704 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



low corn young fall pigs in the northern states may be more thrifty 

 with a little choice legume hay in the ration. 



1038. Orphan pigs. If a sow becomes seriously sick or dies shortly 

 after farrowing a litter, the problem arises as to how the pigs may be 

 reared. The best plan is to get sows which have rather small litters of 

 the same age to adopt the orphans. This may usually be accomplished 

 by putting the orphans with the foster mothers for a few times when 

 their own pigs are nursing. After this, they will usually own the 

 orphans. Where no such sows are available, the pigs may often be raised 

 by hand, if the herdsman has enough patience. The best results are 

 secured if the pigs are fed sweet whole cow's milk 6 to 8 times daily 

 until they are 3 or 4 weeks old. However, Eward of the Iowa Station 30 

 found that good results could be secured on 3 feeds a day from the start. 

 In his trials the pigs did better on whole milk alone than when cream or 

 sugar was added to make the composition of the milk more like that of 

 sow's milk. (1031) A quart of milk per head daily is enough, if they are 

 supplied plenty of suitable concentrates in addition as soon as they can 

 be taught to eat solid food. The first few days the milk should be 

 warmed to 100 F. before feeding. Until the pigs can be taught to drink 

 from a trough, a nursing bottle may be used to feed the orphans. Care 

 should be taken to supply fresh water at all times. 



1039. Sanitation and disease prevention. Altho the losses from hog 

 cholera and other infectious swine diseases have been greatly reduced 

 in recent years by scientific methods of prevention and treatment, still 

 the annual death rate is much higher for swine than for horses, cattle, 

 or sheep. This is due to the fact that many farmers do not understand 

 that sanitation is as important in pork production as proper feeding. 

 If swine are kept in sanitary quarters and have an abundance of good, 

 fresh pasture during the growing season, many of the ills they are 

 subject to may be largely prevented. Not only will infection from 

 worms and filth-borne diseases be greatly lessened, but pigs properly fed 

 and cared for are better able to resist most diseases than those low in 

 vitality. 



Pigs which are infested with worms or lice can not be expected to 

 make profitable gains. Lice may be readily eradicated by using crude 

 petroleum or one of the standard stock dips. Worms not only produce 

 serious results but are also most difficult to control. 



Recent investigations of the United States Department of Agriculture 

 show that the common intestinal round worm (Ascaris lumbricoides) is 

 one of the chief causes of death or lack of thrift among young pigs. In 

 addition to the damage it does as an intestinal parasite, it has been 

 proven that in its early stage of development, while still too small to be 

 seen by the naked eye, it travels in the blood stream from the intestines 

 to the lungs. Later it returns to the intestines by way of the windpipe 

 and gullet and there grows to maturity. If many of the young worms 



30 Information to the authors. 



