CARE OF BROOD SOWS. 275 



vious to farrowing from four to eight ounces of Epsom salts 

 should be fed in the feed. This will prove beneficial in cool- 

 ing the system and thus prevent milk fever or inflammation 

 of the udder. After farrowing, the pigs should be left with 

 the mother. The mother should be fed on feeds conducive 

 to the production of milk. After farrowing, the sow should 

 have a light ration in the form of a mash composed of wheat 

 bran and shorts or their equivalent, gradually increasing 

 up to the tenth day, when the sow can be put on full ration, 

 and ground corn and oats in equal parts can be added to 

 the ration already mentioned. The sow should be fed, too, 

 according to the size of the litter. Other rations suited to 

 the same purpose are skim-milk and shorts; skim-milk, shorts 

 and corn; skim-milk, shorts and oats; skim-milk, shorts and 

 barley. Where two litters per year are to be reared the 

 young pigs should not remain on the mother more than four 

 or five weeks. Where they are taught to use other feed at 

 an early age, they will do just as well in a separate pen 

 after four or five weeks of age, as they will on the mother. 

 At weaning it is best to remove all pigs at once. If the 

 udder is inclined to be full and has a tendency to cake, it 

 should be milked out by hand. The practice of allowing a 

 few of the pigs to remain on the dam for a few days longer 

 is often very injurious to the mother. This is due to the 

 fact that each and every pig has its own teat, thus will not 

 drain all the others. In addition to the points which have 

 been mentioned above good general care and management 

 should be given to the dam. She should always be well fed 

 and fed on feeds conducive to health. 



