51 



When removed from the water, it should be rubbed dry, and induced to suck if 

 possible. 



As soon as the sow appears to have settled down quietly, it is best to put the 

 little pigs with her and leave them together. It is well not to interfere except when 

 it is absolutely necessary. 



By the time the pigs are about three weeks old they will have learned to eat. 

 If at all possible, it is a good plan to give them access to another pen in which is 

 kept a small trough. Here they can be fed a little skim-milk with a very little 

 middlings stirred into it. The quantity of middlings can be increased gradually 

 as the pigs grow older. If they can be taught to nibble at sugar-beets or mangels 

 during this time, so much the better. A small amount of soaked whole corn, or 

 almost any other grain, scattered on the floor of the pen, will cause them to take 

 exercise while hunting for it. If it is not possible to provide an extra pen, the 

 sow may be shut out of the pen while the pigs are being fed. Many people simply 

 allow the young pigs to eat with the sow, and many good pigs are raised in this 

 way, but better results will be obtained if the pigs can be fed separately. 



Exercise is very important for young pigs, and every possible means of 

 securing it must be adopted. If they are kept in a small pen with the mother, 

 some of the best of them will likely become too fat, and probably sicken and die. 

 Outdoor exercise is especially beneficial, but pigs should be protected from cold 

 winds or from a very hot sun. If the sow is turned out with her pigs, it is not 

 well to give her a very large range at lirst, as she is likely to travel too far and 

 unduly tire the pigs. 



Boar Pigs not intended for breeding purposes should be castrated before 

 weaning, to get the best results, though there is not much danger from castrating 

 at a later date, provided care is exercised in connection with the operation. Clean 

 hands, a clean knife, and the use of a disinfectant upon the wound will obviate 

 practically all danger. 



Ruptured Pigs. —Pigs ruptured in the scrotum may be easily castrated 

 as follows: Have an assistant hold the pig up by the hind legs. In making the 

 incision, cut only through the skin of the scrotum, being careful not to cut the 

 membrane or sac which envelops the testicle. Then draw out the testicle enclosed 

 in its membrane, and, at the same time, work the intestine back into the body of 

 the pig. With the pig held as described, the intestine jwill go back to its place with 

 little or no assistance. Having drawn out the testicle far enough, tie a strong 

 string firmly around the cord of the testicle (including the membrane), and then 

 cut away the testicle (enclosed in its membrane) just outside of where the string 

 is tied. Leave the ends of the string three or four inches long, so that they hang 

 outside the wound. If the string does not come away in a couple of weeks, it may 

 be pulled out. 



If the rupture is only on one side, the remaining testicle may be removed in 

 the ordinary way. The scrotum should be washed with disinfectant before any 

 incision is made. The hands of the operator and the knife should also be washed 

 with disinfectant, and the string should be soaked in disinfectant before it is u^ed. 

 The incision in the scrotum should extend well downwards to facilitate drainage 

 /rem the wound. These simple precautions assure success. 



The writer has employed this method successfully, and when the wound heals 

 no person could tell that the pig had been ruptured. 



