366 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 18 
Live Stock and Dairy 
THE BREEDER’S,WAYSIDE. 
The Number of Pigs io ihe Litter. 
How large a litter of pigs should a 
sow farrow? That depends. A young 
sow should not have as large a litter as 
a mature one. A sow in poor condition 
during pregnancy should have a smaller 
litter than one in strong breeding flesh. 
Hach mother should be in such bodily 
condition as would best enable her to 
stand the drain of suckling her off¬ 
spring. Immaturity or unsuitable con¬ 
dition calls for relatively small litters. 
If a sow has the capacity to produce 
ample milk to suckle eight pigs until 
10 weeks of age, and keep them growing 
strong and healthy, then it is a loss to 
the breeder if she kills a part of her lit¬ 
ter, or farrows any number less than 
eight. The most profitable use of any 
sow calls for the production of the 
greatest number of pigs possible, which 
may be reared without detriment either 
to them or the dam. A good brood sow 
will, of course, usually lose in flesh while 
suckling a full-sized litter, but this is 
not to her disadvantage, as it is a per¬ 
fectly natural operation. As soon as the 
pigs are weaned, she will rapidly take 
on flesh if fed sufficient food. Before 
weaning, her appetite is greatly increas¬ 
ed, so that she consumes enough more 
food to supply her pigs from this in¬ 
creased consumption. 
Personally, I desire a sow in her first 
litter to farrow at least seven. She 
should produce these at about 12 or 13 
months of age. In her prime I consider 
a litter of 12 as large a number as she 
should ordinarily suckle to weaning 
time, though some sows are capable of 
handling more. Prom these larger lit¬ 
ters any inferior, undersized runts 
should be destroj'-ed, and only vigorous, 
growthy pigs kept for suckling. In fact, 
runts from any litter should be destroy¬ 
ed. Sows that farrow only four or five 
to the litter are not doing satisfactory 
breeding service. This condition usual¬ 
ly occurs with short-bodied, chunky 
sows. The better type of brood sow 
should be fairly long-bodied, on short 
legs, and with deep sides. Her back 
should also be strong and straight, sag¬ 
ging lieing very undesirable. Her mam¬ 
mary development should be superior. 
While suckling, the glands of the udder 
ought to be shapely, with teats of good 
size, so that the pigs shall be able to 
suckle easily. A person does not usual¬ 
ly need to keep brood sows with little 
short teats, or with milk glands of a de¬ 
fective character, where pigs have to 
work hard to obtain nourishment. Peo¬ 
ple do not often enough take note of 
this important feature of the brood sow. 
Now the question arises, should a per¬ 
son producing pigs for breeding purposes 
prefer a smaller litter than the one 
breeding for feeders? I see no reason 
why there should be any difference here, 
in either case, the pigs should be kept 
growing as fast as possible while suck¬ 
ling. The real difference in handling 
comes in after four months of age. Then 
the pig designed for the pork barrel may 
begin to have a greater fattening food 
than the one to be used for breeding, 
and at six months of age the diet of the 
two groups of pigs should be materially 
different. The lard pig of to-day, the 
chubby, dumpling sort, is deteriorating. 
Litters are becoming far too small, and 
profits are thereby lessened. Our breed¬ 
ers shoulu look for a growthier, more 
productive pig in offspring. This often¬ 
times means the difference between 
profit and loss. There are certain indi¬ 
viduals that farrow much larger litters 
than others, and by selecting from these 
one may develop a strain that will do 
far better in farrowing than selecting 
indifferently. In purchasing purebred 
pigs, buyers will be wise to ascertain 
the size of litters from which stock is 
offered them. Records of this sort are 
kept by all breeders of importance, and 
are filled with registration papers of 
pigs lecorded. c. s. plumb. 
Trumansburg, N. Y. 
THE CARE OF INCUBATOR CHICKS. 
