20 



farmers' bulletin 874. 



keep the sow in a pen and feed her nothmg hut dry oats, with plenty 

 of clean water to drmk. In a few days she will he ready to turn out 

 on pasture or into a feed lot with the other sows. In case the sow's 

 udder gets very full of milk, do not turn the pigs in with the sow, 

 but instead milk the udder dry by 'hand. The sow's udder some- 

 times becomes hard and inflamed. If this happens bathe the udder 

 with hot water and a])ply equal parts of lard and turpentine. 



sows EATING THEIR PIGS. 



A sow's desire to eat her pigs may result from a number of causes, 

 although it is not natural for a sow to destroy her young. When the 

 sow is constipated she becomes feverish, develops an abnormal craving 

 of appetite, and may kill her pigs and eat them. To prevent this con- 

 dition the sow should be properly fed during pregnancy. Oil meal 

 in the ration will aid in keeping the bowels regulated. In extreme 

 cases of constipation salts should be used. The afterbirth should 

 be promptly removed from the pen and burned or buried. If left 

 in the pen the sow is likely to devour it, and as the scent of the 

 newly-born pigs is similar, some of them may also be eaten. A 

 sow that has acquired the habit of eating her pigs should be watched 

 carefully to see that her bowels are workiug properly. When she 

 farrows rub each pig with a cloth saturated with kerosene, so that 

 they will have the smell of the oil. Great care should be taken not 

 to put too much kerosene on the pigs, as it will blister the skin. 

 WTien the sow's nose detects the odor of kerosene she will decide 

 not to eat the pigs. 



THE BOAR. 



The management of the boar is a very important part in the 

 raising of strong, healthy pigs, and one w^hich is sometimes neglected. 

 He should be the most valuable animal in the w^hole herd, and as 

 such deserves the best of attention. The boar should be purchased 

 from a breeder of pure-bred hogs when between 8 months and 1 

 year of age. Many breeders, however, purchase a boar when a 

 weanling pig, but to be successful in this choice requires a wide 

 experience and sound judgment. Aged boars which have proved 

 their worth can sometimes be purchased at a reasonable price. 

 It is much safer for an inexperienced breeder to buy an old, active 

 boar than a young untried boar. If possible, the farmer should 

 visit the herd where the boar was raised and note the conditions 

 under which he was bred. At any rate, it is always possible to 

 obtain from the breeder notes on the health and the kind and amount 

 of feeds used, so as to serve as an index to his subsequent treatment. 



Upon arriving at the farm the boar should be unloaded as soon as 

 possible and placed in quarantine to guard against the introduction of 

 disease into the herd. If he is lousy it is well to treat this condition 



