262 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



those kept in the wooden cabins required 526 Ibs. of 

 meals to produce 100 Ibs. live weight increase, while those 

 in the warmer station piggeries required only 366 Ibs. 

 meals to produce the same increase, thus effecting a 

 saving of 44 per cent, on the food consumed. 



With brood sows, Grisdale found in a similar 

 experiment that those kept in the wooden cabins during 

 winter required 25 per cent, more food. In England 

 the same thing holds good, although the difference may 

 not be quite so great as in Canada, where the winter 

 is very severe. 



Feeding the Brood Sow. 



Sows kept for breeding purposes should be 

 descended from a strain which is noted for being good 

 mothers of quiet disposition, and for having litters of eight 

 to fourteen piglings of uniform size. 



The sow should be of a good type, which means that 

 the bones of legs should be fine, head and shoulders 

 neat, with broad back, long deep sides, and heavy hind 

 quarters. Care should be taken to avoid any sows 

 which have been fed largely on flesh meat, as they are 

 apt to worry their piglings at farrowing time. 



There is generally a good demand for six- to ten- 

 week-old pigs on dairy farms about May, to consume 

 the dairy by-products, and on arable farms there is a 

 similar demand in autumn to consume " brown " and 

 small potatoes, etc. ; hence sows should if possible be 

 timed to farrow about February for spring demand, and 

 late August or early September for autumn demand. 



For two or three weeks after the sow has been 

 weaned from her litter, continue the feeding in order 

 to allow her to recover from the severe strain of nursing 

 before mating her again. This treatment is considered 



