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Show CARE OF BROOD SOW OUTLI VED ! Director John T. Caine III. of the Extension Division of the Utah Agri- cultural College, has just outlined I the following instructions on the care of brood sows for the farmers of Utah and Idaho: This is the time of year requiring the most careful attention from the growers of swine. Farrowing time I Is always one of worry, as much depends de-pends upon good management at this period. The brood sow should be In good flesh but not overly fat. It is not necessary nor advantageous to have her thin, for if the sow does not have some fat stored on her body she will not be able to feed her pigs properly. Be sure that the pregnant preg-nant sow has a large lot and takes plenty of exercise. You will not get strong pigs from a sow that has been closely housed. If the sow insists in-sists on lying around, drive her slowly for some distance every day. Care should be taken to provide plenty of good, clean feed for the sow. Feed just enough so that she will clean It all up in a short time and never so much that any remains in the trough. If the sow is not anxious anx-ious for her feed let her miss a meal. Skim milk is one of the best feeds and should be used wherever possible. possi-ble. Alfalfa and roots are good feeds when given with some grain and are advised. For grains feed shorts, corn, ground barley, bran and a fe-w oats. Ration: Shorts 2 parts Barley or corn 2 parts ' Bran 1 part - Oats 1 part To be fed with alfalfa or with, alfalfa al-falfa and skim milk. As soon as signs of farrowing are seen cut the feed down materially so that you will not produce a feverish fever-ish condition in the sow. After farrowing far-rowing give only warm water for first twelve hours and for next few . ' days small amounts of light feeds, such as gruels made from bran and shorts. Overfeeding at this period will cause trouble. After a few days you can begin to feed liberally provided pro-vided the little pigs get plenty of exercise. ex-ercise. Have a clean, dry pen for the sow to farrow In and be sure that there are no holes In the floor or around the sides where the little pigs might get lost. Arrange a rail around the sides of the pen so that the sow will not be able to He down on the pigs when they are bunched up in the corners. This rail can be made by nailing a 2x6 plank arour d the walls about 9 Inches from the floor so that It extends 6 inches out into the pen. Be careful about bedding. Put In , juat a small amount of chaff or cut straw. If a large amouDt of straw is used the little pigs will get down under un-der it and the sow not knowing where they-are, will lie on them. Remember that a pig saved is a pig earned. Give sow plenty of exercise. Feed liberally on clean feeds. Cut out some feed at farrowing time. Prepare the pen carefully. Do not use much bedding. Good management, not good luck, means success. |