FEEDING YOUNG PIGS. 447 



than the 1st to the 10th of May. I keep a record of the time 

 I expect each sow to come in, and ten days prior to that time 

 separate her from all others, putting her in a dry, warm place, 

 so constructed as to protect her from rains and storms, yet with 

 plenty of light and air. I study the nature of the animal, and 

 take advantage of her peculiarities, as the bee-keeper does his 

 bees. I find no trouble in getting a sow into her pen, or place 

 prepared for her delivery. She is more like ourselves than we 

 are willing to acknowledge, and is far easier led than driven. 

 Educate your sows so that you can take them wherever you 

 wish by simply taking a pail of swill to coax them along. By 

 this means there is no danger of injury to the sow, and this 

 treatment saves many hard words and blows. 



FEEDING YOUNG PIGS. 



The time has now come when the sows have all been taken 

 care of, properly treated and fed, and have had the range of a 

 good pasture after the pigs were strong enough to follow them. 

 The pigs are therefore ready to be weaned, which should 

 be done, if you desire to breed the mother a second time, when 

 they are about six weeks old. Before this I teach the 

 little fellows to eat corn and swill. The corn I always soak in 

 a barrel of water, which must be kept sweet by putting in fresh 

 water. I put in a handful of salt to each barrel. In the 

 absence of milk and house swill, I use mill feed. I make a 

 barrel of swill, and in it put a handful of salt. After standing 

 from twelve to twenty-four hours, the weather making it 

 slightly acid, it is ready to feed. I never allow it to get sour. 

 I feed twice daily of this corn and swill, for a month prior to 

 weaning. I feed the sows and pigs together, giving them all 

 they will eat. I now take away the sows for twelve hours 

 and keep them on dry feed and water, then let them go back 

 to the pigs. I separate them again for twenty-four hours, and 

 then let them out to their pigs. I continue to lengthen the 

 hours that the sows are kept away, until they are dried off 

 without damage to them as sucklers. The pigs which I design 

 for the market I push as fast as possible, feeding as I have 



