1564 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 20, 1924 
Live Stock and Dairy 
A Ton Litter of Pigs 
Some weeks ago we told of the suc¬ 
cess of T. B. Byers of Pennsylvania in 
producing what is known as a ton litter 
of pigs. In some of the States like Ohio 
and Pennsylvania there has been an in¬ 
teresting contest among fanners to see 
who could produce one ton of pork in 
six months, the pork to be made entire¬ 
ly from a single litter. Mr. Byers se¬ 
lected a litter of purebred Poland Chinas. 
There were seven pigs in the litter and 
the picture accompanying shows how 
uniform they were. The average weight 
of the pigs at six months was 291 lbs. 
They were very uniform, the smallest 
weighing 2S3 lbs. and the heaviest pig 
weighed 299 lbs. It often happens in 
trying to force a litter of pigs that one 
or two of them will prove to be runts, 
and of course, the smaller pigs bring 
down the average and the total. In a 
way, it is much like entering a pen of 
pullets at an egg-laying contest. The 
majority of the pullets will often make a 
fine record, but there will be usually two 
or three that fail completely, and thus 
bring down the average and the total. 
The safest plan in handling a proposition 
of this kind is to use individuals of the 
highest type of breeding, for when both 
parents are entirely well bred and cared 
for, they are far more likely to produce 
offspring of a uniform character. Mr. 
Byers gives the following statement of 
the way his pigs were handled. It was 
certainly a great record, for the seven 
pigs produced 2,037 lbs. of pork. Such 
records are very instructive, and we 
should like to encourage more of them in 
the Eastern States. 
The litter was farrowed in a small, 
well-cleaned pen, and two weeks later re¬ 
moved to a new lot .sodded with Alfalfa. 
They were sheltered in this three-quar¬ 
ter-acre lot by a small roof placed on 
four posts which was more favorably 
thought of as a shade than shelter. This 
litter consumed during the entire feeding- 
period 1,(100 lbs. of a mixed feed contain¬ 
ing wheat middlings, corn feed meal, lin¬ 
seed oilmeal, ground and bolted wheat, 
barley, kafir, dried buttermilk and di¬ 
gester tankage, with a guaranteed analy¬ 
sis of 15 per cent protein. GO per cent 
carbohydrates. 4 per cent fat. and 9 per 
cent fiber at $2.30 per hundred or $36.80; 
67 bushels of ear corn at 50c. or $33.50; 
20 bushels of shelled corn at $1.20 per 
bushel, or $24 ; 524 gallons skim-milk at 
6c per gallon, or $31.44, making a total 
feed cost of $125.74. 
Individual weight was kept on one pig 
for 12 days during the month of Sep¬ 
tember, when on full corn feed, and at 
this time it gained 34 lbs. making a daily 
gain of 2.83 lbs., while the litter aver¬ 
aged 1.13 lbs. daily gain for the 180-day 
feeding period. 
Thriftless Pigs 
I have three small pigs. Two have been 
thriving very well, but the third is not 
half the size of the others, has little appe¬ 
tite and coughs a great deal. Now an¬ 
other has started to cough. What would 
you say was the matter with these pigs, 
and what can I do to remedy it? 
Bucks Co., Pa. a. w. b. 
In many litters there is one little, 
stunted, thriftless pig, and it is termed a 
“titman” pig by the experienced swine 
breeder. Such experts believe and advise 
that it is best to kill such a worthless pig 
at birth, if it is purebred and the pigs are 
to be raised and sold for breeding pur¬ 
poses. That we regard as sound advice, 
in the instance mentioned, and when 
many pigs are being reared one or two 
will not be missed. In ordinary circum¬ 
stances the farmer hates to kill a titman 
pig, as he hopes and expects that it may 
grow up worth while for slaughtering for 
meat; but in our experience it is only the 
thrifty, healthy pigs that grow fast and 
make gains for the feed allowed them, 
that may be considered maximum, that 
prove profitable. It very rarely pays to 
fuss with pigs such as you describe. 
