THE REARING OF YOUNG PIGS
One of the most important points in the profitable raising of stock is
to give the animals a good start in their earliest days. There is an old
and true saying amongst shepherds that the best and most profitable
sheep are those which have never lost their lamb fat. It may with equal
truth be declared that the most profitable pig is the one which has a
good start when on its mother, and never afterwards lacks suitable food,
judiciously given.
At frequent intervals, the question as to the number of pigs which a sow
should have left on her to rear is the subject of discussion in the
press. At each of these periods very similar arguments for and against
large litters are used with much the same inconclusive results. This
probably arises to a great extent from the varying conditions under
which the particular litter of pigs is to be reared. The time of year
has a vast influence, a sow farrowing in May will more successfully rear
a dozen pigs than she would bring up ten if they were farrowed in the
month of October.
The age and condition of the sow should also be considered. A young sow
of about twelve months should not have more than seven or eight pigs
left on her to rear, whereas with her succeeding litters until she is at
least four years old she would rear at least ten pigs each litter. After
the sow has reached the age of about four years, if that time has been
fully employed in her maternal duties, she becomes gradually less able
to rear so large a number of pigs with an equal amount of success. It is
then advisable to vary the number according to the season, and to the
physical condition of the sow; generally speaking an aged sow will bring
up more pigs in the summer months than in the colder months.
Reference is made elsewhere to the manner in which the young pigs should
be cared for until they are weaned from their dam, but no harm can arise
from a repetition of the advice that the young pigs should be so managed
and fed that only the very slightest difference will be noticed by the
youngsters when parted from their mother. Many pigs are permanently
checked in growth by being suddenly deprived of a full supply of
mother's milk if weaned when their digestive organs are insufficiently
developed as to treat a sufficiency of food to make growth and progress
without the assistance received from their mother's milk.
Opinions differ as to the age at which little pigs are sufficiently
developed as to exist and thrive without their dam's help. Here again
the time of the year, not only as far as the weather is concerned, but
the desirability of prompt or deferred remating of the sow in order that
her succeeding litters should arrive during the most favourable portions
of the year, must be considered. The thrift and growth of each litter
of pigs varies greatly. The health of the sow, her condition before
farrowing, and other causes, some of which are not always on the
surface, have their influence, but it may be taken as a rule that young
pigs are fully able to fend for themselves by the time they are eight
weeks old. Should it be possible to allow the pigs to remain on the sow
for so long a time as twelve weeks without prejudicing the next litters
as to the time of year of their arrival, the pigs may benefit, and no
loss of food will be sustained, since it has been clearly proved that
pigs beyond the age of eight weeks can be fed quite as economically, if
not more so, on the sow than if weaned. It may also be possible to feed
the sow on somewhat coarser and less expensive food than could be
satisfactorily fed to the young pigs, as her digestive organs would be
better able to treat the coarser food. Another advantage generally
follows keeping the pigs for a longer time on the sow if the latter be
well fed is that she will be in a stronger and better condition to start
the building up of her next litter.
As a rule young pigs will commence to eat when they are from three to
four weeks old. If the sow is fed in the sty in which the little pigs
are, these will endeavour to share in the food; at first they may
content themselves with licking any food which may be outside the
trough, but they quickly show a desire for more, and attempt to get into
the trough. When this is evident, it is advisable to feed the little
pigs apart from the sow; a low flat trough is best, as one with high
sides is said to cause "high backed" pigs, or pigs suffering from a
curvature of the spine. If a little milk can be obtained, the pigs will
promptly drink it, if the milk be whole they will thrive best, but even
if only skim or separated milk be obtainable, or butter milk, providing
that it be drawn off ere the salt is put into the churn, a small
quantity will be beneficial, but the pigs will not be able to digest so
large a quantity of the separated as of the whole milk. The former is
apt to have a constipating effect on the bowels of the youngsters.
Should an ample supply of separated milk be available it can be fed
through the sow, who will be better able to digest it, and whose yield
of milk will be increased, provided that sufficient separated milk to
affect her bowels be not given to her. A few kernels of wheat or white
peas will be readily eaten by the little pigs, which will benefit
therefrom.
If no other food is available, sharps, or whatever the local term for
the finer miller's offals may be, mixed with a little warm water and fed
to the piglings, will prove beneficial, care being taken to give only so
much as the pigs will eat up readily, or that any surplus is taken away,
so that it does not become sour, as in this last condition it will cause
diarrh[oe]a in the young pigs.
When the pigs are about six weeks old the sow can be allowed to remain
from them for a longer time, and the youngsters fed two or three times
each day. The sow's milk will then gradually dry up, and the pigs will
become accustomed to the food, so that when the latter are about eight
weeks old they will have become weaned naturally, and receive no check
from the loss of the sow's milk. This system, will also prevent any
trouble arising from the collection of milk in the sow's udder, and the
occasional attacks of inflammation or garget which follow a chill to the
sow when her udder is in an inflamed condition from being closely
impacted with milk.
Assuming that the economical and beneficial practice of supplying the
suckling sow with vegetable food of some kind after the pigs are some
three or four weeks old has been adopted, the pigs will have become
accustomed to its consumption. It will be found to be advisable to
continue this whether it has taken the form of cooked potatoes, of
mangolds, swedes, kohl rabi, cabbages, artichokes, etc., as not only
will the food bill be reduced, as the pigs will make equal growth and
thrift on food containing say ten per cent of vegetable matter as they
will if fed wholly on sharps, but the vegetable food will have a
beneficial effect on the health of the pigs, and tend to prevent those
attacks of constipation and diarrh[oe]a which are so frequently the
result of food of too rich a character.
