(e) When the pigs are weaned, the feed of the sow should be cut down to check the flow of the milk. Dry oats are recommended for this purpose.
4. Record work. Be sure to keep all records called for on the record pages, including date of farrowing, number of pigs, method of housing, feeding rations, successes, failures, etc. Provision for weighing the pigs from time to time should be provided.
5. Reading and study. In connection with the practical work of raising your pigs, read at this time what your text and reference books have to say about care and management of the brood sow.
November and December
1. Feeding the pigs. About the first thought in connection with raising pigs is that they eat. It is important that every pig in the litter get its stomach full of the first milk of the sow. The young pigs will learn to eat when about three weeks of age. If the pigs can be fed separately from the sow, better results will be obtained. In one corner of the pen place a small trough for the pigs and fence it off from the sow. At least twice a day give the pigs as much sweet skim-milk as they will clean up. Do not leave any milk to sour in the trough. Then a few days after they begin to nibble grass and drink milk, a gruel of oats and wheat middlings may be made with the milk. Later a small amount of corn soaked for twenty-four hours may be placed in the trough. Do not feed more than they will clean up. Young pigs may be weaned at from eight to ten weeks.
2. Some standard rations for growing pigs.
(a) Fresh skim-milk as the base for a slop of oat middlings and wheat middlings, to which add a small amount of corn. (Feed three times daily.) As the pigs grow older the corn and middlings may be increased, but the corn should not be fed alone.
(b) With corn and skim-milk or buttermilk, one part by weight of corn to three parts of milk is satisfactory after weaning. Gradually increase the amount of corn so that the 175-pound pigs get about one part of corn to two parts of skim-milk or buttermilk.
(c) With corn and tankage the following proportions are advised:
| 8 to 1 | by weight for pigs weighing between 40 and 90 pounds |
| 10 to 1 | for weights between 90 and 125 pounds |
| 12 to 1 | for weights between 125 and 175 pounds |
| 14 to 1 | for weights between 175 and 225 pounds |
| 16 to 1 | for market hogs above 225 pounds |