216 Pigs : their Breeding and Management. 
approach her, and often so furious as to kill and afterwards 
devour them. 
Young pigs often lose their tails, especially in cold weather. 
This has been attributed to breeding in-and-in, and many othei- 
causes. Whatever may be the reason, I have found the fol- 
lowing simple plan succeed in ninety-nine cases out of a 
hundred ; indeed, only one tail has been lost out of the hundreds 
bred during the past three years. On the tail presenting an 
inflamed or red appearance, a little pure olive-oil should be 
applied with a feather every day until the symptoms have dis- 
appeared ; in cold weather this practice should be adopted 
whether there is any appearance of inflammation or not. 
Sties used for farrowing should have a stout rail fixed all 
round them, about a foot high, and 9 inches from the wall or 
partition. This rail will prevent the sow lying on the young 
pigs, for they generally huddle together at the outside of the 
sty, and are thus protected by the rail. A fresh and roomy sty 
should be given at the end of a month ; and the farrowing sty 
should be well cleansed, and remain vacant for about a week before 
another pig occupies it. 
The young pigs, having had plenty of fresh air and exercise, 
havinglearnedto eat and drink, and having gone on well while with 
their dam, may be weaned at 8 or 9 weeks old. If the weather is 
cold, they should be kept in a warm place, or they will miss the 
milk and warmth of the mother. As much skim-milk as can be 
spared should be set apart for the newly weaned pigs ; their 
food should consist of an equal quantity of dan or sharps and 
bran, a little barley-flour and dust of linseed and cotton-cake, all 
well mixed and scalded in tubs with boiling water. It should 
stand for twelve hours, and then at each meal a little milk and 
warm water should be added to make it the desired thickness. 
Half-a-pint of white or any other kind of peas, if dry, may be 
given with advantage at mid-day. If the pigs are intended for 
pork, the diet should be improved by the addition of more meal ; 
if kept as stores for breeding, the diet should be plainer, and 
green food or roots given. Store pigs should be ringed at three 
months ; a very simple but efficient American appliance is now 
extensively used, the operation being almost instantaneous. 
Fattening pigs require not only good food but regular and 
systematic feeding ; therefore much depends upon the attention 
of the feeder. No food should be allowed to remain in the 
troughs. With respect to troughs, only in the case of boars and 
invalids do I ever allow one in a sty. Each pen of pigs is let 
out in turn to feed separately in the yard lettered D and G 
on the accompanying plan. The practice of allowing pigs to have 
access to food at any time tends to make them restless. I find 
