340 



ARID AGRICULTURE. 



SWINE 



OTHER 

 ANIMALS 



CARE OF 

 MOTHERS 



the coarse-wooled breeds have gestation periods 

 three or four days shorter than fine-wool sheep. 



The sow reaches puberty at about six months, 

 but brood sows should not be bred as young as 

 this. Sows come into heat in periods of from 

 one to three weeks and stay about one day. They 

 do not come into heat while nursing their pigs, 

 and if it is desired to get a quick second litter, 

 the sow should be bred the day after farrowing, 

 or the pigs should be weaned early. Some breeds 

 may produce two litters of pigs a year, and while 

 breeding so often is not unusual, some good 

 breeders prefer only one litter each year. The 

 gestation period of the sow is four months, aver- 

 aging 119 or 120 days. 



The bitch comes into heat once in six months, 

 usually in the Spring and autumn, and the rut- 

 ting period lasts from eight to fifteen days. The 

 gestation period in dogs is from two months to 

 nine weeks, the average varying from fifty-six 

 to sixty-five days. 



The gestation period in the cat is about two 

 months or fifty-five days. In the rabbit it is 

 twenty-eight days, and in the guinea pig thirty- 

 two days. 



One of the secrets of good and profitable off- 

 spring is an abundant natural food supply. The 

 best mothers supply the largest quantity of milk. 



