SWINE 201 



Castrating can be performed at any time and even on an 

 old boar without any danger, i A cool day should be selected 

 in summer when it is not too muddy or too dusty. In winter 

 a warm day should be selected. After the operation, which 

 should be performed with hands and knife well disinfected, a 

 little of the disinfectant solution should be put into the wound. 

 A 3 to 5 per cent, solution of the coal tar dips or of carbolic 

 acid is good for the purpose. 



In castrating a pig ruptured in the scrotum the skin onlj^ 

 is opened after the intestines have been pushed back into the 

 abdominal cavity. The membrane containing the testicles is 

 worked out through this opening and drawn out several inches. 

 It is then firmly tied and cut off below the place where tied. 

 The string is left long enough to hang out. 



Weaning. — Pigs may be weaned early or late. But in the 

 author's experience two months was found a good age. The 

 best plan is to leave the pigs where they were before weaning 

 and to take the sow away. The sow should be put on scanty 

 feed for a few days to let her dry up without udder trouble, 

 and the pigs should be fed three times a day for a time at least. 

 The feeding should be slowly and gradually changed. 



The pigs should be fed for about a month before they arc 

 weaned. They will learn to eat when they are about a month 

 old and should then be fed. They can at this time eat along 

 with their dams and enough trough room for the purpose should 

 be provided. A growing ration should be used at this time 

 for sow and litter and afterward with the litters. 



Scours.- — When pigs are properly fed they do not get the 

 scours. But if they do have the trouble, they should have 

 a physic and be fed out of well-cleaned and disinfected troughs. 

 Salts, castor oil or raw linseed oil may be used. While the 

 pigs are still with their mothers these materials are fed to her. 

 Later they are given to the pigs direct. 



Thumps. — This is an ailment of small pigs and is caused by 

 a lack of exercise. A sow and her litter may be left in a pen 

 safely till the pigs are about two weeks old. Then they should 

 be taken out and given more range. If they are kept confined 

 much longer than this there is danger of thumps. The symp- 

 toms are a jerky motion in the sides in breathing similar to 



