MANAGEMENT OF PIGS. [By W. Godwin Jun.] Live Stock Journal.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1697, 22 May 1883, Page 4

MANAGEME NT OF PIGS. [By W. Godwin Jun.] Live Stock Journal.

As opinions differ, upon the mattors of attendance, bedding, &c, I will give my ■ybdtjons for advocating this Bystem that! Tol'lbV myself, as all who venture to offer to others that should be able to do. '-'.Many pigs frequently meet their death m their early days, even with the best of mothers, from two causes. Most sows get as close to the wall of the bty as possible ; and when the bed is scanty, there is nothing but the young between the mother and the wall. After suckling, the noses of the pigs that take the bottom row of teats aie often completely covered by the udder (especially where the latter is largely developed), so that while mother and young are sleeping, several of the latter are suffocated for want of air. To avoid this, the rail is advocated, and no doubt, though not an absolute safeguard, is very beneficial ; but where there is a good clastic straw-bed, the side •forms a cushion against the wall, and prevents the sow crushing up to it ; while, from the porous nature, .sufficient air penetrates it to supply the youngster, who with his head under the udder would otherwise be suffocated. Then some sows, particularly those who are large and unwieldly, throw themselves down most awkwardly among their litter, and the poor little one lying on the hard floor is crushed to death in a moment. This would not be the case when there is a good bed ; a pig may be so lain on for a considerable time when there is a good foot of straw under him, and come out quite fresh ; he is also able to protest against the treatment, and this he generally docs vigorously, when all but the most careless mothers will get up and give him a chance ; add to these, which I think sufficient reasons, that both mother and young are so much more comfortable, and do so much better upon a nice-warm soft bed than they do upon a saw-dust or chaff-sprinkled floor, that I am satisfied of the excellence of the plan of piovidmg them with plenty of htraw. My experience was gained in this way. I had been a pig-bioadur for fjevei.il years, had good c.uotul mothcis, watched and tended them at tune of pigging with the utmost care, cut the chad foi then beds with the linest ch.iH cuttei, and ga\e it in the smallest quantities ; still tho sows laj on their olKpiing, and 1 neier had a httci but wli.it a numbui of tlicm woie so lost by being sullocated. One niaiket day I bought 1 y auction at Tamworth sow just at htteiing ; '-ho was sold by a i.vinci about t\\ o miles ofl, and diici'tly she was tin ned out of her pen made hti night for home, and could not be till >he got llieie., when as she had ie|oiii((l a do/en of lv i companions, and night wa« coining' on, wo left her till thu nc\t da>. The m\t morning upon taking a cut and net foi her, we. found liui in a Luge. Mud, in which woie J.OIIK 1 othei Uuih boais and sows; the bedding was at l'-ast a jaid deep, and bum Im it soiu'j t<"\' .\.ud-, fiom the othei pigs was my piucli.ise. witli a nice httci of pi'- r s >-he h.id biought in tlic night ; it was \eiy cold wcathu, ami the genth man kindly allowed and ad\i\ed me to It.vi Ilium to. .i lew days. Upon umaiking to him that tiny must bo Miiothed in ■•lull .'i bed, he infoi mod me thai ins pigs alwajs hud plcnt\ oi straw, having. "A young pig l.iicly takes liaim by being lain' on whun theio is plenty of oilittu to piewnl it getting crushed, ;is air will get tliiough foi it to bieatho." They did as wt 11 as could be desned, anil .since then I ha\c pio\ided my sows with good Ik ds to hi ing foi tli on, and ian sifely say I h.ue not lost one young pig, wliciu befoie I lo.st a heotc;. Tlilh .no many lo.c-oir, 100, why it is wisi to lie in attendance upon a .sow dining pigging. Cim sof dilhniHy in ]).u tin iti"u Hi <m, when assistance is jiiiptiatm, t'louu'li in anvt'ling Hue (\li.iiii . im-. piop'.-i \et( iin,m ri-^isf nice •■ho'ild be ■•ought ; somi sow ■> al&o aio cxtiemclv ii-!lu-s, and with continually g( tling up ,nid hint: down die likely to hint then jugs, winch at lust aie almost always \ c i y helpless 1 once lost neaily an cntiie btti i of my '•ow Xcllic (whose biocding piopcities ha\ o picuoudy boon noted) iluough no one being with her. Foi hci dust ioui oi live littus ho had Hie habit, diiectly a pig was bom, of lumping iiji and sl.iniling t'll the next l.iboui pain, wlun down she went, all in n htaj), light on the top of any joiiugstei that might happen to be theio. I'cd or no lied, when wiak and new bom, none tould sui\i\e such tiealincnt, and in the case in point, expecting her to pig diping in-) absMico iiDin Home, I g.ne paiticulu in tiudioiis to m v men how to at t >\n- \\ as latlu r inclined at .sin h tunes to In- six age, and thoj duist not go neu iii ; thu con^equi'iiee was lliat Ihnlci n out of se\i'iiioin ]>igs weio lost though not hung sin funded till p,u tin llioii wa-i o\ti, altei which no nioiu eaiehtl mollu l c mid bo iound. I

