THE BROOD SOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19727, 29 August 1927, Page 15

THE BROOD SOW.

feeding and exercise. POINTS FOR ATTENTION. An American authority states that in many cases sows are allowed to become too fat between spring and autumn farrowing after the spring Utter has been weaned. The most thrift- and best -producing sows handled were gradually " let down" after weaning the litter in the spring, and received nothing but good lucerne pasture, water and some mineral matter through the hot part of the summer, and were then gradually put on the grain ration about one month before the autumn litter was due. This might not bo the best plan in all cases, as the sows might well be fed a little grain in addition to the lucerne and minerals, but the system has two good points in its favour. Tne sows are forced to take abundant exercise in order to graze industriously enough to satisfy their appetites, and the lucerne pasture has a good effect on their general health and vigour. After the sow farrows she will in many cases be feverish, and will have little or no appetite for some hours. Maize should not be fed at this time, as she needs cooling laxative feeds. A good feed of oats is excellent at this time, or a little wheat bran or shorts will be relished by the sow. At any rate, do not give heavy, heating, fattening, rations for a few feeds following the farrowing. If this simple precaution is followed it will tend to reduce the chances of scours in the litter, which frequently occur when the sow is heavily fed If scours do occur after the first few times that the little pigs suck, a little lime water added to the sow's rations will in many cases be found beneficial In a practical experiment in America to test the danger of over-conditioning brood sows, one of the biggest and fattest brood sows on a farm was placed in a box stall about three weeks before farrowing. She became very fat, lazy and awkward. She farrowed nine pigs and killed six of them, although the house was provided with guard rails and all care possible was taken. This sow had only a moderate dder, and the three remaining pigs were scouring and poorly nourished. In the same herd a sow of a great deal less fat and weight, which had been allowed abundant exercise and less feed, farrowed seven healthy pigs, made a good big udder, and raised all her pigs without the loss of one. Also there were no scours in her litter. Fat is not conducive to breeding power, and the too-fat sow will never be the milker or the mother that the sow will which is only in fair flesh and vigorous. The nutrition of her food will go to the production of fat rather than to the stimulation of milk flow. Fat may be put on at the expense of milk and perhaps at the expense also of the little pigs. The brood sow's ration should be rich in protein, because it will furnish her with the energy she needs for herself and for her expected franily, both before and after farrowing.