ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 14

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

Sow Trampling Piglings.—The Milking oi' Cow After Contagious Abortion. | •*I have a sow which generally tramples j on her young ones when they are born. I'intend taking them away from her j next time and putting them with her at ; feeding time. How often would I have to put them with the sow, and how long would it be necessary to keep up this practice. It is a general thing not to milk a cow right out when she has first calved, to help prevent milk fever. If a cow aborts, say a month or six weeks before her time, should she be milked right out to eneourag-e her to come on her milk, or is there a likelihood of milk fever just the same. Thanking you for your past Information." (Farm Mai..) — The young pigs suckle many tin.es during the day. It would probably be necessary at first to allow them access to the mother three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon, and then as they become older, say in a week. four times a day. This may be required for a month. At that time they should be able to look afte« themselves in so far as the danger of trampling is concerned. The better course is to fatten and sell such a sow. The cow that suffers as you indicate is not usually prone to suffer from milk fever, .'she can be milked out with comparatively little risk. Proportion of Rams and Sheepskin for Rug. "Will you kindly inform mc how many eight-tooth rams I require for a flock of 210 ewes. Also give mc a recipe to cure a sheepskin so that it will make a good mat?" (M.H.G.). —The usual proportion is one mature ram to fifty ewes. A process that is recommended for tanning sheepskin 3 for mats is: Over two quarts of bran pour six quarts of bailing water, then strain off the water; make a strong solution of salt and water by taking two quarts of water at blood heat and putting into it as much salt as the two quarts of water will dissolve. Mix these together and when not more than lukewam add 2oz. of sulphuric acid to each gallon of the mixture. Immerse the skins and stir occasionally. The Treatment of Bones for Manure. ''Is there any known method whereby bones can be made into manure on the farm in small quantities; is it possible to buy small mills capable of dealing with, say, ton lots, if so at what price." (Saving Subscriber). —It is very much to be questioned if bones can be treated on the farm as proposed, without undue cost? Mills for the purpose of breaking and grinding bones are costly and it is not reasonable to purchase any machinery that would only be put to intermittent use. It would also be necessary to provide pov er to operate such a mill. It would be better to sell the bones. The local butcher would advise the means of disposal. A sheepskin will tan in from 40 to 60 minutes. Then rinse in clean cold water until the mixture is completely washed out. Then hang the skin in a cool place to dry. So soon as the skin is partly dry, work it or knead it to soften and make it pliable and pull it into shape. The skins must be thoroughly washed in hot water and soap before they are immersea in the mixture. It is advised that short thin woolled skins make the best mats. Skins' that are heavily woolled are difneuk. to prepare and seldom satisfactory

Heifer, Broken Leg and Treatment I have a yearling heifer'with its leg broken; it is broken just below the hock. I have put two thin splints each side of the leg. and one down the back of the leg, and bandaged it up tightly with a puttie. I would be very pleased if you would advise when to take the splints off and what further treatment, if any/ (8.G.). —From your letter it would appear that your treatment with splints is proving successful, and. if so, the splints should be kept in position for four weeks at least, followed by \ strengthening bandages for another week ! or two. A case of this sort must be | treated according to the sttae of the! leg, and, if healing is not proceeding in a proper manner, it may be necessary to *vply a bandage soaked in plaster of j Paris, which has been mixed with water, j The heifer should be kept as quiet and \ still as possible in order to give the ends ! of the bones a chance to knit together. ' Methods Flaying and Treating Skins. "Please tell mc where I can obtain a handbook on skinning and treating sheep, calf and pig skins?" (D.S.A.). — The methods of dealing with the skins of sheep, calves and pigs are not, so far as may be ascertained, the subject of a special handbook. These methods are described in books oil livestock and in those specially written for fellmongers and tanners, but those books are expensive, and the information that you seek would be one of the chapters. It is possible, if you will advise more fully j the purpose for which the skins are to J be put, that the information may be found and supplied. As regards pig skins, this is a special business, and it is confined to very few tanners. It is also understood that the skins of New ! Zealand pigs are not acceptable. This is said to have been tested some years ago by a consignment of the skins 01 wild pigs that was sent to Great Britain,