ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 499 



The author also discusses ])ree(ls, lambing, shearing, l)uildings, and other toi^ies of 

 iniportani'e in this cnnnection. 



Welsh mountain sheep, (1. F. Tiiomi'son {U. S. Dcpt. .!///•., Bureau of Animal 

 JiKlustry Itpt. 1902, pp. 99-102, pis. 2). — A descriptive article. 



The food requirements of pigs from birth to maturity, W. L. Carlyle ( Wis- 

 consin Sta. Bill. 104, pp- 51, figs. IS). — The object of this investigation was to deter- 

 mine the food consumed and the gains made by pigs of different breeds and types 

 from birth until they were slaughtered, and also to secure data regarding the amount 

 and comiiosition of st)w's milk. 



The animals studied included 12 sows (Berkshires, Poland Chinas, Razorbacks and 

 crosses) and their litters. The sows ranged in age from 1 to 5 years, and in weight 

 from 206 lbs. in the case of the yearling Razorback to 532 lbs. in the case of a -l-year-old 

 Berkshire, the average weight being 343 lbs. The average number of pigs in a litter 

 ranged from 5.5 pigs with the small sized sows to 9.2 pigs with the large ones, the 

 average weight of the litters ranging in the 2 cases from 14 to 27 lbs. The age of the 

 sows also apparently influenced the number of pigs and the weight of the litters, 

 fewer and lighter pigs being farrowed by the younger animals. 



According to the author the older and larger sows are much better mothers than 

 the younger and smaller ones, and he believes that the common practice of many 

 farmers in disposing of their old brood sows each year and reserving young and 

 immature animals for breeding purposes is not to be commended. 



The pigs were separated from the sows and were allowed to suckle every 2 hours 

 during the day and every 4 hours at night. On 2 days during the fourth and eighth 

 week each litter was carefully weighed immediately before and after nursing, the 

 difference in weight being assumed to represent the milk yield. "The time actually 

 si)ent by the pigs in nursing varied from 1 to 2 minutes, with fully one-half of this 

 time taken in getting the milk started." 



On tlie basis of the recorded data, the average estimated daily milk yield for 12 

 weeks for Berkshire sows was 6.31 lbs. per head per day, for the Poland China sows 

 4.86 lbs., and for the Razorback sows 5.17 lbs., the average for all being 5.44 lbs. 

 It was observed that "some sows yield almost double the quantity of milk given by 

 others, hence it seems evident that there is as much variation in the amount of milk 

 given by different sows as there is among dairy cows. A marked falling off is also 

 apparent in the quantity of milk given by all the sows from the fourth to the eighth 

 week. . . . 



"A sow is very slow in giving down her milk under normal conditions, and 

 although not generally known it is imjjossible to get any milk from the udder except 

 while some of the pigs are nursing. . . . We also learned that the forward teats on 

 the breast of the sow gave a larger quantity of milk and gave it more freely than 

 the teats farther back, the hindermost teats apparently yielding least of all. . . . 

 Each pig has its particular teat at every imrsing period. After the milk had been 

 started by the rooting and kneading process of the pigs with their noses on the 

 udder of the sow, the herdsman and his assistant quickly drew into flasks what 

 milk they could from the vacant teats." In nearly every case at least 2 oz. was thus 

 obtained, samples of which were analyzed. 



On an average the sow's milk had a specific gravity of 1.0412, and the following 

 jjercentage composition: Total solids 19.49, casein and albumen, 6.06, fat 6.89, milk 

 sugar, 5.64, and ash 0.98 per cent. 



For the first few days after farrowing the sows were fed very sparingly of shorts, 

 oil meal, and skim milk. Later corn meal was added to their ration, the feeds being 

 supplied ad libitum until the pigs were weaned, which was done when they were 

 12 weeks old. After weaning the ration was continued for 8 weeks, but the (luantity 

 was limited to an amount calculated to be just sufficient for maintenance. The data 

 recorded show that after weaning the litters the sows required for maintenance on an 



