224 Pork Production 



suffer little inconvenience, it is also true that when care- 

 lessly performed it may be the cause of much annoyance 

 or even suffering. Sore noses, the result of setting the 

 rings too deep, or the use of rings which are too small, 

 are often the cause for the failure of pigs to do well in 

 the feed yard. 



The morning feed of the pigs should be reduced materi- 

 ally the day they are to be rung, as the driving and ex- 

 citement will tend to "upset" their digestive functions 

 if full of feed. A home-made trap which catches and 

 holds the pigs by the neck is a very practical and efiBcient 

 method of securing them. This should be placed in the 

 doorway of a pen and the pigs directed to it with hurdles, 

 if a permanent chute is not a part of the equipment. 



One ring placed in the center of the upper rim will be 

 sufficient ordinarily for shotes, although three, one in 

 the center and one on either side, are frequently neces- 

 sary for old sows. The old-fashioned ring which joins 

 in the flesh of the nose is objected to by some on the 

 ground that it more frequently causes excessive soreness, 

 than the so-called fish-hook ring. A criticism sometimes 

 made of the latter, however, is that the connection of the 

 ring offers too much opportunity for the accumulation of 

 mud balls. The size of the ring should be such that when 

 it is set at the correct depth the flesh will not be pinched 

 or drawn. The ring should enter a little way back of 

 the cartilaginous rim of the snout. 



Shade and water. 



The importance of shade and plenty of cool water 

 during the summer is such as to warrant more attention 

 than it usually receives. In the absence of natural 

 shade, artificial shades should be provided, constructed 



