The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-04-12
tFARMERAND PLANTER.
CARE OF sow AND LITTER.
Hints ON Treatment of Sow and
Young Best Calculated 10 In
sure Well Developed Hogs.

sore Wen DoteIOpc0 hO8Ds
We will presume that the sow is q
good individual of one of the i'm
proved breeds, was properly mated
and well fed on good, nourishing
food and properly cared for during
period of CESSATION insuring strong
and well-developed litter of pigs to
begin with. Good pigs are largely
made before they are narrowed.
VI course the treatment afterwards
has much to do with their develop
ment into valuable hogs, but we be-
heve many of the troubles and fail
ures with pigs are due to the inn
proper feeding and care of the sow
during pregnancy and lack of exer-
else. ButI am not expected to dis
cuss the life of the pigs before birth,
but TO give the knowledge l have
obtained, from actual experience. as
to the best methods of treatment for
the sow and litter after the little fell
lows have entered this life of hard
ships and trials.
The sow should be separated from
other hogs at least week before
narrowing time and placed in lot
with comfortable house or shed.
Tenders should be provided to pre-
vent the sow from OVERLAPPING some
OF the little ones and they should
be free from draughts in cool wealth
er. l prefer a small narrowing house
on runners that can be moved about
in the pasture every two or three
days to high and clean places. OF
course the sow should be fed rather
lightly on some laxative food just
previous to narrowing.
We now Start with a large and
strong litter of pigs, comfortably To-
Gated, and the care and feeding of
the sow and litter the first three
weeks after narrowing is of more i'm
portance than at any other time as
the vitality of the pigs depend on the
amount of milk they get from the
dam.
No doubt good many promising
litters are practically ruined right at
the start by the inexperienced feed
er. FROM too heavy feeding of SOW
just before or soon after borrowing,
producing more milk than the little
fellows can take while so very young
resulting in milk fever of the sow and
scours of the pigs. We feed sow
nothing the first twenty-four hours
after narrowing, but water is placed
convenient SO she can drink at will,
day or night. On the second day we
begin feeding with light bran mash
OF slop, and in three or four days
add shorts, and increase the feed un-
til she Is getting about all she will
clean up by the tenth day. At about
this time we begin feeding two or
three ears of corn daily.
There is as much difference in the
milking capacity of different sows as
is found among cows, and the amount
of feed given sow will have to be gov
erned, at least to some extent, by
her milk yield and the size of the
litter. It takes close watching and
good judgment to determine just
how much feed should be given the
sow to keep both her and the litter
Of pigs in the best condition.
The pigs after ten days old should
be made to follow their dam out in
the lot or pasture and take exercise
out in the sunshine. A good pasture
for the sow and litter is essential to
successful hog raising.
At three or four weeks old the pigs
should begin to eat. A feeding pen
for the pigs should be provided adj
joining that of the dam. They will
soon learn to go in and out of this
pen at will and tempted with soaked
corn or. shorts and milk, will soon
learn to eat. If have litter that is
slow in learning to eat shut them
on from dam few hours until they
get hungry and take hold of the feed.
After they begin eating they should
have all the bone and muscle-form-
ing food they will clear up at least
three times day.
! am now feeding shorts and some
corn to my pigs. Would add oats,
but this grain is too expensive to
feed at present, prices in my section.
wish here to emphasize the impor-
lance of good pasturage at all times.
This, in connection with three reg
ular feeds of such grains as 1 have
mentioned. the pigs will be fully able
to root for themselves by the time
they are two or two and a half
months old, and neither they nor the
SOW will hardly know when they are
weaned.'
II these conditions have been com
piled with and the SOW has suffered
no reduction of flesh she will usually
come in heat within week after the
pigs have been weaned and can be
mated for. the second litter within
the year.-Geo. +. Lillard, in Texas
Farm and Ranch.