FEEDING SWINE 307 



milk is especially valuable for young boars as the breeding season 

 approaches, and during this time two or three pounds grain may be 

 fed; a mixture of equal parts of corn, ground oats, and middlings 

 will prove an excellent combination. 



Feeding the Sow and the Pigs. — The brood sow must be kept 

 in a good body condition at all times, so far as possible, so as to be 

 able to give birth to thrifty, vigorous pigs, and to furnish an abun- 

 dance of milk for a healthy, rapid growth. Succulent feeds are 

 an essential part of the ration both in summer and winter. A 

 farrow, matured sow will keep in good condition on good clover 

 or alfalfa pasture alone, but a young sow must receive about one 

 to two pounds of grain daily per 100 pounds weight in addition ; 



Fie. SI. — A thrilty bunch of sows and pigs crowding around the feed troughs — a familiar 

 farm scene. {Pacific Rural Press.) 



e.g., a mixture of oats or barley and shorts, with a little corn so as 

 to keep the nutritive ratio down to about 1 to 6 (p. 294). But little 

 grain is fed for a few days before farrowing, and the sow is given 

 cooling feeds of a laxative nature, as roots, and a slop made up 

 largely of grain or shorts. For the first twenty-four hours after 

 farrowing no feed is given, but all the lukewarm water she will 

 drink ; she is then given limited feed for three or four days, and is 

 slowly brought up to full feed in the course of about ten days. A 

 grain mixture of ground corn, ground oats, and shorts (1:1:2), 

 mixed with three to five pounds skim milk, will give excellent re- 

 sults at this time; she should also be given some roots and be put 

 on pasture as soon as possible. As much of the grain is fed as she 

 will eat up readily. 18b 



After two or three weeks, the pigs should be given some feed in 

 a small trough of their own, and this amount increased as rapidly 

 as they are able to clean up more. When the sows and pigs are 

 on pasture they will eat much less grain, but should be allowed 



"bWash. pop. JBul. 84, 87; N. 0. Cir. 25; N. J. Report 34, 196. 