T have fair success in hatching incubator 
chickens, but when one puts 50 or 75 nice 
lively chicks in a good brooder and gives 
tliein good care, and as it seems to me 
treats them “according to Hoyle” and 
they die by the two, throe and four, one 
is naturally disheartened, and not wilting 
to give up, I begin to look around for 
sources of information and advice. They 
stand around, sleepy-looking, and the next 
one knows they are dead. The eggs are 
laid by Golden Wyandottes, and Barred 
Plymouth Rocks, and the hens appear 
healthy, though confined in yards. I have 
fed these chicks oat flakes and some john¬ 
ny cake made with chick-size grit in it, 
and they have grit and charcoal by them 
most of the time. Sometimes they droop 
and die when only a few days old, and 
again at a month old. They always seem 
hungry. m. w. 
Patterson, N. Y. 
Your information is rather meager of 
details concerning the care and food of 
these birds and their symptoms. If 
they hatched in good form the breeding 
flock is all right. Fifty per cent in 
chicks from incubator eggs is consider¬ 
ed fair. They should, when due, come 
out prompt and lively; not drizzle along 
a few at a time, struggling out feebly. 
It is presumed that these were out with 
a rush. They should be very carefully 
changed to the brooder and not chilled; 
the heat kept as near 90 degrees as pos¬ 
sible for the first week. Also, they need 
air, plenty. My brooder covers are both 
open a little and we enlarge the space 
as the birds grow older and the weather 
moderates. As the chicks absorb the 
yolk of the egg the last thing before 
they break from the shell, they are pro¬ 
vided with food for 48 hours. The best 
plan is to leave them in the incubator 
two days after the hatch (if it is over 
on the twenty-first clean out the trays, 
but leave the chicks in the machine till 
the morning of the twenty-third). Have 
the front of the brooder covered with 
sand, and crush up your eggshells fine 
and scatter over. Have the chill off the 
drinking water, and if you put in a pint 
about five to 10 drops tincture of iron, 
it will prevent, so it is claimed, the 
“pasting-up behind.” Let the chicks 
drink and pick at the sand till the af¬ 
ternoon, and then give them their first 
feed. Bread crumbs moistened and 
squeezed dry in milk are good, and 
cracker crumbs—but get them into hard 
food grains—so they can scratch and 
exercise soon as possible. Of course 
they need a variety of food, and many 
methods are advocated, but the main 
point is not to overfeed at first, or force 
them by too high temperature and too 
strong diet. They will perhaps stand it 
for the first three weeks, then they be¬ 
gin to die off like poisoned flies. 
If they are anywhere near your breed¬ 
ing flock, or if you put with them 
chicks hatched under a hen, your babies 
will surely have lice. The “standing 
round, sleep-looking” sounds as though 
this is the trouble. There is a large 
gray louse on the head that bores into 
the brain and kills the chick. Mix up 
equal parts of melted lard and kerosene 
oil and rub a little in on the head and 
under each wing and around the vent; 
not enough to daub the bird up. Also, 
the insect powders are good and useful. 
After the first week begin to lower the 
heat in the brooder so that at the close 
of the second week it is 80 degrees, and 
at the end of the fourth it is 70 degrees. 
Four times a day is enough to feed; 
make them scratch for the early morn¬ 
ing; then a mash, just what is eaten up 
clean, and the other two feeds grain in 
the litter, a generous supply at night. 
Oat flakes are good, but some way what 
suits one flock does not always do as 
well with another. I find it so with my 
ducks. If they don’t seem to thrive and 
do well on one kind I substitute another. 
Bone meal and grits always at hand for 
them and green bone or beef scraps 
may be fed when 10 days’ old, five per 
cent of the bulk of their food, gradually 
increasing to one-tenth when three 
months old. A close study of the ways 
of the hen with her little ones helps 
greatly in successful artificial rearing of 
chicks. • F. E. w. 
Chazy, N. Y. 
THE “ROOTS” ON A HOG. 
Y’hat can T do to stop my hogs from 
rooting up their pasture? I have rings in 
their noses, but still, when the ground is 
soft, they tear it all up. 
