Farm and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 415, 28 April 1904, Page 7

Farm and Garden.

ORIGINAL . ARTICLES. ,

TREATMENT OF~BROOD SOW ANB ■ "'*'■', PIGS. 93R&-HERE is an impression among some jUrAg people—but a wrosg one—that iffi& the shorter bioeda, as Poland-

Chinas, Barkahirds and DurocJersejs, can be produced at relatively less, cost than the longer sided kinds, as. Yorkshires, Tamwortbs, and'some strains of Chester Whites—basing the assumption that the greater the distance the extremities are from the,heart the greater will be the food required to maintain the animal in life, It, is true that a Berkshire, from his.compact and rotund form, appears to the eye to always carry mora flesh than a deep-sided Tarn worth, bat appearances are often deceiving, and they are in this case. In selecting the breed, whatever it may be, see that the male has a good pedigree, that he is a typical animal of the:.breed chosen, that he is')'" descended from animals that have been in the habit of producing large litters, and that he is well developed for his age. The sow should be selected for rapid development, regular breeding producing large Utters, and, of supreme importance, for gentleness of disposition, f Such tt : brood should be retained as long as she - continues to give satisfactios.- For best results the sow.should be of a more rangy build than the boar* :■-. , •: 4l : ■•! j Whether. she should be permitted to breed for one or two litters a year depends largely on circumstances. Where there , are plenty of dairy .byproducts the year. ! round, two litter s a year should certainly be. striven for. No one variety of grain' - ; oontains all the elements of animal life in proper proportions. .Many farmers// feed tneir brood bows largely on corn or peas during .the winter, with the result . that the young'nigs are flabby and weak,. and very of ten* live but a few hours; & Milk, roots, whole oats, bran and pollard with a little corn, and with access to earthen sods, make a well 'balanced ration, and-should give good-results if the sow has exercise daily. See that .the fl sow is gaining flesh, from the feeding of' ' such foods as outlined, before being bred.' A sow that is very thin at the time .of breeding Will likely farrow pigs which will be hard feeders. A very fat sow at. breeding time is just as bad, as weak~ pigß* will be the result. A mature sow at breeding time should carry about a hundred and fifty pounds of firm flesh; at farrowing time one should be near to take the pigs away, and in order to do that one must be on friendly terms with the sow. - If tne weather is cold take the young pigs in a basket' to. the fire, and if the sow occupies more than an hour in farrowing ' give the little pigs two teaspoonfuls of warm milk, with very little pepper sprinkled in-. When the sow is through farrowing taxe the young pigs to her and give. each of them a teat. It will be an eaay matter to start them suckling. When all are nursing leave the bow to herself. and her family. Unless the sow is a long time in parturition there is no need of .. giving any' drink before the pigs are placed with her. Five or six hours after will be plenty of time to gire her a warm (drink of meal and water. In any' case give no strong feed for twelve hours, and very gradually increase the feed, which at this time should be a warm slop, until the pigs are two,or three weeks old, when., the sow may get as much sloppy feed as she will take,. Moat people have the piga suckle their mothers until they are eight weeks old. During .the greater part of that time they should beied in a pan Joy themselves. It is not economical to feed the sow excessively when the pigs get to be four or five weeks old on the assumption that it will benefit the pigs as much as to feed the pigs direct. Cooked potatoes are the best and most appetising materials to mix with skim milk as soon as the pigs begin to eat well, say, at five weeks of age. Without those two feeds, • milk • and potatoes, it would be difficult to know how. to feed very young pigs. To mix with the potatoes and milk there is no feed superior' to pollard. 'The' famous Irish bacon is produced by such feeding. Potatoes are sometimes too valuable to feed very much of them to pigs, but on most farms there are generally; some (culls and unmerchantable potatoes that may be advantageously fed to young and growing pigs mixed with skim milk and pollard. When the pigs reach the age of seven weeks they should be separated from their dams,at. night, and at eight weeks old separated altogether, as then they are. well'able to \ care for themselves. A grass paddock" should be available for the pigs after weaning. When that period arrives the feeding will likely be varied according to ■ the special conditions of the owner and the market price'of feed stuffs,