FEED AND CARE OF SWINE 693 



can sleep without piling up, else those at the bottom will become over- 

 heated and contract colds readily. 



1025. Summer care of brood sows. If plenty of good pasture is pro- 

 vided, the problem of feeding brood sows in summer after the spring 

 litters are weaned is easily solved. Where sows raise but one litter of 

 pigs a year, they need little or no concentrates in summer, if they are 

 on such first class pasture as alfalfa, clover, or rape. Enough grain 

 should be fed to keep the sows in thrifty condition, and in any event 

 they should get some grain for two or three weeks before breeding time 

 in the fall. (1026) On such protein-rich pasture the concentrates should 

 be mostly carbonaceous in character, such as corn, wheat, barley, kafir, 

 or milo, with a small amount of some protein-rich supplement to balance 

 the ration. For example, dry sows on alfalfa, clover, or rape pasture 

 will do well on corn with no more than 4 to 5 per ct. by weight of 

 tankage, or on equal weights of corn and either skim milk or buttermilk. 

 When barley, oats, or wheat is supplied, little, if any, supplement is 

 needed when the pasture is first class. 



Where sows raise two litters a year, they will need more concentrates 

 in addition to pasture, due to the added draft on their bodies. They 

 should be fed so as to make about the same gains as recommended for 

 sows in winter. (1021) 



1026. The sows at breeding time. Sows are in the best condition for 

 breeding when they are in thin flesh but gaining in weight. If their 

 litters have just recently been weaned, or if the sows have been carried 

 thru the summer on good pasture and only a little concentrates, they will 

 be in ideal condition to prepare for the breeding season. About two weeks 

 before breeding starts, the sows should be " flushed, " just as in the case 

 of ewes. (879) This consists in increasing their feed so they will gain 

 from one-half to three-fourths of a pound a day. Sows thus treated are 

 more apt to have large litters, and they also come in heat more promptly 

 and are more likely to become pregnant from the first breeding. The 

 ration at this time should contain some protein-rich feed and be very 

 similar to the ration fed during the gestation period. If possible, the 

 sows should always be on good pasture at this season. 



If only a few sows which are of about the same size as the boar are to 

 be bred and furthermore if they are not to be bred for early litters, the 

 boar may be turned with the sows and allowed to breed them as they come 

 in heat. In a large herd or when the sows are to farrow early in the 

 spring, hand-coupling must be practiced. This conserves the boar's 

 energies and permits recording the breeding date, so that in the spring 

 the sow may be properly cared for when she is due to farrow. When 

 hand-coupling is practiced, a vigorous mature boar can be expected to 

 take care of a maximum of 30 sows, if the services are well distributed. 



1027. The boar. The feed and care of the boar do not differ ma- 

 terially from that of the sows. He should be kept in thrifty condition, 

 neither too fat nor run down in flesh, as either extreme may injure his 



