After littering
the mother offers the foremost teat to the first-born. When the sow is
in heat, she must not at once be put to the boar, but only after she
lets her lugs drop, for otherwise she is apt to get into heat again;
if she be put to the boar when in full condition of heat, one
copulation, as has been said, is sufficient. It is as well to supply
the boar at the period of copulation with barley, and the sow at the
time of parturition with boiled barley. Some swine give fine litters
only at the beginning, with others the litters improve as the
mothers grow in age and size. It is said that a sow, if she have one
of her eyes knocked out, is almost sure to die soon afterwards.
Swine for the most part live for fifteen years, but some fall little
short of the twenty.
19
Ewes conceive after three or four copulations with the ram. If
rain falls after intercourse, the ram impregnates the ewe again; and
it is the same with the she-goat. The ewe bears usually two lambs,
sometimes three or four. Both ewe and she-goat carry their young for
five months; consequently wherever a district is sunny and the animals
are used to comfort and well fed, they bear twice in the year.
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