The Breeding Herd 401 



with only one litter pigs may be allowed to run with the 

 sows for three or four months, or until the sows wean 

 them themselves. Small pigs should be induced to eat 

 as soon as possible after they are farrowed, and are usually 

 at least three weeks old before they take any other feed 

 than their mother's milk. Every inducement ought to 

 be offered them to eat as much as possible of the right 

 kind of feed. Sweet skim-milk and middlings make an 

 excellent combination, and since these feeds are rather ex- 

 pensive, it is not always desirable to allow the mothers 

 to have the same ration. Hence, a creep, or enclosure 

 into which the pigs have access, but which excludes older 

 hogs, is often desirable. The creep should be provided 

 with both feed and water troughs so that pigs will not 

 be compelled to crowd in with older hogs either to eat 

 or drink. It is considered a good practice to wean all 

 the pigs from a sow at the same time, having begun to 

 cut down the feed of the sow prior to weaning. It is a 

 good plan also to change the character of the feed of the 

 sow, so that it will be less conducive to milk-formation. 

 Shutting the sows off pasture, and withholding succulent 

 and concentrated feeds, will help materially in decreasing 

 the milk-flow, and if the entire ration be decreased, but 

 little trouble should be experienced in getting sows to 

 dry off without any caked udders or any derangement. 

 Some prefer to leave one or two of the pigs with the 

 sow in order to draw off the surplus milk, but these 

 ordinarily suckle only one or two teats. Other breeders 

 prefer to take the pigs from the sow and return them 

 to her after twelve hours, and gradually prolong the 

 intervals between feeding until the sow is dry. This 

 entails more trouble, and may result in digestive derange- 

 ments of the pigs. 

 2d 



