114 SWINE IN AMERICA 



So far as may be feasible, the methoas of feeding to 

 which the sows have been accustomed should be fol- 

 lowed after their arrival at the buyer's home. Sudden 

 changes of feeds should be avoided, and for a few days 

 the diet should be light. 



In selecting gilts from the home herd for breeding 

 consideration should be given to the fact that the most 

 promising pigs at six or eight weeks may fall far short 

 of being so promising at six or eight months ; therefore 

 it is better to defer selection until they have attained 

 considerable growth. Then they will exhibit promi- 

 nently and in a permanent way the possession or lack of 

 certain characteristics which a good brood sow should 

 have, and the breeder will be enabled to form a judg- 

 ment more nearly correct as to what they will be at 

 maturity. 



PROPER TIME TO BREED 



Well-kept sows will, at times, come in heat when 

 not more than three months old ; Ijut in all such cases 

 care should be exercised that they are kept out of reach 

 of any boar pigs. Eight months old is as young as it is 

 judicious or proper to breed a sow, and ten months or 

 more is preferable. If nature is called upon to perfect 

 the undeveloped mother and to promote the growth of 

 the young at the same time the inevitable result is that 

 both are losers. Tlie mother herself will never be able 

 to recover from an undue and improper division and 

 deficit in nature's work. This warning has already been 

 given in this chapter, but the truth is of enough 



