864 YETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



dam's trough, for when they are capable of taking some 

 solid food the drain on the sow is greatly reduced ; later on, 

 a special supply of food for them may be given, consisting 

 of sharps or oatmeal stirred with milk, or a mixed meal of 

 oats, peas, or wheat, with water, mixed with skim milk or 

 whole milk when it can be spared. During the winter this 

 material should be raised to blood-heat, to economize the 

 body heat of the young animals. 



Weaning may be carried out at eight or nine weeks, and 

 is gradually brought about by allowing the dam to remain 

 longer from her offspring during the day until final separa- 

 tion occurs. 



Spencer is very clear over the harm which young pigs 

 may suffer at weaning time through injudicious feeding; 

 they require little and often, three or four times a day. 

 In the winter their food should be given warm, but the 

 greatest care must be taken that food too rich in character 

 is not given them at once on separation, under the mistaken 

 idea that as they are not getting their dam's milk their 

 hand feeding should be more nourishing. 



It is at this time that under such treatment certain dis- 

 orders of digestion appear, accompanied by fever, constipa- 

 tion, and finally diarrhoea. Their food need not differ in 

 the first instance from what they were receiving before 

 weaning, with the exception that some pea-meal may be 

 added ; at three months old they may receive one-sixth of 

 barley-meal, which is gradually increased until it becomes 

 two-thirds of the diet in a pig of five months. Howard 

 recommends sharps, bran, and barley-meal, with dust of 

 linseed cake scalded with boiling water ; it is allowed to 

 stand twelve hours, and given with warm water and milk. 

 As the young animals advance some pea-meal may be 

 given in addition at mid-day. 



Fattening of Pigs.— In the fattening of pigs, as in that of 

 other animals, they should never be allowed to lose condi- 

 tion ; they must always be kept in a progressive state, as 

 young flesh once lost is always most difficult to replace. 

 Variety in diet is essential, a mixture of meals is always 



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