food supplied. Clover and alfalfa hay contain a good deal of lime, which forms 

 bone. In addition, the young pigs intended for the butcher should receive an increas- 

 ing amount of grain, such as barley-meal, corn-meal, linseed-meal, pea-meal, shorts, 

 and skim-milk or buttermilk. A full meal ration, as before' stated, is about 5 per 

 cent, of the live weight of the animal per day. Skim-milk should be fed at the rate 

 of three of milk to one of meal. Where skim-milk or buttermilk is very limited 

 or unavailable, old-process linseed-meal will be found very useful for young, growing 

 pigs. One part of linseed-meal to four of shorts has given good results. Tankage 

 and blood-meal, nitrogenous by-products of the packing-houses, and well-made hay 

 tea are also skim-milk substitutes. The main part of the fattening grain ration 

 should consist of starchy foods such as barley and corn. Barley-fed bacon is noted 

 for its quality. As the fattening period progresses, the amount of hay and roots 

 should be gradually reduced and the grain ration increased. A good ration for 

 fattening pigs, composed mostly of the common home-grown grains, may be made 

 up of equal parts of barley, oats, and shorts, with a very little oil-meal. As the 

 fattening period progresses, the amount of barley could be increased or some corn 

 fed with advantage. 



Care of the So it' and Litter. Sows thin in flesh should be brought up in condition 

 before farrowing. The feed should be sloppy and succulent to keep the bowels open 

 and allay feverishness. A feverish or costive sow may oat her new-born young. 

 The bedding should be short-cut straw, so that the young pigs will not be entangled 

 and crushed. A scantling nailed s inches from the wall and S inches from the floor, 

 as shown in the figure, will prevent the sow from crushing the little fellows against 

 the wall. Some sows are just as careful as others are clumsy in this regard. A 

 disposition to eat her young ones is probably the result of improper feeding. 



After farrowing, the sow should lie quietly for a long time to gain strength. 

 She will eat little the first day, but needs a warm drink. The milk-supply does 

 not need to be forced at the start. Increase her feed gradually, so that when the 

 piglets are two or three weeks old she will be getting fed most liberally. It pays 



Chester White Sow. 



to feed her well at this time, so that the litter gets a good start in life. Skim-milk 

 made into a thin slop with oat and barley meal, middlings, bran, and a little linseed- 

 meal, is excellent. 



When the pigs are two or three weeks old they will start to eat slop themselves, 

 and should be encouraged by the provision of a separate trough away from the sow, 

 as shown in the illustration. Skim-milk mixed with middlings and ground oats, with 



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