BREEDS OF SWINE 439 



culture compiled the records of over 6,000 sows and found yearling 

 sows averaged 6.65 pigs per litter, and five-year-old sows averaged 

 8.4 pigs per litter. At the Wisconsin Experiment Station year-old 

 sows averaged 7.8 pigs per litter, with an average weight per litter 

 of 14.2 pounds, while sows from 4 to 5 years old averaged 9 pigs 

 per litter, with an average weight per litter of 26 pounds. The 

 common practice of farmers selling their old brood sows each year 

 and reserving immature ones for breeding is a bad practice, as the 

 older sows are much better mothers and their pigs have a strong 

 advantage in greater vitality at the start. 



The beginner had better arrange to have the pigs born in May, 

 when the sows can be turned on pasture soon after farrowing. 

 (Colo. B. 146.) 



Two Litters a Year. A well-fed, mature sow, with a strong 

 constitution, can profitably have two litters a year. (Colo. Cir. 2.) 



In the South, each sow, after she is 1 year old, should have two 

 litters per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The man- 

 agement of the fall litters, which are usually dropped in October 

 or early in November, is similar to that of the spring litters, except 

 the winter grazing, which is mainly on alfalfa, wheat and vetch, and 

 rape and clover. The farmer must decide whether to market fall 

 pigs in the summer or carry them over and fatten in the fall. 

 Usually the latter plan is adopted. (U. S. Cir. 30.) 



Two litters of pigs may be produced each year if mature sows 

 are used, and warm shelter provided. Better stock will be produced 

 if only one litter is farrowed from a sow each year. (Wyo. B. 74.) 



By abundant and careful feeding, the sow should produce two 

 litters a year. The ration for the fall litter should be as nutritious 

 and palatable as possible. (Mo. Cir. 28.) The sow may be bred 

 three days after the pigs are weaned. When mature sows are to 

 have two litters a year, the sow, if bred October 12, will farrow 

 about February 1. Allowing the pigs to suckle nine weeks, they 

 will be weaned about April 4, and the sow bred the second time 

 three days later. The second litter will then be born about July 28. 

 -(Colo. B. 146.) 



Weaning the Pigs. Some farmers make the mistake of wean- 

 ing the pigs too young. The age at which they should be weaned 

 depends somewhat upon whether the mother is to produce two litters 

 a year. However, the pigs should never be taken away from the 

 mother under 8 weeks of age ; it is usually advisable to let them run 

 with the sow until they are from 10 to 12 weeks old. The mother's 

 feed at weaning time should be reduced to pasture alone for a few 

 days, so that the flow of milk will be checked; if full feed is con- 

 tinued when the pigs are weaned, the mother's uddors and teats are 

 apt to be ruined. The milk flow will dry up within a few days, and 

 if the sow is thin the feed should be raised some, but she will not 

 require as much feed as when she was suckling tho litter of pigs. 



The pigs should be accustomed to feeds before they are taken 

 from the mother. If they are weaned before they are thoroughly 



