222 HOG CHOLEEA 



precaution our readers are referred to the head- 

 ing in the last chapter entitled ' ' Handling Feeder 

 Hogs." 



It is in raising pigs entirely on garbage that 

 the greatest care is required. Numerous pitfalls 

 are in the path of the beginner, and it is a quite 

 general rule that one serious disaster is necessary 

 to impress him with the necessity for avoiding 

 neglect. The critical period in a pig 's life is from 

 weaning time until he reaches a weight near 75 

 pounds. When garbage is to be the sole feed it 

 is a great mistake, and a common one, for the pigs 

 to be weaned while they are very young. The 

 breeder is anxious that the sow shall produce an- 

 other litter as soon as possible, and thus it is not 

 uncommon for weaning to take place when the 

 pigs are four weeks old, or a trifle more. They 

 are then too young to gain well on garbage alone 

 and they are subject to various dietary troubles 

 that are not often observed in pigs weaned later 

 in life. One good litter a year born quite early in 

 the spring and nursed until the pigs are eight or 

 even twelve weeks of age is more profitable than 

 two litters weaned too young. However when 

 warm farrowing pens are provided it is not neces- 

 sary to choose between one litter a year, and two. 

 The sow can nurse her litter the required time 

 and then be bred at the first period of heat fol- 



