POINTS ON PIGS

Shannon News, 2 January 1925, Page 2

POINTS ON PIGS

Get rid of that sow which raises only ffmr or five pig's and the one that docs not give sufficient milk for half a dozen. The margin is so small it is impossible to realise any profit f 1 om pigs such sows raise. If it is impossible to have the pig* on pasture, do the next best thing—cut clover or corn, and take it to the pens. It is surprising the amount of green stuff pigs will consume/ and it always helps .to reduce the bill for grain feed.

All you'ng pigs must be kept growing right from the start, and grown to the desired size and weight. This means that the sow must be a good milker and satisfy her litter until old enough to feed from a trough, which may be at around four weeks.; Exercise is very important Tor young pigs, and every possible means of seeming it must be adopted. If they are kept iT a small pen there is a danger of possibly the best of them becoming too fat and dying from diseases which soft, flabby _ pigs appear susceptible to. By the time the young pigs are three or four weeks old they will have learned to eat. If .at all possible, it is a good plan to give them access to another pen where they can have a small trough •to themselves. Pigs that have learned to eat well before being weaned do not suiter any serious setbacks whe'n the sow is taken away from them. If at any time during the lactation period the sow’s udders become hard and inflamed, it is a good plan to bathe thoroughly with hot water and apply equal parts of lard and turpentine.