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 