1M I KIM K\l, I kl \/.\ . Sometimes sou i deunu their joung iliiLLtlv tlu'V an hum, piob.ibly t'mnigh an unheaHln i.ia\iitg of then semiL'.uimuious natim , .uiil In le it is ob\ ions attendance ami K'iiio\.il die the only ]l)UbIll(S. SoU-j •lit 1 dlsO OiJCMOUdIIj , though l.uc'.y, with a soit of jtiuipui.il inii/y Hi it nid in is them to jump up ami wouy to death each miioitunate jming'-tu diiuctly it ib hoi u ; this i\ alto^i'thei difluent to the piojiMisityto <l"\(iin than, ;hkl is alun to the Ikii/> w In* h soni< times induces a young Ikilli to attack her eali, and to the frequent nidssaeies ot then youiiL' by labbits ,iud feu'et*. The last ca c e, and about the w oi st, coming under my immediate notice was that of a Jkikshne .sow, who, till the tune of pinging, was as quiet and docile .is possible, it was in the liuddle ofadaik niulit when the iii st pig was bom. Dneetly it stiired .she spiang up, ga\o one sa\age bite, and it was dead ; the second in like mannei, was killed in a moment. The thud I tiicd to remove, when she dashed at me and my attendant, knocked both over, him on his back, and the lantern out of Jus hand, and, like some mad animal, fetood lampaging oxer him — a. \eiy pleaviut situ ition ' E\entually we got away without much haini, but, ao inJunatcd did she lr conic, that we could :not nuc one ]iij,', though nc\t day fjhe occipied heis( 11 in ai l.viiirniii licr I.'j dead ones, ]iicking them up with hei mouth as tcndeilv .is po^Mblu, nnd (anting them about w ith e\ri y sign oi nifitcinal affection ; and, as 1 ha\o icasou to Know, could a poition ha\e been saved, and mtioduced to Iki 1 then, blie would have mused them without liijuiy. It ever Fam appiehcnsive of another .such outbitak, or am consulted by others in a like u\, 1 arrange for a luudlc to be liimly fixed paiallel to one wall of the fcty, with just biiiiicient room between it for the sow to stand up and lie down in without turning round ; the one end of the course is close to the wall running at right angles. Within this the bed is placed, and, when the sow is in another huidlo is fiimly diiven in crosswise, and A< ell fastened, thus fomiing a cage, which pi events her damaging cither her oil•spring or attendants, as she is only able to get up and down, and cannot possibly turn lound. The little ones are removed as fast as pigged ; and, when paiturition i<4 quite completed, it is tried to soothe her by gently rubbing her udder. If she turnsTovcr, and seems pleased with this, one of the strongest of her pigs is brought and kept by her, taking care not to let it get near her nose tillit haa sucked ; hiit if she gives it milk pretty freely, then it is allowed to go into danger, when generally after a little she will take to it. The other then may be introduced to her, taking 1 care in like manner that all suck before getting up to her head ; and should she, as is mostly the case, become quiet with them, the hmdlus may bo taken away, as the crisis is over. Sometimes two or three trials are necessary before all' is' happily arrayed, but it is very rare indeed, >yhen labour is over aud the i . ii ■ ' • ' 1

piga have sucked, that any but the carnivorously disposed will willingly harm them. Af tor either one of these experiences with a sow, it ianot wise to retain her, as she generally behaves just as badly the succeeding litter ; there are, however, eases where the intrinsic value is so great that it is desired to retain them at any risk, and as the best preventive of the evils of puerperal frenzy, I offer the above sugcc&tion of enclosing them between '■ hurdles a3 the moat practical I am acquainted with for those who arc given to devour their young. A safeguard is more difficult, but, if inveterate, the mother may be kept so confined altogether, the young ones only allowed with her just for their food, and then removed to a place of safety till too large for her to hurt ; but this entails a deal of work and attention, and certainly one experience of the sort would satisfy me ; the butcher would save all further trouble.

