600 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



When the pigs are troubled with thumps or scours, cut down 

 on the ration of the sow; and if the pigs are valuable, it may be 

 well to milk the sow at least in part by hand, remembering that 

 the last milk drawn is the richer in fat. 



» Feeding the pigs. — At about three weeks of age, the pigs are 

 hkely to begin to nibble at their mother's food, to bite at the 

 grass, and perhaps try to root. This indicates that they are 

 acquiring an appetite, and they should be encouraged to take 

 food other than that supplied by the mother. Place a small 

 trough in one corner of the lot or pen, and arrange a fence across 

 the corner so the old sows cannot have access to it, but the young 

 pigs can. Into this trough a little sweet milk may be poured 

 three times daily. Do not provide more than the pigs will 

 drink at once, and never leave the milk to sour in the trough, as 

 digestive disorders and death are sure to follow. In a few days 

 replace the milk with a small amount of bran and shorts, scalded 

 and made into a gruel. Later corn soaked for 24 hours may be 

 placed in the trough. For best results the young pigs should be 

 fed a variety. Whatever food-stuffs are used, care must be taken 

 not to feed more than they will clean up. Pigs fed in this way 

 will make a much more rapid growth than if the extra trough 

 had not been provided. 



Weaning the pigs. — With pigs fed as suggested above, the 

 weaning process is easy and simple. As the pigs learn to rely 

 more on the extra food, the mother's milk-producing food should 

 be cut down so that she will not be in the height of her flow when 

 the pigs are taken away. The age to wean pigs varies : with the 

 youngsters that have made a rapid growth they should be 

 weaned at about eight weeks of age; or in case the pigs and 

 mother are not doing well, it may be wise to wean at a much 

 younger age even though the pigs are small. As a general rule, 

 it is safer to say the best age for weaning is between seven and 

 ten weeks. Some advise turning out the most thrifty pigs first, 

 leaving the weaker ones to nurse a few days longer, the state- 



