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STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



Table II. — Weights of sows and litters. 



The Duroc Jersey pigs were weaned during the week ending May 18, 

 and the Poland China during the week ending May 25. The former were 

 fifty-nine days old when weaned and the latter forty-nine. The sows 

 were removed from the pigs for longer periods on consecutive days and 

 gradually dried off. The amount of milk required to support eight or 

 nine thrifty, vigorous and rapidly growing pigs is by no means small and 

 for the sake of the udder of the sow and the good of the young pigs the 

 weaning was carefully done. Sows should be selected not alone for 

 their forms and prolificacy, their milk-giving qualities should also be 

 considered. Before tbe birth of the pigs the sows should be fed not to 

 fatten them with a ration of corn alone, but to develop good, strong, 

 healthy pigs. This may be best done by allowing plenty of exercise in 

 the open field and by feeding a variety of foods. The sows in this case 

 had been fed on practically the same ration before the birth of the pigs 

 that they received afterwards, and as a necessary consequence the 

 pigs came healthy and able to take care of themselves. There were no 

 weaklings in either litter. Moreover, the continuance of the feed after 

 the birth of the pigs to which the sows were accustomed before, rendered 

 unnecessary any sudden and extreme change of feed at that critical 

 time. Naturally the sows were fed sparingly for a few days, both 

 before and after the pigs came, to prevent congestion of the udder. 



Among the Duroc pigs the one that made the greatest total gain was 

 one of the larger pigs on the start. On the other hand, pigs number five 

 and seven were the smallest pigs in the litter when first weighed and 

 remained the smallest throughout, making the lightest gains. 



