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 sueculence and the tankage. Fora 
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 
