CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1908-06-11
weanins Pigs in Colorado.

Weaning Pigs in Colorado.
Pigs should not be weaned until
they are at least eight weeks old. and
If the SOW is not TO have q second lit
ter, or IL there is time enough in case
she is, 1t is better to let the pigs
suckle until they are ten to twelve
weeks old.
Farmers often get in a hurry and
wean pigs when six weeks old, but un-
less there Is an abundant supply Of
milk and especially good care II
given. the pigs are likely to get stunt
ed, sometimes SO severely that they
never recover.
| The cheapest way to put gains on
young pigs Is through the SOW. She
has a strong digestion and can turn
coarse grains and pasture into easily
digested milk. Careful experiments
show that a pound OF weight taken
from the SOW will make more than ono
pound OF gain on the pigs, the flesh
of the young animals containing more
| water.
The SOW should be fed to produce a
high yield of milk and the pigs
should be kept with her until they get
to eating a full feed Of both grain and
pasture
| When the time comes to wean the
pigs, cut down the sow's ration to
water and a little grain. Take away
| the stronger pigs first, leaving the
weaker ones to suckle for a few days.
This method will give the weak pigs
an extra chance and will dry up the
SOW without injuring her udder. When
she is giving a large supply Of milk
and all the pigs are taken away at
once her udder Is often ruined and she
becomes unable to suckle another lit
ter.
| When first weaned feed the pigs
from three to five times a day. While
with their mother they took their
meals at least every two hours and
too sudden a change is detrimental.
After they get to growing vigorous
when they weigh 75 pounds each and
are on good pasture feed once day
and that at night.
When first weaned, feed the pigs
some skim milk II possible. It makes
the change from mothers milk easier.
While milk is good. but ss butter fat
- worth $500 to s740 ton. It IL ex-
pensive pig feed. Tankage will take
the place OF milk. making II about
Ione-fifth the total weight of the grain
fed.
A variety OF feeds will give larger
and cheaper gains than will any sin
gle feed. Peas. barley, wheat. rye,
milo maize, and corn are the grains
to use In Colorado. Soak from "a to
As hours, each time feeding a mixture
OF at least two grains.
Do not sour the feed, and keep the
troughs, pals and barrels used in
feeding sweet and clean.
Half the weight OF two hundred
pound pig should be made from pas
ture. Alfalfa makes the best pasture.
followed by rape, clover and a mixture
OF wheat. oats and barley sown thick
ly.
| Keep the pasture short for young
pigs, as fresh growth is the most cas-.
lily digested. and tall pastures. when
wet. often make the pigs have sore
skins. Have two pastures and change
from one to the other, 80 that the
pigs will always have clean feed.
They need fresh, clean water al
ways before them. II a well is not
convenient, the water can be supplied
cheaply in barrels to which are at
tached hog watereos.
/ They must have warm, dry. clean
shelter, free from draft every night In
the year. and they need q shade from
the midday sun.
II the pigs are lousy when weaned,
dip them twice ten days apart. Put
up short posts in the feed lot and
pastures. Wrap these posts with old
sacks and once a week saturate the
sacks with crude oil or kerosene. The
pigs will rub on these and the oil
will kill the lice.
H. M. COTTRELL,
superintendent Of Farmers Institutes.
Colorado Agricultural College, Fort