SWINE PRODUCTION 227 



Difficulties at Farrowing Time. Sows that eat their pigs at farrowing 

 time do so because of a feverish condition and an abnormal appetite. Proper 

 rations, access to correctives and abundant exercise are insurance against 

 difficulties at farrowing time as a rule. Where sows show the abnormal appe- 

 tite and desire to eat their- pigs, it has been recommended that three pounds 

 of salt pork be cut up and fed to the sow. Another recommendation is to 

 sponge the pigs with mucilage containing equal parts of aloes and asafetida 

 as soon as they are dry after birth. The offensive odor prevents the sows from 

 touching the pigs in this instance. 



When conditions are abnormal and the sow is unable to give birth to 

 her pigs, it becomes necessary to remove them and this is done most satis- 

 factorily by means of pig forceps which it is worth while to have in the list, 

 of useful instruments on the farm. A successful farmer and stockman states 

 that in two instances where sows were found in a critical condition due to 

 inability to give birth to their pigs, they succeeded in doing so and were saved 

 by a method of treatment handed down to him by his father. The treatment 

 was to give the sow access to a pool of water or to shower or drench her with 

 cold water. 



Care and Development of Pigs. Up to the age of about four weeks little 

 pigs derive all of their nourishment from the mother. To see that they are 

 properly owned by their mother, exercised sufficiently to avoid getting the 

 thumps and provided with a clean dry nest, is all that one can do for them up 

 to this age. When they begin to eat at the trough with their mother they 

 should be encouraged to eat from a small trough set in a pen or yard to which 

 they can enter and the mother cannot. This insures faster growth and de- 

 velopment and saves their drawing too heavily upon the mother. The same 

 ration of skim milk and grain supplied to the mothers will be suitable. 



Castration of Pigs. The only excuse for delaying castration after pigs 

 are six weeks old is in getting a development of pure bred pigs that will decide 

 whether or not they will be saved for breeding purposes. For pork purposes, 

 castration is best done when the pigs are small and can be easily handled. The 

 operation is comparatively simple and anyone can perform it who has been 

 instructed and once shown how. The principal precautions are as follows : 



Do not defer the operation after six weeks unless for good reasons. The 

 older the animal the greater the loss of blood and vitality and the longer it 

 will take the pigs to recover. 



Choose a cool day when pigs will not easily become over heated from the 

 excitement. Avoid as much excitement as possible by having the pigs away 

 from their mothers and older hogs. 



Have a clean pen in which to perform the operation. After a rain when 

 the yards and fields are clean and free from dust will be a time when the 

 wounds will heal with the least chance for infection. Do not allow pigs to 

 run to pools of stagnant or filthy water. 



Hold the pig firmly and make the incisions large and low enough so that 

 the wound will properly drain. 



