WEIGHT AT BIRTH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 43, 31 July 1939, Page 2

WEIGHT AT BIRTH

| RESEARCH I?; ENGLAND SOW PREDOMINATING FACTOR ATi! -li attention is be'ng ;.fi\'cn ii: hngl-ind to the f:u tor.s which govern !!;<> growth of young pi. its and v.'lrit determines Iho size of Inters. and Iho subject occupies quite ;i lot of attevii.i'Mi at the lustit nfe of Animal (heietics, Kdinhurgh, un(k"; the directit>u •>f IV A. 1). iiuche n= sn Smith and Dr Dona! !. noted P»r"ti*<h research worker-:. Tile conclusions arrived a! "'() far show that the sow is tlie dominating e• t ;>r as I'-yinls both the birth weight :»»»«! '>h,; \v"Hi'ini; of the voting pi" s - IT. it w.-ight is o[ porta.nee. Ok-v because 'ho heavier p ; g :11. lerth fs'iisir'Hy able to o!)t;ii ii lor i 1--"el r;i tec' whieh see, leles more milk and there r, >'-o it mak -s greater geow-'.h sobsvo ucn 11 v . The milking cap-scily o|" tlie l «w in ■\ nuvt important I'ador in (Merminit i .<4 the ii row 1h of th" snekuig jdg, »>art : euln'lv ii!) to four weeks of age, hut even l -P 1 o weaning weight it i.A imocWant -since here ago in the !>hi which has an advantage over its tvilows maintains that advantage. While heavy weight at. weaning is a decided advantage In that the pig will "each marketable weight quicker, it is said that this i,s not a good basis for genetic selection. Actually the heavier pig at weaning does not ne_ cessnrily make the better rate of growth once allowance has beer; made for the difference in weight at wean infl;. As there is a very considerable difference sometimes in the milk production of sows as well as the quantity of milk from the individual tea'ts of a sow, it is obvious that this should be borne in m : nd when selections are being made.