As the pig coughs, as well as being 
thriftless, it is probably infested with the 
embryo larvae of the round worm of the 
hog (ascaris) which are carried by the 
blood stream into the lungs during the 
first days of life. There is no way of re¬ 
moving the worms, but in time, if the 
pig thrives, they may be thrown off. The 
worms also infest, other parts, notably the 
intestines, and may be expelled by with¬ 
holding feed for 24 hours and then giving 
the pig 30 drops of oil of chenopodium 
and one-half an ounce of castor oil for 
each 50 lbs. of body weight. This is best 
done by means of a dose syringe or bot¬ 
tle. The dose may, if seen to be neces¬ 
sary, be repeated in two weeks. Such 
internal treatment is advisable for all 
thriftless pigs, but is most indicated when 
worms are seen in their droppings. Dust 
in bedding is another cause of cough in 
little pigs, and should be avoided. Move 
the pigs into a new colony house on new 
ground and keep them absolutely away 
from other liogk and all places used by 
them. When that is done at birth and, in 
addition, the udder and teats of the sow 
are cleansed and disinfected before the 
pigs are allowed to nurse for the first 
time and are then kept from becoming 
contaminated with filth, worms may be 
prevented from infesting little pigs. Feed 
the sow skim-milk. Alfalfa hay and mixed 
meals, including middlings and a little 
oilmeal. The latter is most needed, or 
tankage may be fed when skim-milk and 
On page 135S a reader asks for infor¬ 
mation concerning hitching ox and horse. 
While with Army of Occupation in Ger¬ 
many the accompanying picture was tak¬ 
en. After quite a search through my 
to state what may be the chances of re¬ 
covery and the length of time necessary 
for that. As the trouble appears to be in 
the upper part of the thigh, which is the 
part of the leg between the stifle joint at 
the flank and the hip joint, where the 
thigh bone (femur) inserts in the socket 
joint of the pelvis, it may be said that 
dislocation of the hip joint very rarely 
occurs in horses, and should it occur is a 
practically incurable accident. The pa¬ 
tella of the stifle joint, which corresponds 
to the cap of the human knee, often slips 
out of place, however, and may be re¬ 
turned without great difficulty. Partial 
dislocation also occurs, with a snapping 
noise as the cap slips out and back into 
place. When it is out of place com¬ 
pletely the hind leg is thrust stiffly back¬ 
ward with the hock joint in almost a 
straight line, and the horse is powerless 
to bring it forward. Blacksmiths and 
some horsemen call the trouble “stifled.” 
It is not at all likely that a muscle is 
out of place, but one may be strained or 
sprained. As there is so much pain, when 
resting, it would seem more probable, 
however, that sciatic rheumatism is pres¬ 
ent, or the hock, stifle or hip joint may be 
affected with articular rheumatism. 
In seeking to determine the seat and 
war relics'I have found this picture. I 
had another with a woman and cow 
pulling a small plow, while the man held 
the handles, but I cannot locate same. 
New York. Robert a. whiteforp. 
Feeding a Puppy 
I have a valuable puppy, about 11 
weeks old, rather finicky about eating, 
consequently very thin. I would like to 
put on a little flesh, but he will not eat 
the same thing twice. I have tried to 
give him a variety; morning, oatmeal, 
corn flakes, shredded wheat with milk, 
fried egg; then at 11 a puppy biscuit, dry, 
as he would not eat them in milk; at 
about 1 o'clock a little beef broth with 
bread and a few vegetables; at 5, again a 
little broth with bread and vegetables, 
and before retiring a little lukewarm 
milk. He is crazy about meat, and if I 
want him to eat the soup I must shred a 
little meat into it. I was told to give him 
a teaspoon of cod liver oil after every 
meal, but have been giving it to him only 
once a day, at night. j. p. 
New York. 
'll e suspect that you have been errone¬ 
ously told that the feeding of meat to a 
puppy and even a grown dog is dangerous 
and may cause distemper. Some even go 
the length of telling people that meat 
tends to cause madness or rabies in dogs. 
The fact of the matter is that meat is 
the natural feed for a dog, as that animal 
is carnivorous or flesh-eating. It is good 
feed for a puppy, after it has nursed for 
the usual time, and then s'hould form the 
major part of the ration. It is fed raw 
or lightly cooked. Boiling is the prefer¬ 
able way of cooking, and thick vegetable 
soup may be made with the meat and 
poured over stale wheat bread at feeding 
time. Some of the meat may be cut Tip 
and added, or may be fed separate after¬ 
ward. Do not feed pork in any form, 
raw or cooked. Beef and mutton are suit¬ 
able; also chicken, provided it does not 
contain bones. Chicken bones are liable 
to split or sliver and then may cause 
trouble by transfixing the gullet or in¬ 
testine. Fish, without bones, is also 
suitable, when taken with relish. You 
may have heard that it is the chief feed of 
dogs in the Far North and Columbia 
River districts. A big raw beef bone 
should also be allowed now and then, 
even for puppies. 
