376 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



these averages the man who keeps the sows the entire year and tries to 

 raise two litters may expect each sow to produce him in the year from 

 twelve to thirteen pigs. With the labor not only of maintaining her 

 own body, but also that of reproducing herself twelve or thirteen times 

 yearly, an average of more than once per month, the strain on her sys- 

 tem is necessarily very great. To meet this constant strain good care 

 and feed must be given her in order to get the best returns. 



Care of Sow Before Breeding. — The unbred sow is in a state of 

 maintenance, in storage, so to speak, for future use, and the care and 

 feed bestowed upon her at this very time is merely to get her into con- 

 dition for future usefulness. As a general thing, very little grain feed 

 is required in addition to a good clover, alfalfa or bluegrass pasture, in 

 order to maintain an unbred sow in good breeding condition. The nature 

 of the pasture (principally clover) used by our correspondents, permits 

 the grain used to be of a fat-forming nature. We find that all except three 

 of the seventy-five correspondents feed some corn to their unbred sows. 

 One of these three feeds heavily on shipstuif, and the other two use 

 alfalfa and clover pasture, without grain. In spite of the fact, how- 

 ever, that open sows occur at a time of year when pasture is available 

 and balances up the corn to a great extent, we find that many of our cor- 

 respondents do not consider corn alone sufficient grain for their sows^ 

 and 4 per cent, use bran, 21 per cent, shorts or middlings, 5 per cent, oil- 

 meal and 4 per cent, either tankage or meat meal. 



From the nature of the replies of all, and specific mention of a few 

 of them, the same principle is recognized in breeding sows that has long 

 been practiced by shepherds, viz., that animals in medium flesh will con- 

 ceive more readily and bear a greater number of young if they are bred 

 while gaining in flesh. That some hog raisers follow this practice is 

 shown by their replies, concerning which a reply often reads, "A little 

 extra before breeding, so as to have them mending at breeding time, ' ' or, 

 "A strong feed of corn with pasture for two weeks before and during 

 breeding season," or, ''Run on clover after weaning pigs, until six 

 weeks before breeding, when we feed a grain ration and get them to 

 thriving. ' ' With the sow producing two litters yearly, however, barely 

 time is given to get the sow to thriving, so, for general conditions, we 

 find that grain is fed at all times in order to get her into the desired 

 flesh for breeding at the proper time. 



Care of Pregnant Soivs. — From the time of breeding imtil the pigs 

 are large enough to eat well, is a very important period in the care and 

 feeding of the sow. During this period the sow is not only keeping up 

 her own body, but is also performing the more difficult task of repro- 

 ducing herself in the form of pigs. The feed of the sow should there- 



