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quiet and inclined to become too fat. It will be found beneficial with -^uch a 

 boar to force him to gather part of his living from pasture. 



The boar should not be permitted to serve a sow more than once, and 

 under no circumstances should he be allowed to run with the sows to which 

 he is to be bred. This practice exhausts the boar, and is likely to result in 

 small, weak litters. The best plan is to turn the sow into the boar's pen 

 when' she comes in heat, and to remove her immediately after she is served. 



Boars frequently become lousy from serving lousy sows. Almost any of 

 the standard sheep dips will kill lice if faithfully used. They should be mixed 

 somewhat stronger than the directions call for. Coal oil is a very effective 

 insecticide; but its tendency to blister the skin renders it objectionable. An 

 excellent wash may be made as follows: Thoroughly mix 4 oz. of soft soap 

 with 6 quarts of soft water; then add 8 oz. of naptha and mix again. This 

 wash makes a good insecticide, and is also beneficial to the skin. The remarks 

 on remedies for lice apply to all classes of pigs. 



The food for the boar should be varied, nutritious, and moderately bulky. 

 Succulent foods, such as roots in winter, and green food of some kind in 

 summer, should always be fed with his meal ration. Succulent foods are 

 necessary to keep him in good health. Finely ground oats are very suitable 

 for the main part of his meal ration. An equal weight of middlings, or mid- 

 dlings and bran, added to the oats, makes a good combination. Small pro- 

 portions of other kinds of meal may be added, if desired. He should be fed 

 only what he will eat up clean; and if he is inclined to become fat and lazy, the 

 ■food should be reduced. 



Feedixc! ,\xd Manaoemext of the Sow. 



Asow should not be bred before she is eight months old, and in many 

 cases it is better to delay breeding two or three months longer. The develop- 

 ment of the sow will influence the breeder in this matter. 



During the period of gestation, sows of all ages should have abundant 

 exercise. In summer, pasture should be provided for them. The winter quar- 

 ters may vary with conditions; but the matter of exercise should never be 

 neglected. Where only a few sows are kept, they can frequently be given the 

 run of the barnyard, where they will take exercise rooting over the manure. 

 They should have dry, well bedded sleeping quarters, that are free from 

 draughts. When it is impossible to use the barnyard, it is more difficult prob- 

 lem. Perhaps one of the best methods is to make use of the portable pens, 

 described in another place. These should be placed at least fifty yards from 

 the feeding troughs. The door should face the south, and the pen should be 

 kept well bedded. If the pen is banked about the outside with horse manure, 

 draughts will be excluded, and the pen will be comfortable and well ventilated. 

 This plan forces the sows to take exercise in going to and from the troughs; 

 and exercise is absolutely essential to the production of strong, healthy lit- 

 ^f ^' 1,^ ^^^S^ number of sows can be run together in this way. Care should 

 i- t" *° provide plenty of trough room; and the troughs should be located 

 on high, dry ground, or a platform should be arranged on which to place them. 



A record should be kept of the date of service of each sow, so that the 

 date of farrowing will be known in advance. Sixteen weeks from date of 

 service to date of farrowing, is a sufficiently close calculation. A week or ten 

 days before she farrows, the sow should be placed in the farrowing pen, so 

 as to become accustomed to her changed conditions before farrowing. She 

 ■should still be encouraged to take a reasonable amount of exercise, however. 



The pen should be provided with guard rails, made of 2 x 8-inch planks 

 placed with the edges against the sides of the pen about ten inches from the 

 floor. These prevent the sow from lying against the partition and lessen the 



