398 Western Live-stock Management 



shown to be a poor milker should be fed a milk-forming 

 ration for several days before farrowing. On the other 

 hand a sow which is known to be a fine milker should not 

 receive such a ration until two or three days after farrowing. 

 A good milk-forming ration for a sow which is not on 

 pasture may consist of six or seven pounds of barley, 

 with one-half pound of tankage, or three pounds middlings 

 and five pounds ground barley, six pounds of rolled wheat, 

 and one-half pound tankage ; two pounds ground oats, two 

 pounds ground rye, two pounds middlings, and one-third 

 pound tankage. Any of these rations should be fed in 

 connection with ten to fifteen pounds roots, kale, green 

 clover, or green alfalfa if they are in season, or if skim- 

 milk is available, ten to fifteen pounds of skim-milk may 

 take the place of the succulence and the tankage. For a 

 sow of which heavy milk production is not desired, the 

 succulent feed may be cut in two, and the grain ration 

 reduced to four pounds a day. To dry a sow up if she 

 has been running on pasture, the other feed may be dis- 

 continued entirely, and if the pasture is rank, it is best 

 that she be removed from pasture for three days, and fed 

 only three or four pounds of ground oats. 



If the sow has been fed a milk-forming ration before 

 farrowing time, she is likely to have plenty of milk, and 

 in fact, may have too much. Individual sows differ 

 greatly in this respect. If the sow has little or no milk 

 at farrowing time, it is necessary to feed her a stimulating 

 ration to start the milk-flow, and if this cannot be done 

 quickly, it is necessary to hand-feed the pigs until milk is 

 provided. Fresh, warm cow's milk, and a medicine 

 dropper should be secured, the pig placed with his mouth 

 on the sow's teat, and the milk slowly dropped on the 

 upper side of the teat so that the pig gets the milk as he 