Of the vegetable foods, cooked potatoes and raw artichokes are the most
nourishing and the most readily eaten, lucerne and clover in a green
state come next in food value and favouritism with the pigs; cabbages
are credited with causing constipation when fed to young pigs, whilst
mangolds are said to have the opposite effect, and in addition when
grown on light land by the aid of artificial manure mangolds are apt to
affect the kidneys and cause excessive urination. Kohl rabi are not so
much used in the feeding of pigs as would be advisable. They are easily
grown and will take the place of swedes on land on which swedes are
subject to mildew; they are very nutritious, and are readily eaten by
both old and young pigs.
Coleseed is not used in the feeding of pigs in this country to anything
approaching the same extent as in Canada and the United States; its
value and results are of a very similar character to those of cabbages.
Tares or vetches contain too large a proportion of water for young pigs,
and they also have a tendency to cause looseness of the bowels. The
growth of maize for feeding to pigs in a green state has been
recommended by some writers, but in practice we found it most unsuitable
for young pigs, and of little value for aged pigs, owing to the small
proportion of nourishment contained in it in comparison with its bulk.
Further, pigs both old and young will refuse to eat it unless driven by
hunger. It is needless to remark that no pigs, especially young ones,
will thrive under such conditions.
One of the most common mistakes made by pig feeders is allowing too long
a time to pass between feeding times. Twice or three times per day is
considered to be quite frequent enough, whereas prior to their being
weaned the pigs would have had a meal wellnigh each two hours both day
and night. Infrequent meals result in the pigs becoming so hungry that
they bolt their food, and a greater quantity than is desirable, and then
suffer from indigestion.
It must also be remembered that the pig's capacity for storing food is
very small, especially as compared with some others of our domesticated
animals. Four or five meals per day at least should be given to newly
weaned pigs. That most troublesome of ailments commonly termed cramp
more generally results from injudicious feeding than from all other
causes combined. Even when the young pigs are properly fed on suitable
food there is a tendency in some little pigs to attacks of cramp. One of
the best preventatives and even remedies is to compel the pigs to leave
their nests late in the evening or prior to the pigman retiring for the
night, as they will then relieve the bowels and bladder. Otherwise,
particularly in cold weather, the pigs would remain quiescent in their
nests from feeding time in the afternoon until they were fed the
following morning, or in winter a period of some fifteen or sixteen
hours--far too long a time for the good health of the young pigs.
Another point which requires attention is the provision of a dry bed.
Pigs are naturally clean animals, and will not as a rule foul their bed
when they are in a healthy state. Still the straw will in winter time
become damp solely from the moisture thrown off by the pigs when huddled
together in their nest. All damp litter should be carefully removed at
least once each day.
The best of all materials for the bedding of pigs is wheat straw. This
will absorb a larger amount of moisture than any other kind of straw,
whilst the skin and hair of the pigs will remain of a brighter colour
than if bedded on oat or barley straw. Of these two, the former is more
suitable than the latter, which so readily becomes damp and foul. In
those parts of the country where comparatively little corn is grown,
sawdust and wood shavings are commonly used for litter for pigs. So far
as the comfort of the pigs is concerned there is little difference as
compared with straw with regard to pigs of all ages in the warmer
weather, but in the winter little pigs suffer, as they are unable to
make the warm nest which straw enables them to make and enjoy.
When peat moss was first introduced it was strongly recommended for the
bedding of pigs. It was claimed for it that it was a far better
absorbent of moisture than sawdust, and that its manurial value was much
greater. It is probable that both claims are founded on fact, as sawdust
is of comparatively no value as a manure. But there exists one serious
objection to the use of peat moss as litter for young pigs. It is that
the pigs are given to eat it, that it causes severe attacks of
indigestion, and often the death of the pig eating it.
Of late years the spaying of the sow pigs has ceased to be general. The
causes of this neglect may be several, amongst them the dislike of
trouble, but perhaps the main reason is that the so-called store period
of the pig's life is now so much shorter than in the olden days, and
consequently the loss of food, and the risk of the arrival of unexpected
litters of pigs are less, from the repeated periods of heat, indeed
under the present or recent conditions of pig keeping a large
proportion of the pigs are killed ere they have become sufficiently
developed to be troublesome in this respect.
Still, there is little doubt that the castrating and spaying of young
pigs at about the age of six weeks, or before they have been weaned from
the sow is advisable and the cost of the operation is well repaid. An
unspayed sow pig becomes a nuisance in company with other pigs, and when
it is put up to fatten will make no progress on some three or four days
during each three weeks when she ordinarily becomes in heat.
In addition to her own waste of time she will, if penned with others, be
continually worrying her mates and preventing them from resting and
thriving.
Until recently another objection was taken to the unspayed sow pig, it
was that if she were killed during the period of [oe]strum that great
difficulty would be experienced in curing the meat properly, and that
signs of her heated condition would be noticed in the mammary glands in
the form of dark globules of what was considered to be blood, but
investigation carried out at the University Farm at Cambridge by Messrs.
Russell and Kenneth Mackensie have proved that the discoloration and the
consequent loss in value of a certain portion of the belly of a side of
bacon is not due to the pig having been in a state of heat at the time
of its slaughter, but to an excess of pigment, noticeable only amongst
coloured pigs. Thus, the globules would be of a dark colour when the
bacon was from a pig of a black colour, and red from the pigs of the
Tamworth breed. This shows another cause of the marked preference of the
bacon curers for pigs of a white colour in the manufacture of the
highest priced bacon.