168 THE HOG. 



in either of which cases they must be fed from the first. When tho 

 young pigs are about a fortnight old, warm milk should be given to 

 them. In another week, this may be thickened with some species 

 of farina ; and afterwards, as they gain strength and increase in size, 

 boiled roots and vegetables may be added. As soon as they begin 

 to eat, an open frame or railing should be placed in the sty, under 

 which the little pigs can run, and on the other side of this should 

 be the small. troughs containing their food; for it never answers* to 

 let them eat out of the same trough with the mother, both because 

 the food set before her is generally too strong and stimulating for 

 them, and besides, the chances are they would not get a mouthful. 

 Those intended to be killed for " sucking-pigs" should not be above, 

 four weeks old ; most persons kill them for this purpose on the 

 twenty-first or twenty-second day. The others, excepting those 

 which are kept for the purpose of breeding, should be castrated at 

 the same time. 



WEANING. 



The age at which pigs may be weaned with the greatest advantage 

 is when they are about eight or ten weeks old ; many persons, how- 

 ever, wean them as early as six weeks, but then they seldom turn 

 out so well. They should not be taken from the sow at once, but gra- 

 dually weaned. At first they should be removed from her for a 

 certain number of hours each day, and accustomed to be driven by 

 hunger to eat from the trough ; then they may be turned out for an 

 hour without her, and afterwards shut up while she is turned out 

 also by herself. Subsequently they must only be allowed to suck 

 so often in twenty-four hours ; perhaps six times at first, then four, 

 then twice, and at last only once ; and meanwhile they must be pro- 

 portionally better and more plentifully fed, and the mother's diet in 

 a like manner diminished ; thus will the weaning be accomplished 

 without danger or evil consequences to either. Some persons have 

 advised that the whole litter should not be weaned at once ; we do 

 not, however, agree with them, unless it should happen that one or 

 two of the young ones are much weaker and smaller than the 

 others ; in such case, if the sow remains in tolerable condition, they 

 might be suffered to suck for a week longer; but such a mode 

 of proceeding should be an exception, not a general rule. 



Pigs are more easily weaned than almost any other animals, 

 because they learn to feed sooner ; but nevertheless this is always a 

 somewhat critical period, and great attention must be paid to them 

 if we would have them grow up strong, healthy animals. Their 

 styes must be warm, dry, clean, well ventilated, and weather-tight. 

 They should have the run of a grass meadow or paddock for an hour 

 or two every fine day, in the spring and summer, or be turned into 

 the farm-yard among the cattle in the winter, as fresh air and exer- 