I find that hogs are sometimes trou¬ 
blesome to control against rooting in 
wet weather. I have found that when 
they are rung well back in snout, so that 
the twisted end will not turn out of its 
naturally projected place, when trying 
to root it is much better than when not 
set back so far. In this way the pro¬ 
jecting part is generally held in place 
and is the cause of keeping their noses 
somewhat sore continually while trying, 
thus causing disgust on the part of the 
hog soon. The instrument 1 see adver¬ 
tised as cutting out the center of the end 
of the hog’s snout, I should think ef¬ 
fectual. ARTHUR J. M’CAIN, 
Delaware, N. J. 
It is natural for a hog to root in soft, 
damp ground, and when it is in that 
condition I don’t think ringing or clip¬ 
ping the end of snout any use. I keep 
our Berkshires off the pasture when the 
ground is soft, 'tfever riiu/ or clip snout. 
When the ground is reasonably hard 
and pasture good I turn out the Berk¬ 
shires—first drawing a load of two of 
coal ashes with a barrel of salt mixed 
with them to the pasture lot. This mix¬ 
ture the hogs root over, finding what 
their systems require to tone up the 
stomach; then feed some grain, and we 
never have any trouble in having pas¬ 
ture rooted up only in soft, damp spots, 
which they will root over to wal’ow in. 
Trumansburg, N. Y. r. h. .stone. 
“Ed” Blair, of Cadmus, Kan., known 
locally as “the melodious poet of the 
Osage,” has written the following lines on 
the hen: 
Cackle, cackle, Plymouth Rocks, 
Ye can have the wagon box, 
’N’ the smokehouse, ’n’ the barn, 
Take ’m—we don’t care a darn. 
Cackle here and cackle there. 
Lay your eggs just anywhere. 
Every time ye lay an egg, 
Down the mortgage goes a peg. 
Cackle, cackle, all the day. 
Who kin find a better way 
Fer to git ahead again 
Than to cultivate the hen? 
Brood Sow Notes.— If sow is a good 
eater, and by good feeding gets thin with 
a medium sized litter (seven to eight pigs) 
and pigs are growing well, the sow is a 
good milker. If sow keeps in good con¬ 
dition with medium litter and pigs are not 
gaining well, she is a poor milker. About 
every sow gets thin, suckling a large litter, 
but a good milker gets very thin. A brood 
sow that is a poor eater is no good, and 
I would not keep her long. c. J. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Curb, Splint, 
contracted cord.thrush.grease 
heel and all forms of lameness 
yield readily to 
Tuttle’s Elixir. 
endorsed hj Adams ExpressCo, 
Reading Trotting Park^ Mass., Aug. 31, 1899. 
Dr. S. A. Tuttle, V. S. 
Dear Sir:—I want to add my testimonial to your list recom¬ 
mending Tuttle’s Klixir forcurto, broken tendons, thrush, and nails 
in the feet. 1 have used it on all of these cases many times, and 
never failed to make acure. J. H. NAY, 
Givenlnternally it is sure cure for Colic, lllsteinpcr, 
Founder, Fiieumoiiiu, ctc« 
, TUTTLE'S FAMM.Y ELIXIR cures rheumatism, sprains, 
bruises, etc. Kills pain Instantly. Our 100-page book, 
“Veterinary Experience,’’ FREE. 
Dr. S. A. TUTTLE, 30 Beverly St., Boston, Maas. 
Beware of so-called Elixir.—noae genuine but Tnttle’s. 
Avoid all blisters i they offer only temporary relief If any. 
Breeders’ Directory 
HIGH-CLASS 
Registered Jersey Cattle. 
KOBT. F, SHANNON, Pittsburg, Pa. 
TFDQPY RITT T 
J. U Avi-rO few selected Re¬ 
gistered Jersey Bull Calves, from two to lour monlbs 
old, from great milk and butter-produclngdams, and 
of the most approved nreeding. Improve the quality 
of your milk and butter output by taking advantage 
of this offering. We breed forquallty and quantity. 
