Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1905-04-22
The Spring LitterS

Left to nature the pregnant sow
chooses a suitable narrowing place
and, IL weather and other circum-
stances are favorable, manages to
raise majority of her pigs. 1t is her
instinct to avoid budding together in
numbers. She isolates herself and
usually selects a sheltered, dry spot
for her nest. Up to the time of far
rowing she exercises daily and is con-
sequently in normal or natural mus
cular condition at the time of her
trial. Under these conditions few
sows have difficulty in pigging. They
are not too fat nor are they troubled
with constipation, and, if food is plen.
tiful, they have an adequate supply
Of milk for their pigs. There are val
liable lessons to be learned from the
actions Of the SOW following natures
laws. The most important perhaps is
the fact that she exercises fully and
finds variety of food, and the next
one is that she avoids crowding with
her kind.
Much of the trouble annually expe-
rienced with narrowing sows comes
from overcrowding. Under such con-
ditions hog houses become badly ven
tilated, and impure air always means,
in time, impure blood, with the train
Of evils following that condition of
the circulation. Best results come
from separating narrowing sows wide
ly and allowing them as consequence
plenty of fresh air and exercising
room. Acting with these facts in view
many practical and successful breed.
ers now provide separate narrowing
houses for each sow and provide
around them ample yards for exer-
else. This is sensible work and such
as should be initiated by all. To
merely allow the SOW to farrow in
crowded hog house where feeding
hogs are kept and where there is no
seclusion or peace is to err
1t is just as bad to allow the SOW to
nest in the bottom of straw pile
where she cannot find dry bed. In
such places trouble is sure to occur,
but less Of it than comes where sows
farrow in dirty, dark, overcrowded
much Of the time during pregnancy
without sufficient exercise and FED
heavily upon corn. Under conditions
that prevail upon the average farm
1t is quite possible to have good
luck" with narrowing sows without
the provision of narrowing pens. In
order to this success certain sim.
n1n r,,1nC CHI h4 Fa1 "a a..
most important that the sow should
come to the narrowing time in robust
health, not overloaded with fat, but
full Of muscle made from heterogeneous
foods and brought into state Of nor.
NAL vigor by ample exercise in the
open air. We have again had long,
cold winter and in some states snow
has been so deep that owners of sows
thought it would be we'll to keep them
indoors.
Trouble is going to be experienced
with these sluggish sows unless the
owners at once change their methods
OF management. The sows should be
fed cooling, opening ration of slop
containing bran and oilmeal along
with middlings. If there is costive.
ness we would mix in the slop little
epson salts or glauber salts until the
bowels were caused to act normally
and freely. Securing should be pre-.
vented, but 1t is otherwise necessary
to have the eXcretory organs act
properly. When the bowels are kept
open the kidneys will act with them,
as they should, and by their action
effete matters of the blood will be
carried out Of the system. Exercise
encourages such evacuation and
should be taken by every pregnant
SOW. Corn should be entirely dis.
pensed with from now on in the feed,
ing Of such sows. Too much of it
has been fed during winter and the
above work is necessitated to get rid
of the effects of corn feeding.
At the same time pregnant sows
should not be allowed to follow cat.
tie feeding upon corn. This is a com.
mon mistake and dangerous one.
AS the time approaches for pigs to
arrive suitable narrowing quarters
should be prepared and they should
be in sunny, well-ventilated houses
which have been disinfected and
white-washed. The beds should be
dry and kept fresh and If these things
are attended to the SOW in proper
physical condition will have no trou.
BILE in narrowing, and the pig forceps
will not have to be resorted to. On
many farms. however, the SOW has
her pigs without difficulty and then
the trouble starts from overlooking.
After narrowing the sow should have
nothing to eat at first and then simply
some sloppy mash without corn. Light
feeding for time prevents many com.
mon narrowing time troubles.-A. S.
| Alexander in Farmers Review