264 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



The sow should be turned into the field or other 

 enclosure periodically to get fresh air and exercise, 

 eat grass or other succulent foods, and any earthy 

 matter which nature demands. 



After nursing the piglings for six weeks, she 

 should be taken away from them for gradually 

 increasing periods each day, and weaned from them 

 altogether at the end of eight weeks. The cost of 

 keeping a breeding sow for a year varies considerably, 

 but 6 may be taken as an average figure. 



Feeding the Piglings. 



Newly born piglings average about 2 Ibs. live 

 weight, and require no feeding beyond their mother's 

 milk during the first three weeks. If the piglings have 

 abnormally long teeth at birth which cut the sow's teats, 

 they should have them nipped off short with a pair of 

 sharp wire-cutters ; otherwise there will probably be 

 difficulty in rearing them. 



At three to four weeks of age, the piglings show an 

 inclination to eat, and should then receive in a small 

 trough when the sow is out, a nice thin gruel made of 

 scalded sharps, to which is added, after cooling, some 

 new cow's milk, and fed four times a day. The amount 

 of gruel given should be gradually increased as the 

 piglings grow in size. A little bran should then be 

 added to the sharps, and the whole cow's milk 

 gradually substituted with skim or separated milk. 

 The quantity fed each time should never exceed what 

 they are able to clean up immediately. 



In summer the piglings should be turned out into 

 an enclosure to exercise their muscles, develop their 

 limbs, and pick up grass as well as earthy matter, which 

 appears to be necessary to keep the piglings in good 



