CHAPTER XVI. 

 FARROWING TIME. 



The period of gestation is approximately 114 days, or 

 six days less than four months. With some individuals 

 it may vary from this a few days one way or the other, 

 even from 110 to 118 days and an occasional one will get 

 outside of this limit; but the average is as stated. The 

 largest number farrow at this time, and as the distance 

 in time from this point is increased either one way or the 

 other, the number that farrow is gradually decreased. If 

 pigs are farrowed much earlier than this, even though 

 it may not be more than a week, there is danger of their 

 being farrowed dead. 



FEEDING BEFORE AND AFTER FARROWING. 



If the sow is properly fed and handled before and after 

 farrowing, the difficulties that are sometimes experienced 

 at this time should be reduced to a minimum, and in most 

 cases there will be no need whatever for forceps such as 

 are often found in the hands of breeders. 



A good sow is one, like a good cow, that will convert a 

 considerable portion of her feed into milk. If such a sow 

 is heavily fed immediately before she farrows, she will 

 produce a large quantity of milk which is likely to cause 

 either milk fever or caked udder, and may result dis- 

 astrously for the pigs after farrowing even if not to the 

 sow herself. If after farrowing the sow is again fed too 

 much, difficulty is experienced because at this time the 

 pigs are small and can take but a small quantity of milk. 



(218) 



