Ch.XLI.] ON REARING. 513 



profitable, for they usually liave among them many weakly individuals 

 which can never be reared with advantafje. 



At the close of about a week after farrowing, the sow may be allowed to 

 leave her stye for a short time every day, and when the brood acquires a 

 little strength, thev may accompany her ; but not into the enclosure of the 

 farm-yard, as they might there be smothered in the filth of the litter : a 

 grass field is the best place, for the herbage improves the sow's milk; 

 the pigs grow faster as well as more healthy, and the stye is rendered 

 sweet by their absence*. The time which they remain out should also be 

 regulated according to the object for which they are intended ; for, if 

 meant to be reared as porkers, the less exercise they get tlie better ; 

 whereas, if brought up for bacon hogs, it is immaterial. If the brood 

 be numerous, they should be lessened as soon as possible, by killing 

 some of them, as sucking pigs or roasters, at the age of a fortnight 

 or three weeks, in order to relieve the sow from the drain upon her 

 powers of nourishment by suckling a large number : — perhaps six or seven, 

 or at the most nine, are quite as many as should be left ; though we have 

 known so many as thirteen brought up in perfect order without any appa- 

 rent injury to the dam, and we have heard of one which actually brought up 

 177 pigs in thirteen litters ! In such case, however, she should be a very 

 strong and healthy animal, as well as supplied with a great abundance of the 

 most nutritious food. She should at first have warm gruel, in which a good 

 quantity of strong beer may be mixed as a cordial ; then, during the whole 

 period of her nursing, luke-warm kitchen or dairy-wash, with pollard morn- 

 ing- and evening ; and, in the middle of the day, a substantial meal of dry 

 food, consisting of steamed potatoes, pea and barley-meal, or other sub- 

 stances equally nutritive. The offals of the kitchen, with a little meal, will 

 indeed generally go far to the support of a moderate-sized breeding sow. 



At the end of three weeks, the male pigs may be castrated, though some 

 defer it until they are six or eight weeks old ; and, if thought necessary, 

 those females which are not intended for breeding may be spayed when 

 about a week older, or afterwards, if thought necessary, when suckling. 

 The boar may, however, be gelt without danger during any period of 

 his life, and will afterwards make very good bacon. The operation is, on 

 both, performed by a minor degree of cattle doctors, called " sow-gelders," 

 whose usual fee is one shilling. 



The young pigs, even while sucklers, should not be left wholly to the 

 nourishment afforded by the sow, but should be furnished two or three 

 times a day with skim-milk, butter-milk, whey, or pot-liquor, made 

 luke-warm, and having a little meal, or pollard, and boiled roots mixed 

 up with it ; or if this be thought too troublesome, skim-milk may be left 

 constantly for them in a part of the stye to which the sow cannot have ac- 

 cess in consequence of her size. In about six weeks, or two months, they 

 will generally weigh from 30 to 36 lbs., and be strong enough for weaning : 

 in doing which they should be gradually separated from the sow, only 

 allowing them to suck at first twice, and then once a day, and leaving the 

 weakest with her a few days longer than the others. They should, how- 

 ever, be warmly and cleanly lodged, as well as very carefully fed. Both 

 the kitchen and the dairy thus affording assistance to the pigs during their 

 weaning, they will in a little time acquire a relish for roots, on which 



* Sm-vey of Huntingdonshiie, p. 260. 

 VOL,. II. 2 h 



