The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-04-05
How to Care For the SoMs.

. How to Care For the Sows.
I always aim to have my brood sows
in fair condition at time of breeding
strong and vigorous. but not by any
means too fat. The time to breed de.
ponds on each ones ability to handle
the young. If you have things so ar
ranged, 1 think you can have two lit
tiers a year produced probably. In
handling the brood SOW I would prefer
a rangy pasture, with plenty Of green
forage. Blue grass, timothy and clover
mixed will furnish green feed the year
around, except in deep snow. Sleeping
quarters should be dry, we'll bedded
and we'll ventilated-not too warm nor
too cold. The breeder should make
these sleeping quarters so no draft of
wind will be on the young, for they
will chill quickly.
A good feed is whole oats fed on floor,
a swill Of shorts and low grade -four in
the morning, corn and the same kind
Of swill in the evening. The swill
should be mixed with warm water
during the winter.
Taking the gilt as a prospective brood
SOW, her growth should be steady and
uninterrupted, with clways enough
meat on her to make her look smooth
but never fat. Then after maturity
she as well as the matured sow should
be kept in a steady gaining condition
until narrowing time, when she should
be in good flesh, but yet active, vigor'
Gus and 'robust-not fat, lazy and slug.
gish. Here is where the Importance Of
exercise reveals itself, in working down
the useless, harmful fat, and building
up instead the muscle. bone and sinew
which are the real essence. AS the SOW
is at narrowing time so will her litter
be-.
See that the SOW has plenty Of exer-
else. In colder days, when snow Is
deep and they cannot range with profit
in search Of a bit Of grass, give them
a couple Of hours daily in the cattle
yards for their corn ration, or haul the
barn manure in a pile in the far corner
Of the pasture, or spread it on the grass
to let them work over it. Work Is
what they need. Another way is to
give them their corn ration as far from
sleeping quarters as possible. Give
them a corn stalk field to range in, or
let them run out Of their lots about
the yards. Do anything you like, but
give them exercise.
About three weeks before narrowing,
begin to feed a little oil meal in their
swill. Begin with a tablespoonful, and
gradually increase until one;half tea,
cupful daily for each SOW is fed. It Is
a good feed, and besides 1t keeps the
bowels free and easy. 1t also helps to
make narrowing easy. BY following
this rule one will not require the use Of
the forceps or other mean Of assist
ance. But remember that overfeeding
of oil meal will cause abortion, AL
ways handle the sow carefully and
quietly. Never allow her to fear a
kick. or q cuff at your approach. Gain
her confidence, and keep it, by gentle
treatment. It will enable you to handle
her and her pigs quietly and pleasantly
The hurdle has taken the place of the
pitchfork or club. Always use the
hurdle when separating the sows, and
keep your temper. Never get a SOW
excited or wild. Keep cool, and keep
the SOW cool at the anne time. A little
patience is worth much, and the next
time you handle her it will be much
easier.
Never allow the pregnant sows to
bunch up in their sleeping quarters.
Never allow too many sows to pile OF
crowd up together. Three or four is
better than a dozen or TWO. Do not
allow them to drag over a high Sill IN
the door, or have to jump up and down
a high place to get into and out of their
house. narrowing dead pigs often re-
suits from these little things. Give her
good care and she will be q mortgage
litter for you.-W. NJ. c., in Indiana
Farmer. -