A concrete floored building is almost a must for

A concrete floored building is almost a must for continued success in maintaining clean farrowing quarters. As used here, “clean'’ means not only free from dirt, but also free of bacteria and worm eggs. The floor, stalls, feeders, and waterers should be scrubbed free of dirt and manure and then scrubbed with warm, soapy lye water with a final rinse with a good disinfectant The manager should be present at farrowing to help the sow and to dry and clean pigs and clip needle teeth. Pigs should be put under or near a heat lamp, since their heat regulating mechanisms are not well developed until several days after birth. A temperature of 80- 85 degrees Fahrenheit is best for baby pigs. Most days and nights during the farrowing season of the next three months will fall far short of this temperature. So, a heat lamp is needed to bring temperatures up to the best level, However, it should be at least 18 inches above the pigs to avoid burning them. If farrowing quarters are properly ventilated, they should stay dry enough if care is taken when watering sows. Automatic waterers are desirable and can be bought for $10 or less. Sows -should be put in a restricted area at farrowing. A farrowing crate or improvised enclosure that is 2 feet wide and 8 feet long will prevent the sow from laying on her pigs or suffocating them. If a crate is not provided, the farrowing stall should at least have guard rails. Most of these things can be done with little cost and will result in more and "healthier pigs per litter. Pigs should be given an iron shot during the first few days and the sow fed 15 percent protein corn-soybean oil meal ration fortified with vitamins and minerals. An Illinois study shows the increased returns per litter from weaning large litters. By increasing pigs weaned per litter from 6 to 8, net returns increased from $32