BROOD SOWS.

Shannon News, 9 April 1925, Page 4

BROOD SOWS.

After trying various feeds and combinations, we have come largely to use bran! ground maize,, wheat, and oats for sows at farrowing time (writes an American farmer in the "Breeders' Gazette," Chicago). It seems safe to direct that almost any sow be fed half-a-gallon or bran and a quart of maize, wheat, and oats, ground together in about equal parts by weight. If one is short on either wheats or oats, then the maize may be in greater proportion. I This year we could not feel that the millers were offering pollard at a pric e within profitable use. So we stored our wheat, having it ground as needed, expecting that when pollard was rightly priced, we would sell the wheat and then purchase pollard. But through autumn and spring farrowing, we were better pleased with the substitution of the mixture mentioned with the bran for sows than when we used pollard with the bran and Oats. We had much, less trouble with indigestion in the pigs. If farmers with pigs would use wheat instead of pollard, when the latter is priced out of line, the supply of wheat would be reduced, and the millfeed market affected. Much wheat was fed, but much, more ,could have been fed. Until the first year, in some sections at least, the demand for pol- ' lard was about double production. I

The combination mentioned, plus sufficient ear maize to keep sows in proper flesh, tankage, lucerne leaves (sifted from the loft door) and mineral matter proved a satisfactory ration for our sows. The maize and tankage were taken away a few days before farrowing, and the mixed ra-tio-i then given for several days. It was mixed in warm water the first tew feeds after farrowing.