FARROWING TIME 219 



Consequently the sow should not be fed more than enough 

 to enable the pigs to take what milk is produced. To ob- 

 tain good results, then, the sow should be taken in hand 

 at least one week before she is due to farrow. She should 

 be put into the place where she is to farrow, and this 

 should be made as comfortable and convenient as possi- 

 ble. Her feed should be gradually reduced, while at the 

 same time the bulkiness and nitrogenous parts of the ra- 

 tion should be relatively increased. This will satisfy her 

 appetite and supply protein to prevent the breaking down 

 of the protein tissue of the body. 



Immediately after farrowing the sow should be left 

 as quietly as possible and not be disturbed at all during 

 the first twenty-four hours except to give her an oc- 

 casional drink of water. She needs no dry feeds of any 

 kind during the first day, and the water that is given her 

 should not be too cold. On the second day after farrow- 

 ing she may be given a very light feed. This should be 

 increased during several weeks thereafter. With young 

 sows the feed may be increased so as to get them on full 

 feed in about two weeks after they have farrowed. In 

 the case of old sows this period should be extended to 

 three weeks. With this practice the milk giving func- 

 tions are not stimulated to so great an extent that the 

 litter cannot take the entire quantity, and as the pigs get 

 older and require more, more milk will be produced and 

 the best results are possible. See pages 205 and 206. 



When sows eat their pigs it may be the result of habit 

 or of improper feeding. When fed too much it may bring 

 about a feverish condition in the udder and body as a 

 whole which might cause an abnormal appetite for ma- 

 terial as found in the carcass of a young pig. If too little 

 protein is fed the sow might take this means of supplying 



