THE BREEDING OF PIGS FOR BACON 195 



" baby" flesh and keep them coming on in weight 

 and size until they are fit for the factory. Before 

 weaning the youngsters from the mother, they 

 should be able to get to separator milk or separator 

 milk and meal mixed, away from the sow, so that 

 they are well used to this food before the mother is 

 removed. This should be commenced when the 

 piglings are about four weeks old, and they should 

 be fed twice a day, during which time the sow may 

 be turned out. This may be continued for about 

 three or four weeks, when they may be altogether 

 removed from the mother without harm to either 

 side. More pigs are ruined at weaning time than 

 at any other stage, for if the above course is not 

 adopted, they miss the mother milk and refuse to 

 take food until they are nearly starving. Then 

 they eat greedily and to excess, which causes an 

 attack of looseness of the bowels. They become 

 pot bellied and never seem to thrive. Like most 

 young animals, piglings want feeding little and 

 often, and there is no better food for them, for the 

 first two or three weeks after weaning, than skim 

 milk to which a little mealie meal or barley meal or 

 pollard has been added. The great object is to 

 feed always so as to retain the " baby " flesh, allow- 

 ing them no check in their growth ; and as the 

 stomach of the pig is small and will not hold much 

 at a time, they must be fed " little and often." 

 Those not intended for breeding should be castrated 



