SUCKING PIGS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 149, 23 February 1916, Page 4

SUCKING PIGS.

Influence of tne Sire on Vitality. Mr danders Spencer, the noted English pig breeder, writing to ' Faimer and Stock breeder," says: "An inquirer raises a joint or considerable importance to owners of breeding eows. He wrius: 'for the last two or three years 1 have been trying to breea" a tew pigs; up to the present my etforls have been only moderat.ly successful and 1 have arrived at the conclusion that there is more in pig breeding than at first meets the eye. One of my greatest t-oubles is scour, which first ehows itself in the young pigs when they are from three to five weeks old. 'lhe. little pigs quickly tli;ir condition and receive a check which seems to take teem quits a time to recover from, and is attended with more or less mortality, 1 was at first inclined to attribute this to indigestion caused by the sows' milk undergoing some change,, and consequently tried to regulate the sowb' food, hut without appreciable effect. I have Bince formed the opinion that this might te caused through a totally different reason. J should like to know if your large expenenca li breeding operations gees to prove that my theory is feasible. A few weeks ago I had three sjws farrow down u three successive days. As the only boar 1 kept had not been used for about a fortnight 1 thought this was not exacting too much of his services. The resultant farrows have worked out as follows:—Fust sow, first and previous farrow six pig*, only in very moderate condition at time ot service, farrowed down with twelve pigs, and up to the present all are alive and show no signs of scour. "Second bow, first and previous farrow eight pigs, in pink of condition up to time of writing, farrowed clown with nine pigs; the whole of these have been more or less affected with ecour, one pig has died.

"Third sow, previous farrow lea pigs, ia good condition throughout. farrowed down with eight pigs, live of these have died oil scour; the remaining three are now improving. "All the sows have been fed from the same tubs and have received the same housing and at'.ention throughout,

"It has now occurred to me that possibly where cottagers keep one or two sows, and consequently have to avail tnemselves of the services of a boar kept at public stud, that this may explain the reason of so many failures,' "Ihe idea that the reputed weak ness of the offspring of a sire which has been unduiy us;d shall extend to the digestive organs is one that bas not, to my knowledge, been previously discussed in your columns. Ih2 facts given by the inquirer as above, appear to afford strong proof that not only the number of the litter of pi«e, but the constitution of the pigs, ia injuriously affected by causing an unnatural drain on the vitality of the boar. Perhaps readers would give the result of the observation on the above point. Personally, I have not tad an opportunity since i was compelled to keep a veiy considerable number of boars; my usual number was at least ten, sinca my herd was self-sustaining, and I had to keep boars of the same breed, but of different families; but this 1 did occasionally notice: that when at times I was forced to use one of my b:ars to several sows within a short period, the latter begotten litters were decidedly fewer in number, and that occasionally the individual pigs were less robust. 1 think that with thi3 expe.ience it would not be unfair to draw th2 conclusion that in this case of the inquirer's three sows the undue use of the boar might have been one ol the chief causes of the produce surferirg from the severe attack of diarrhoea. Jt 13 a very interesting point, and ore quite worth following, as the loss ol life and condition ot the young pigs attacked by scour materially affect the balance sheet of tl.e pig breeder.

"It bas been gcr.ersliy hid that diarrhoea in young pigs arises from indigestion or chill, ur the two combined. Many medicines have teen recommended. In my time I tried well nigh all, if not the wholt', of them, but the Bimctst and most succ saful remeiy was to reduce ire qau. tity and at times the quality of the fiod on which the bow was being fed, to place in the ety some freßh earth, and to furnish thi pigs with exlra litter whiih vras perftcily dry. The flooring of the sties shoull be thoroughly cleansed, and if disinfected tre ri-k of the trouble extending tn other litters c: pigs is very considerably reduced. At time', cspecially in damp and fog, the risk of infection is very great. The querist also asks it it is usual for the sow to clear up the excrement of litile pigs, or would it be advisable to try and prevent it. It is usual, and it would be most difiicult ta try and prevent it, even if it were, hb 1 thir.k it ia not, injurious to the health tf the sow or of the pigs sucking her