixed also, that you yourself, can
get out aod in easily, for later you
may have to come out in hurry. or
leave the broad part of your pants
and perhaps the hide in the old sow's
mouth. Your pen is now ready for
SOW if you have put in plenty Of bed
ding, which should be wheat straw.
Your SOW should be in her pen week
or ten days before narrowing, this will
give her time to get used to it, and al
SO time to work up her bedding. Your
SOW should have plenty of exercise
during pregnancy, and not too much
corn. An exclusive corn diet is not
good for a brood SOW, and when fed
largely on corn more or less trouble
is sure to result at narrowing time.
A brood sow's food should consist
largely of bran, shorts, some oats,
roots, dairy refuse and all such food
as produce growth rather than fat,and
be sure at narrowing time to have the
bowels in good condition, in fact, a
little hay seed, to slightly relax the
bowels just before narrowing is good
thing. To sum up and make your far
rowing successful, you must have good
sized, strong sows, we'll exercised, we'll
fed, we'll SHELTERED and good fund of
common sense. Very many pigs and
sows too, are lost at narrowing time
for the want of observing the above
rules, and little knowledge of hog
obstetrics. Even with the best OF care
parturition will sometimes be difficult
and the SOW must be relieved or she
will die. 1 have recently seen hog
forceps advertised, but [ have never
tried them so can say nothing Tor or
against them, but the following plan
I have tried many years with good
success. The tools necessary a-e as
follows: Take a round stick shout
Z of an inch thick and IA inches long,
make it perfectly smooth, and white
a head on one end something Ike q
clothes pin. Now take strips Of old
white muslin and wind arounc this
head till you have q ball about the
size of a goose egg and the same
shape. For the other tool, tske q
piece of galvanized wire aboat Is
inches long and about the thickness
of fence wire, turn hook at one end,
tibet will just hook over piece of :
|of an inch round iron and mske q
point on it moderately sharp, turn
hook on the other end SO as to ho,k
over your finger and your tooB are
ready. Now take with you a lump Of
lard and some hot water and yos are
ready for operations. Presuming your
SOW to be in labor, that the waters