“The next consideration is concerning breeding, which I call the period between conception and birth, for these are the beginning and the end of pregnancy.  First of all then we should consider the stinting and the season at which this should be accomplished, for as the season from the rising of the west wind to the vernal equinox (February-March) is considered best for swine, so that from the setting of Arcturus to the setting of Aquila (May-July) is best for sheep.  Furthermore, a rule should be made that the male animals are kept apart from the females for some time before they are bred, a period which neatherds and shepherds usually fix at two months.  The next consideration is of the rules to be observed while the animal is pregnant, because the periods of gestation differ in the several domestic animals:  thus the mare goes twelve months, the cow ten, the ewe and the goat five and the sow four.

“In Spain is reported a phenomenon of breeding which seems incredible, but is nevertheless true, namely:  that on Mount Tagnus on that part of the coast of Lusitania near the town of Olisippo, mares are some times impregnated by the wind,[113] some thing which often happens with respect to chickens, whence their eggs are called [Greek:  hypaenemios] (conceived by the wind),[114] but the foals born of such mares never live more than three years.

“When lambs are born in due season, or what we call chordi (that is to say those lambs which are born late and have remained beyond their season in the belly of the dam, the name chordi, being derived from [Greek:  chorion] the Greek name for the membrane which is called the after birth), care must be taken to clean them and set them gently on their feet and to prevent the dam from crushing them.

“On the third consideration with respect to raising young animals, you must consider for how long they should be permitted to suck the dam and when and where, and if the mother has an insufficient supply of milk, how you may put the young one to nurse at the udder of another:  in which case they are called subrumi, that is to say, under the udder, for I think that rumis is an old word for udder.

“Lambs are weaned usually at the end of four months, kids in three, pigs in two.  Weanling pigs, from the fact that they are considered fit to be offered for sacrifice at that age, were formerly called sacres as Plautus calls them when he says, “What’s the price of sacred pigs?"[115] In like manner stall fed cattle, which are being fattened for the public sacrifices, are called opimi.