A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 57 



If the pigs have been well fed and the sow is much re- 

 duced, they may be weaned at six weeks old, but if the 

 sow is still in good condition and strong enough to bear 

 the drain upon her constitution, they may remain with her 

 ten or twelve weeks, if there is time enough to prepare 

 for,the next litter. 



When only a few weeks old. the boar pigs should be 

 altered and marked, and the sows spayed about two weeks 

 before they are weaned, that they may have the mother's 

 milk until recovered from its effects. 



If pigs are castrated at this tender age, there is less risk 

 on account of the greater ease with which they can be held 

 in the proper position, and the small development of the 

 parts. If allowed to run three or four months, as is too 

 often the case, the parts become more sensitive, and hem- 

 orrhage, swelling, and stiffening of the parts are apt to 

 follow. When the pigs are operated upon the sow should 

 be removed to a sufficient distance from the pen not to be 

 excited by the cries of her young, since there will be risk 

 of her eating her pigs if she smells blood upon them when 

 she is excited. 



MODE OF OPERATING. 



The assistant seizes both of the right legs of the pig in 

 his right hand, and the left legs in his left hand, placing the 

 head of the pig under his right arm, and holding him firmly 

 on his back. The operator grasps, between the thumb 

 and forefinger of 'his left hand, one of the testicles, tightens 

 the scrotum over it with a sharp knife, point towards the 

 tail of the pig, makes an incision in the lower part of the 

 scrotum, through which he squeezes out the testicle, and 

 scrapes down the spermatic cord until two inches of it are 

 exposed to view. He then severs it with the knife, or, 

 better, wraps the cord around the finger, twists it gently, 

 and pulls firmly, until it breaks. Under this practice very 

 little, if any, hemorrhage will occur. 



