The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-10-08
FEEDING THE BROOD SOW.
I. S. Woodward, IN Stockman and Farm

1t makes a mighty sight Of difference
in the profits whether the sow produces
good, strong pigs and then feeds them
well, or produces a litter OF weak, puny
pigs and then has nothing for them to
eat; whether her system is nice and cool.
| bowels regular, or hot and feverish, with
bowels badly constipated. In the one case
she will be good natured and let the pigs
suck and will furnish plenty OF milk; In
the other fretful and peevish and the
chances are will eat her pigs as soon as
born.
These conditions depend very largely, II
not entirely, upon the way the SOW Is
treated and fed during 1t is
an almost unheard Of occurrence for a
brood sow running out on good pasture
during this period ever to eat a pig. Sows
are not cannibals by nature and are only
made so by the ignorance or f~ooliShness
Of the owner.
l prefer to nave them farrow here In
western New York early in March, SO
as to have the pigs old enough to go to
pasture as soon as good feed is available.
In order to do this and have good. strong,
healthy pigs and plenty Of milk for them
everything depends upon the care they
get through the winter.
If a sow is compelled to live In the
barn yard, sleep in the straw stack and
fed only a little corn she will be sure to
be feverish. constipated and have little or
no milk, and ten to one will eat her pigs
IL she doesn't lie on n smother them
before old enough to suck. We give our
brood sows a good, warm. dry pen in the
basement, where no frost is ever seen.
We don't care to have 1t over large; a
pen 16 feet quare is ample for six or
eight sows up to within two weeks OF
narrowing, after which each sow should
~ -.A 49, 1850 ,o 70 ,,1N a. ~ oi~h%
feet square n have only a small amount
of bedding and that should be of chaff or
cut straw.
The best food for a brood SOW is coarse
wheat middlings or reground bran, or
bran and middlings may be mixed half
and half, which should be made into a
stiff mass with skim milk If possible; If
not with the house Stops or water.
Besides this she should have all the
clover or alfalfa hay she will eat she
will eat a lot of 1t. Besides all these she
shoul have at least four pounds of man
gels or sugar beets to every 100 pounds of
live weight every day If these be given
whole she will get ample exercise In eat
Ing them. If available poor apples are a
fine feed In place of mangels.
We one winter kept Il sows In a pen
and fed nine bushels Of apples to the lot
each day in addition to 20 pounds of
coarse middling and all the clover hay
they wanted, and they came through In
..apple pie order and raised over 100 pigs.
In addition to the above the sows should
have access to a box filed with q mixture
of six parts charcoal, two parts wood
ashes. with two pounds of salt and half a
pound of copperas to each bushel.
The brood sow should be fed just enough
to be kept thrifty and strong, but not to
her fat, and the amount will depend
upon the size of the animal. I need not
say she should have all the water she
at all times. 1t Is also very de-
sirable that the sows be handled so as to
be very tame and quiet.
II sows are so treated good filters of
fine pigs will be assured and the owner
will be made happy.