Why was the Egyptian business (we muVnt call it a w<n\ you know !) — -why was the Egyptian business like a game of whist ? Give it up ? Well, then, this is the answer; "Turkey shuttled, Arabi cut, England played the deuce, France the knave, and then wanted to make out that honours were divided." Cohnklius O'Dowd tells a story of an Trislnnan, bound over to keep the peace against all her Majesty's subjects, exclaiming, " Then Heaven help the first foreigner I meet !" A i'lmale begging impostor importuning a gentleman to give her a " copper," the benevolent said she should ha\ c one if she would only leave off begging and take in washing. "I'm glad warm weather is coming on ; I don't like cold weather," said a pickpocket. "Why not?" asked the policeman with whom he was chatting. "Because in cold weather everybody have their hands in their pockets," was the reply. "I don't believe in whipping," said a young minister to an old doctor of divinity, who was an advocate of the lod ; "my father whipped mo once for telling the truth, and it didn't do me any good." "Didn't it ncr you of it !" satnically exclaimed the old D.D. A wnhTcii of a husband coming home at out; in the morning, found his angel wife was sitting up leading an old novel. With ;i coaisencss almost amounting to ciuclty, he took the book from her hand, and placed l;ufoic her a pair of her child's socks, which happened to have holes in them, disgustingly observing: "If you will fatigue youioclf, my lo\c, with any woik at such an hour, I would suggest, ' It is never too late to mend.' " A v>r'iH was leaving his aunt's house aH>i ausit, when hnding it was b"ginning to l.nn, lie caught up an umbiella tli.it v a<- snugly placed in a comer, and w.h pioceeding to open it, when the old lady, who for the hist time ob.se r\ed his movements, spiang tow aids him, exclaiming, "No, no— that you ne\er shall! I'\c had that umbrella twenty-three V'U">> iU1( l has ne\or been wet jet, and I'm sure it shan't be wetted now. A%* absurd blunder i* related in Tom Mor>ii'V> " Di.ny " about John Komble. Uc v\as pel tunning one of his favourite p.n l*-, atsmno count iy theaUo, and was liiteiiupted fm'ri timo to time by the squ illiiifr of a child in the gallery, until ,ifc luigth, .inhered by this livnl performance, Ketnblc walkrd with solemn .steps to the fumt of the .Mayo, and addicting the audience hi his most tragic tones, .said : " Ladies and gentlemen unless the play is stopped, the child cannot possibly go on." " Ami you say that you arc innocent of the chaige of stealing n looster from Mi Jones ?" asked an Ai Kansas judge of a meek-looking prisoner. " Yes, sir, I am innocent -as innocent as a child." " You are conlident that you did not steal the loostei fioni Mr Jones?" "Yes, s'n ; and I can piove it." " How can you pio\ c it "1 can prove that I didn't .steal .Mi .Tones' inobtei, Jndtjc, because I stole two hens fioin Mi (iiaston the same night; and Jones li\es fi\e miles fiom (iinslun's." " The pioof is conclusive," ••aid the }it<lgo. " Discharge the piisouer." " Sor.n !' — The \i it of w ell-Known Onental of i,ink to the Bank of Kngland was the occasion of a curious misunderstanding. An o(Ii(ial of the Tank placed a sinnll bundle of bank-notes in the hand of the distinguished Oriental, remaiking that it lepiesented a million of pounds steilmy. His Highness, thinking it a comphmentaiy gift,pioceedcd to pocket the notes ; and the oflicials had the gieatest diilieulty in coin hieing him that the notes had been placed in his hand merely as a curiosity and not as a gift, when he reluctantly, and with a crestfallen