Will make price low; delivered to your station. Don t 
miss tbls opportunity. Correspondence promptly 
answered. WHITE OAK KIDUB STOCK FARM, 
Bast Orange, N. J. 
CnD CAI C—'thorouqhbrbd holstkin 
rUn vULC bull CALVBS. Well marked 
ind of best breeding Will oe sold at farmers prices. 
Write at once. W. W. CHBNBT, Manlius, N. T. 
Holstein-Friesian Bull 
ready for service, and a fine lot of Bull Calves. Best 
of breeding, and from deep producing families. 
C. K. RECORD. Peterboro, N. Y. 
ISO Delihurst Holsteins 
for sale, Including young Cows, Heifers and a 
great lot of BULL CALVES—several now ready 
for service—sons of “ DeKol’s Butter Boy”, and 
the famous “ Royal Paul ” out of advanced Re¬ 
gistry cows. Catalogue. 
DKLLHURST FARM, Mentor, Ohio. 
Reg. P. Chinas. Berkshires 
and O. fVMte$, Choice Pigs, 
8 weeks old, mated not akin. 
Bred Sows and Service Boars. 
PovUry. Write for hard Ume$ 
prices and free oironlar. 
HAMILTON & CO., Bosenviok, Chester Co., Pa. 
A nil ft FERRETS. First-class stock. Some 
bUwU Trained. New price-list free. 
N. A. KNAPP. Rochester, Lorain Co., O 
Collie Pups 
—Spayed Females. Circulars. SILAS 
DBCKBR, South Montrose, Pa. 
yFNftlFIllW I^IIIsLIce, Ticks. Mites, Pleas, Etc., 
on all kiuda ot aniinalB and poultry. Given 
internally It drives out worms. Cures ail cuts, wounds, sores, etc. 
Non-polsonous. Endorsed by leading veterlnsrlans. “Veterinary Ad¬ 
viser” free. ZennerDlsInreetantCo. 100 Kstes St. Detroit, Mich. 
Best Gall Cure on Earth 
Mailed anywhere for 50 cents. 
MOORE BROS., Veterinary Surgeons, Albany, N. Y 
SHOO-FLYm- 
Kiili every fly it strikes; keeps off the rest. Harmless to man or 
beast. M cent's worth saves 3 qts. milk aud much floah. 
Send $1.00 for Improved Sprayer and enough Hhoo-FIr to 
proteei 100 cows, nr 23 cents fo. liquid alone. (Juaraniecd 
SlIOO-FLY MKU. CO., 1005 Fairmouul Ate., I’biladriphia,I’a. 
Save Your Pigslf 
Runti are Unprofitable; 
Dead Hogs a Total Loss. 
DR. JOS. HAAS’ HOD REMEDY 
I WILL INSURE HOGS 
WHEN EEC MV.BEMtOr^ 
WRITE FOR terms 
reference.ANV gSNK 
n<i..qt<sseai»<evtv. , 
Is Guaranteed to prevent and arrest 
disease, stop cough, expel worms. 
Increase appetite and growth. 
Send $1.25 for trial package, postage paid. Cans 
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age, condition, food of hogs. Special adirlce free. 
25 years experience. “Hogology” pamphlet and 
testimonials free. 
JOS. HAAS, V. S., Indianapolis, Ind. 
NO SPAVINS 
The worst possible spavin can be cured in 
45 minutes. Curbs, splints and ringbones 
just as quick. Not painful and never has 
failed. Detailed information about this 
new method sent free to horse owners. 
Write today. Ask for pamphlet No. 84. 
FLEMINS BROS., Union Stock Yards.Chieago, III. 
Veterinary Pixine 
has come to the front. There is not to 
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soothing, antiseptic healing power. 
Seemingly incurable or aggravated 
chronic cases of scratches, grease heel, 
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swellings and skin disease can be posi¬ 
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Money hack if it fails. 
2 oz.. 25c.; 8 oz., 50c.; 5-lb. pkge.. $4. 
At all Druggists and Dealers, or sent prepaid 
TKOY CHEBnCAIi CO., Troy, N.Y. 
