The Pig: Breeding, Rearing, and Marketing

by Sanders Spencer

Another certain indication of the early arrival of a family is the act of the sow carrying straw about in her mouth wherewith to make her farrowing bed.

One of the chief causes of trouble with the farrowing sow arises from the sow not having been allowed to take sufficient exercise. Of course, the best of all systems is to allow the sow its complete freedom at all seasons of the year save when she is within about a fortnight of her time, and when she is rearing a litter of pigs. Even if there be no grass field or paddock in which she is able to pick up a good portion of her living, or a roadside where she can get a few blades of grass, an open yard is infinitely better than the confinement of a sty, as apart from the reduction in the cost of keep, the sow will produce stronger pigs, and have a decidedly easier time of farrowing.

In the case of a sow showing a disinclination to take a sufficiency of exercise either owing to laziness, to high condition, or heaviness of body, it is advisable to exercise her by walking her about quietly for a short time each morning and evening before and after the heat of the day has become excessive, or has passed off.

There is a difference of opinion amongst pig breeders as to the desirability or the reverse of having someone in attendance on the sow during the time she is farrowing. Those who object to this procedure do so on the ground that the presence of a man simply tends to irritate the sow, and to frequently cause her to become restless, with the result that the little pigs are trodden upon or become laid upon and killed. This view is generally held by those who are not particularly fond of animals, as evidenced by that occasional intercourse between pig and owner which consists of rubbing the head of the pig, or scratching its side, when in response to the pleasant sensation it rolls over on to its side like Oliver and asks for more. The trouble if any, which arises from the owner or pig man being in the sty with the farrowing sow almost invariably arises from the absence of a sympathetic feeling between the two. Sows, and indeed wellnigh all animals, pine for sympathy and company, and no animal more so than a pig. Still there are very occasional instances where the young sow becomes very excitable as she commences to farrow even when she and her owner or attendant have previously been on the best of terms. But there the cause is not the presence of a human being, but the arrival of one of her own little pigs. So long as the pigling remains quiet there is peace, but as soon as the youngster endeavours to get to the teat and especially if in the endeavour it utters a cry or a squeak, the young sow will jump up from her nest and endeavour to seize the youngster in her mouth, when unless prevented the sow quickly squeezes all life out of the pig; and in some cases when the pressure has been so severe as to break the skin of the piglet, and the sow tastes blood, she will proceed to eat the dead pig. When affairs have arrived at this sad state, the chances of the remaining pigs having a pleasant reception into the world are comparatively slight.

When there exists a good understanding between the sow and attendant, as there invariably is when the latter is not rough and unkind, as only bad tempered men can be, the trouble in a case such as just referred to is greatly reduced, as the attendant runs no risk in entering the sty and in removing the little pigs as they arrive, and placing them in a hamper or box partially filled with straw until such time as the sow has completed her farrowing, when the pigs can be placed against the sow's udder, and providing they do not bite her, all will settle down in peace and comfort.

In order to avoid the slightest risk of trouble it is advisable when the pigs are apart from the sow to break off with a pair of pliers the four little teeth with which the pigs are endowed prior to their birth. Care being taken to remove the pigs beyond the hearing of the sow each little pig in turn is tucked under the left arm, the mouth is opened by the left hand, and the teeth pressed hard with the pliers, or even a slight turn of the wrist given, when necessary, and the brittle teeth are crushed.

As soon as the placenta or afterbirth is ejected this should be removed. A little slop food should be fed to the sow, and whilst she is eating it, the wettest part of the bedding should be replaced by a little short and dry straw just enough to render the nest comfortable for the little pigs. The nest should be disturbed as little as possible, as should the whole of it be removed and fresh straw given, the sow will probably spend a considerable time in remaking the nest, and in the meantime the little pigs will be in danger from a chill, or in being mixed up in the straw and being laid upon. The risk from delay in the sow laying down and suckling her pigs is much greater in cold weather, as not only will they become chilled, but they will persist in crowding round the sow and so run the greater risk of being trodden upon, or rolled up in the bedding in the effort of the sow to remake her comfortable nest.

Some persons strongly recommend the giving of a strong dose of medicine to the sow after she has farrowed. In ordinary cases this is not necessary, the farrowing of a litter of pigs is a simple and natural operation. In those occasional instances where manual assistance has to be given to the sow owing to the unusual size of the pig, or wrong presentation, or even of a pig which has been dead for a day or two and has begun to decompose and consequently to increase in bulk, it is advisable to give medicine to the sow, since there is every probability of some amount of inflammation due to the insertion of the hand. As the sow's bowels are likely to be somewhat constipated it is always advisable to exercise her for a few minutes during the morning after she has farrowed. In most cases the exercise will at once cause her to relieve her bowels and her bladder, when she can be returned to her sty.

We found sharps, or the finest portion of miller's offals (which usually go by varying names in different parts of the country), the most suitable food for newly farrowed sows, and until the pigs were at least four weeks old. Some persons recommend that a portion of the food should consist of bran, this on two grounds—the first that its use tends to prevent constipation, and secondly on account of the food analysis which it gives. Our experience has been that when sharps are fed to the sow no trouble should arise from constipation, whilst as to the nutriment which bran contains the claim may be good, but the pig is unable to extract it; so large a proportion of the bran passes through the pig in an undigested condition. As a rule the pig, unlike the horse, cow, or sheep, does not masticate its food, nor does it, like the two last named, chew its cud, but it usually bolts its food, and thus casts a greater labour on its digestive organs which have neither the time nor power to extract the whole of the nutriment from the bran. In addition to this, bran tends to too great looseness of the bowels, which in the case of young pigs tends to become diarrhœa.

There is a tendency on the part of some pigmen who are over anxious to succeed to feed the sow too large a quantity of food during the first ten days or so after she has farrowed. During this period the demand on the sow is really not much greater than it was during the last two or three weeks of carrying the pigs. As the pigs grow older an increased supply of food is necessary, but for a week or two after the arrival of the pigs twice feeding of the sow should suffice unless she is very low in condition, or a very large litter of pigs is left on her. In such cases it may be advisable to feed her three times per day just as much as she will promptly clear up. It is a great mistake to give so much food at one time that a portion is left over in the trough, particularly is this so when the pigs are over three weeks old, as nothing so quickly upsets the stomachs of the youngsters as sour food. If in ordinary cases feeding the sow three times daily is persisted in, the same quantity of food given should simply be distributed over the three feedings, as an excess of food is only less a mistake than underfeeding.