BREEDING HOGS. 623 



information on the care of the sow and the young pigs, see article 

 on " Feeding," page 649. 



Castration -If the pigs are not of pure breed none of them 

 will be kept for breeding purposes. Of the sows, pick out as many 

 exhibiting the best points, as it is desirable to keep for breeding. 

 The male pigs should be castrated when from five to seven weeks 

 old, and the sows will fatten better, reach a better weight, and make 

 better pork if spayed. The time for this operation is about ten daya 

 before weaning. 



Weaning 1 If the sow is not in good condition, weaning 

 should take place at two months; if she is, then nine to twelve 

 weeks will be the proper time. After weaning, the young pigs 

 should be put in a clean, well-ventilated and wind-tight pen, which 

 should be kept dry and supplied with enough straw to enable them 

 to bury themselves in it. With pigs, warmth is almost equivalent 

 to food. 



Importance of Soundness in Breeding Hogs Per- 

 fect health of the parent animals is essential to successful breeding. 

 It is absolutely indispensable. The slightest manifestation of ten- 

 dency to disease should lead to rejection of either sow or boar. If 

 the pigs show a tendency to disease and the parents appear healthy, 

 there need not be any doubt in drawing the conclusion that there is 

 some disease in the parents which is not apparent, and the offspring 

 should not be allowed to breed in their turn, but should be fattened 

 and sold. 



Management of Tkroughbred Stock Thorough- 

 bred pigs should be allowed plenty of space to roam over. The 

 best authorities on the management of hogs say that it is not wise 

 to try to breed more than one kind of thoroughbred stock on the 

 same farm. The greatest care must be exercised to keep out from 

 the breeding pens poor stock, that is animals which are not healthy 

 and vigorous. 



Management of Hogs Kept for Breeding There 

 should be two boars at least for service, as a boar should not servo 

 more than seventy-five to ninety sows in a season. A. young boar 

 should be well fed, but not allowed to get too fat. If he shows too 

 much fattening tendency, give him still enough to eat, but reduce 

 the quality of his food. At eight or nine months he may serve 

 sows, but not so many as to injure his growth. One service of a 

 sow is enough, for if you let him go to the sow as often as he wants 

 to, he only wastes his energy while injuring the sow. A full-grown 

 boar will not require as rich food as a growing one. He may serve 

 from the middle of October until December from twenty to thirty 

 sows, and as many in the spring. If the boar is exceedingly valu- 

 able and it is intended to keep him for breeding for a number of 

 years, he should not serve more than twelve to fifteen sows in a sea- 

 son. If it is intended to castrate and fatten him as soon as the 

 season is over, he may have all the sows he will go to. Generally, 



