46 



fairly high condition and will produce satisfactory litters, provided she take? 

 plenty of exercise. 



In districts where corn is plentiful, there is a temptation to feed almost ex- 

 clusively upon corn. Such a method of feeding cannot give the best results, 

 because corn does not furnish enough bone and muscle-forming constituents to 

 properly develop the unborn pigs. It is also rather too fattening and heating to 

 feed in large quantities to a sow at this stage. It is true that corn may be fed, but, 

 as in the case of the boar, it must be fed with judgment. The ration recommended 

 for the boar — namely, equal parts ground oats, and wheat middlings — will answer 

 very nicely for the sow. The proportion of corn, if fed, should not be over one- 

 third of the meal ration, and wheat middlings or bran may be used to dilute the corn 

 meal without oats. In cold weather, if sows have a good deal of outdoor exercise, 

 they may be fed more corn with safety than when they are kept pretty closely 

 confined. 



Fig. 13. — ^Champion Berkshire sow at tiie Iowa State Fair. 



A meal ration which is preferred by the writer to all others is equal parts 

 ground oats and middlings, leaving out corn altogether. It is possible, however, to 

 use a wide variety of feeds, so long as the feeder realizes the importance of furnish- 

 ing considerable bulk and of restricting the proportion of heating or highly fatten- 

 ing feeds. 



As in the case of the boar, the sow requires something besides meal, and the 

 furnishing of some such feeds as roots, or alfalfa, or red clover hay, is even more 

 important than in feeding the boar. Skim-milk is also excellent but is not always 

 available for sows. 



In summer, a pasture field will furnish the bulky part of the ration, and, if 

 sows are in good condition to start with and are given a good pasture, they will get 

 along very well without other feed for two or three months. They should be given 

 a little meal for several weeks before farrowing, to accustom them to its use, and 

 render the change less violent when they are taken into the pens. With regard to 



