396 Western Live-stock Management 
farrowing, there will ordinarily be milk in the teats, al- 
though neither of these signs is infallible. If the presence 
of any one in or near the farrowing pen seems to annoy 
the sow, the attendant should keep out of sight, but near 
enough to be of service if required. As labor comes on 
the sow usually lies on one side, and frequently appears 
oblivious to everything going on around her. She will 
get her breath at longer intervals, and after a few hard 
pains will usually give birth to her first pig. If after much 
labor no pig has yet appeared, the attendant may insert 
one or two fingers in the vulva to determine whether a 
pig has yet appeared in the vagina. Frequently if a pig 
comes hind feet first, the head will be wedged in the pelvis 
in such a way that the circulation through the umbilical 
cord will be cut off, and a pig so held will very quickly 
suffocate. If the feet are felt in the vagina, they should 
‘ immediately be seized and pulled gently but firmly: until 
the pig escapes, else he will come dead. Unless a sow is 
immature, high in the pelvis, or has run considerably 
over time, there should be little difficulty in giving 
birth. As soon as a pig arrives, if he gasps and gets his 
breath, the only precaution is to remove the mucous 
covering from his body and rub him vigorously to get 
him dry, and even this latter will not be necessary if the 
weather is warm. It is usually best to rub the mucus 
from the nose and after drying the pig, place him in 
a basket or box in which a woolen lining has been placed. 
However, if the sow is perfectly quiet, it will not be 
necessary to remove the pigs as they are born, unless the 
attendant is to leave the farrowing pen foratime. If any 
pigs fail to show signs of life when born, they should be 
examined to see whether the heart is beating, which can 
be noted by the palpitation in the umbilical cord. A 