The feeding of vegetables, especially 
yellow carrots and turnips, is highly ben¬ 
eficial. especially for young dogs, as it 
supplies necessary vitamines. Cod liver 
oil is given to supply soluble vitamine, 
which prevents goiter to some degree, 
and rickets specifically. It is also neces¬ 
sary to allow puppies daily exercise in 
the direct rays of the sun, for the ultra 
violet ray prevents rickets by causing 
phosphorus to deposit in the blood and 
lime salts in the bones. Do not feed much 
cereal and milk. 
As the puppy is so thin we think it 
highly probable that he is infested with 
worms. To rid him of those parasites the 
following medicine should be given, after 
withholding feed for 24 hours; Oil of 
chenopodium, oil of anise and spirits of 
nitrous ether, of each one-lialf ounce; oil 
of turpenine, one-half dram ; olive oil and 
castor oil, of each 5% ounces. The dose 
for puopies is one-half to one dram, ac¬ 
cording to age. Repeat the dose when 
seen to be necessary. Have the druggist 
prepare as much as you care to keep on 
hand, preserving the proportions stated in 
the formula. It may be added that puppy 
biscuit is suitable feed, if it is relished 
by the dog. Do not feed sweets or dain¬ 
ties. Det the dog live an outdoor life 
when grown. A. s. A. 
Treatment for Pip 
Is there any cure for the pip. I believe 
you call it. I have lost two fine pullets, 
ready to lay and several large hens this 
past week. I have quite some trouble 
with same. I heard the pip came from 
feeding food too hot but there must be 
other causes, as I only feed scratch 
grains, oats, buckwheat. I have whole 
corn on cob but feed very little of it now. 
Noon I mix wet mash of cornmeal, beef 
scraps, bran and middlings. I wet this 
mixture just enough so it is dampened. 
Callieoon, N. Y. MRS. c. B. 
Pip is a hardening of the membrane of 
the tongue, which, presumably, might fol¬ 
low burning by too hot food but which 
usually accompanies some other disease 
that stops breating through the nostrils 
and permits the constant passage of air 
over the tongue to dry its surface at the 
tip. A hard scale may form and partly 
separate, leaving a raw surface beneath. 
The treatment is that of whatever disease 
brings about this condition. It is better 
not to tear off this scale unless it can be 
removed without leaving a worse condi¬ 
tion in a raw and sensitive membrane 
at the tip of the tongue, M, B. D, 
Alfalfa hay are not available. Also allow’ 
free access to salt, slaked lime and wood 
ashes or steamed bonemeal. If you re¬ 
tain the coughing pigs, give each a tea¬ 
spoon of cod-liver oil tw’ice daily. A. s. a. 
Lame Horse 
I have a horse that slipped and put a 
muscle out of joint. When he walks it 
doesn’t show much, but when he stops he 
puts his leg up. I can’t see any signs of 
sv'ollen parts, but it seems to hurt very 
much. If a muscle is out of place, could 
it be placed by rubbing, or anything that 
I could do for it? The trouble is in up¬ 
per part of thigh, in the joint. b. m. 
It is absolutely necessary to make a 
careful personal examination to deter¬ 
mine the exact seat and cause of any 
mysterious lameness of a horse, so that 
appropriate treatment may he applied. 
That, too, is necessary when one is asked 
cause of the lameness, the foot should 
first be examined. It may be that it has 
been punctured by a nail, or there may 
be a corn or stone bruise present, con¬ 
ditions which w’ould require special treat¬ 
ment by the veterinarian. The hock 
should also be carefully examined, as a 
hidden or occult spavin may cause such 
pain. The affected horse in that way is 
very lame when he starts and soon 
“warms out of the lameness,” as horse¬ 
men say. Occult spavin is practically in¬ 
curable. 
Bone .spavin, another possibility, is 
often curable, so far as the lameness is 
concerned, by line and point firing and 
blistering, eunean tenotomy also being 
performed by the surgeon in some chronic 
cases. We can only advise you, with 
these facts in mind, to have the neecessary 
examination made by a qualified veter¬ 
inarian, A. S. A. 
A Plow Team Seen in Germany 
A Single Litter Which Made a Ton of Pork 
