378 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PIGS 



habits are those most likely to be formed. No bedding is 

 required if the floor be smooth concrete with a fall inside 

 of 2 inches towards the doorway, and if it be swept out every 

 day and periodically washed. The outer court floor should 

 have a greater fall into a sink-hole in the centre over a 

 covered drain if water be available to swill it daily. In the 

 absence of an abundant water supply, the drainage of the 

 pigsties should be carried off by an outside surface channel. 

 Another serviceable floor is made by paving a layer of 

 movable open-jointed bricks above a layer of dry sand, which 

 drinks in the liquid that finds its way into the open joints. 

 Feeding-troughs are best made of fire-burnt clay, with a 

 division for each pig, to prevent the weak being driven out 

 and starved by the strong. At dairy-factories, where fifty or 

 sixty pigs are placed in one large house and fed from long 

 troughs, a number of weak ones are always kept back till the 

 others are satisfied, and in consequence do not thrive. Male 

 pigs are castrated when about four weeks old and after 

 fasting for twelve hours, but not during frost. Those for breed- 

 ing are turned into a yard or field, and left to grow for a few 

 months, but all newly weaned pigs should have plenty of 

 exercise, as a safeguard against apoplexy, especially if they 

 are undergoing forcing treatment. A ring is put through the 

 gristle above the nostrils to prevent their exercising the 

 instinctive habit of digging or grubbing up the surface in 

 search of roots and the larvae of insects. Mangel-wurzels, 

 turnips, cabbages, clover, vetches, or silage may be given 

 uncooked and alone, or with a limited supply of other food. 



Pigs going at large at a considerable distance from the 

 homestead should be provided with a shelter shed. A con- 

 venient form is shown in the accompanying figure, capable 



FIG. 2i. SHELTER SHED ON WHEELS, FOR PIGS. 

 9' x 5' x 3' to the Eaves, costing about ^3. 



of accommodating five or six well-grown pigs. It can be 

 easily moved to a new site when necessary, and placed so 



