226 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



fender, as shown in the accompanying illustration, to protect the little pig as 

 the sow lies down. If the weather is cold, precautions should be taken to pro- 

 tect the sow and little pigs from becoming chilled. A box with a lantern 

 in the bottom and a basket suspended in the top in which the new born pigs 

 can be put until they are dry and have nursed the mother, will be helpful when 

 the weather is cold and quarters are not sufficiently warm. A hot bath may 

 revive a chilled pig. 



Having sows familiar with the attendant and accustomed to being han- 

 dled and the attendant being on hand to see that the pigs are properly started 

 in life, insures against losses that frequently occur. 



During the first day after farrowing the sow should be as quiet as pos- 

 sible Water with the chill removed should be offered her and only a small 

 amount of laxative feed like a thick slop of bran supplied if she appears to 

 be hungry. It is best to feed her sparingly for a few days to avoid milk fever 

 and difficulty with the little pigs. After 24 hours the feed should be gradually 

 increased until in two weeks time the sow is getting a liberal ration suitable 

 for milk production which should be continued until the pigs are weaned. 



Suitable Rations for Sows With Litters. Rations for sows with litters 

 after they have been gradually worked onto full feed, must be liberal and of a 

 character to make lots of milk and keep the sow from losing flesh too rapidly. 

 Sows that are good milkers will naturally lose weight during the time they 

 are nursing their litters. Rich slop of skim milk, butter milk, wheat mid- 

 dlings, red dog flour, ground oats, peas, soy beans, cowpeas, tankage and oil 

 meal in combination with 'corn meal, barley and other starchy feeds should 

 be provided in quantities that the sow will clean up without waste twice or 

 three times daily. 



A mixture of equal amounts by weight of corn or corn meal, wheat mid- 

 dlings and finely ground oats and to every 100 pounds of this six to eight 

 pounds of oil meal, fed with skim milk, suggests one combination for provid- 

 ing a suitable ration. 



An abundance of good grass pasture or suitable forage will save much 

 of the grain that otherwise will be necessary to feed and greatly increase the 

 profits- of hog raising. In fact hog raising on a large scale may be regarded 

 unprofitable unless an abundance of pasture or forage or some comparatively 

 inexpensive by-product can be utilized. 



Salt and Correctives for Hogs. Sows as well as growing and fattening 

 pigs should have salt and correctives which are better supplied by keeping a 

 suitable mixture in a covered trough or self-feeder where free access can be 

 had to them, than trying to mix them with the feed. Charcoal is a most ex- 

 cellent corrective. Day recommends a mixture of ten parts wood ashes, one 

 part salt and one part sulphur if charcoal is not available. Air slaked lime, 

 ground lime stone, rock phosphate, bone meal, soft coal and copperas are 

 other correctives used more or less in mixtures or placed in separate com- 

 partments of a self-feeder. During the summer when hogs have access to the 

 earth and vegetable matter they have little need of correctives as a rule. 



