274 LIVE STOCK MANAGEMENT. 



poses. Oil meal, while used to a considerable extent for 

 breeding stock and for fattening hogs, must be fed with 

 great care to the brood sow, especially near farrowing time. 

 It has been known to cause abortion when fed in considera- 

 ble quantities shortly before farrowing time. During the 

 summer months, the brood sow should have the run of a blue 

 grass, clover or alfalfa pasture. If none of these are avail- 

 able, some forage crop, such as rye, oats and barley; peas, 

 oats and barley; sorghum, cow peas, sweet corn or rape 

 should be supplied. It is also very important that the 

 brood sow be fed succulent food during the winter season. 

 In this respect some corn ensilage or roots answer a very 

 good purpose. These keep the digestive system in good 

 order. It is further believed that some clover or alfalfa hay 

 which has been finely cut and steamed serves a good purpose. 

 In some instances the use of leaves of alfalfa or clover as 

 a part of the ration is recommended. One important feature 

 which should not be overlooked is the necessity of plenty of 

 exercise. Many men make a fatal mistake by confining 

 their brood sows to a small pen and feeding them heavily 

 on feeds of a fattening nature. Where such a course is 

 followed, evil results are almost sure to come at farrowing 

 time. The sow will usually be so fat and her system heated 

 to such a degree that milk fever or inflammation of the 

 udder is almost sure to occur. The number of litters per 

 year which a sow should rear will depend upon the condi- 

 tions. If you wish to market your pigs twice a year at the 

 age of six or seven months, it will be found much more 

 profitable to rear two litters per year than one. This is 

 especially true in those sections of the country where the 

 bacon hog is produced. Where mature sows are used for 

 breeding purposes, two litters per year can be reared to 

 advantage. It must be borne in mind that where two litters 

 per year are reared it is a very hard drain on the system 

 of the sow. Young and immature animals cannot withstand 

 such a drain on the system. Where mature hogs are used 

 and they are well bred, two litters per year can be reared 

 without much difficulty. 



For a short time before farrowing it is not best to feed 

 very much grain feed. Thin slops are much better than any 

 other kind of a ration. This is due to the fact that it is 

 very necessary to keep the digestive system cool and to feed 

 feeds which are very easily digested. A couple of days pre- 