mien, restored them to the governor. Tin: late Dnke of A was dining at a Highland anni\ ersary in full kilt dress, with his pipei behind him. At dessert a \eiy handsome and valuable snuffbox belonging to one of the guests was handed lound. When the time came to letuin it to its owner, this snuff-box could nowheic be discovered. A search was made for it, but it could not he found. The Duke was especially anxious about it, but with no icoult. On the anniveisfuy he again donned the kilt — which he had not wot n in the meantime —for the annual dinner. As he was (besting, he happened to put his hand into Ins sponan, and thcic to his astonishment lound the box which had been lost at the last ye.v's dinner, lie turned to his pipei and . said, " Why this is the snuffbox we wcie all looking for ; did you not see ipc put it away in my sporian ?" Yes, youi (Jiace," lcphcd the piper, " I did, Out J llwtht )/c washed to keep it." "NTi,\ i v," said Theodore Hook, "let man and wife play together at whist. Theie au; always tclegiaphs ; and if they fancy their looks arc watched, they can always communicate by words. I found out that I could never win of Smigsmag and his wife. I mentioned this one day, and was answeied : 'No you never can win of them.' 'Why,' said I. 'Because,' said my fiiend, 'they have established a code.' 'Dear me !' said I, 'signals by looks?' 'No,' said he, by words. If Mis Smigsmag is to lead, Smigmag says, "Dear begin." Dear begins with "d," so docs diamonds, and out comes one from the lady. If lie has to lead, and she says, "S., my love,' she wants a spade. "Harriet, my dear, how long you are soi ting your cards!" Mrs Smigsmag stumps down a heart ; and a gentle "Come, my lo\ c," on cither side, produces a club.'" A Lnr: Uj Rusk, — Serjeant ßallantine, in one of his American lectures, speaking ot lloiuhiug in the old days, told the following comical incident about Mrs. Allied Wigan, the actress :— " Mrs Wigau had a watchful eye over her handsome and accomplished husband, and did not approve of his associating with any of the opposite sex. One day I went into the gambling-hall and found that every chair was occupied. Mrs Wigan was seated at the rouye-ct-noir table, risking with much deliberation a few crowns, and carefully hoarding her winnings. I waited nearly an hour for a chair, and was about giving up, when an idea occurred to me, and I said in a loud voice to a fiiend who came in at that moment, 'Who is that uncommonly pretty gill I saw Al. Wigan talking with down at the Spiings ?' In about half a minute Mrs. "Wigan gathered up her money and hurried to the springs. Ido not know what occurred when she found her husband ; but I got the chair, and it cost me the matter of twenty-five pounds." You will do well to furnish your house from Garlitk and Cranwell's. They have now the most complete Furnishing Warehouse in Auckland, furniture to suit all classes, good strong 1 , and cheap. Thov have Tapestry Carpots from 2s 3d per yard, Brussels from 3s lid per yard. Linoleum from 3s Od to ss, OH Cloths from Is Cd to 4s Cd per yard, good \1 feet wide Oil Cloths ,it 3s Gd per yard. Immonse assortment of Iron Bedsteads from Infants' Cots to 15 feet wide naif-tester Bedsteads. Double iron Bedsteads from 255. 480 Bedsteads in stock to select from. Beddings of all kinds and sizes kept in readiness. Dining, Sitting, Drawing-room Furniture, and and a large assortment or Manchester and Furnishing Goods, including | a lot of Cretonnes'. Book' 'Catalogues sent free lo (intending purchasers, Garlick and Cranwpll,. City Hajj Arcaio^Cjueon-jtraot, Auckland;