FARM NOTES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 125, 19 February 1940, Page 7

FARM NOTES

APPLES AS A PIG FEED

The utilisation of waste or reject apples as pig feed has been investigated in, Motneka and Christeluireh, and it has been shoiwn that il' adequate supplementary feed is also provided and the pigs are kept under good conditions a profit of from (icl to Is a ease may be expected from this class of apple. As a result of trials recently conducted in Motueka and Christehureli it can be safely said that waste and reject apples return a clear profit of from (id to Is per ease when fed to pigs which are turned oft' as bacon. Apples contain approximately 18 to 20 per cent of dry matter, so that 41b of apples are equivalent to lib of feed of barley quality. Under reasonably careful feeding conditions —that is. by never allowing pfy's to be starved, and by keeping them free from parasites and illness through reasonable housing and attention —lib of pig-meat (carcass) can be produced for (51b of feed. The average for New Zealand is near er 71b of feed., although many farmers produce it for 51b. The theoretical minimum is 41b of feed for lib

of meat. On the basis that lib of meat is produced for 241b of apples, the earning capacity of apples is approximately lOd per case of 101b. Oil

a conservative basis,, and making allowance for purchased moat-meal, ivhich must be used at the average rate of at least lib per pig daily, the value is at least Bd. In an actual trial conducted recently at Motucka it has been shown that the apples led to pig return Is per case after all outgoings are met. This return is above the average expected return quoted above, probably because in this instance the all-the-year-round feeding has not been allowed for. There will be months when no apples are available, such as November, December, and January at least. Other feed will have to be provided to carry store pigs during this period. Supplementary geed. It will be necessary to provide supplementary feed with the apples. The main source of this supply, required in October, November, December, January and February, could be readily provided from lucerne, clover,, grass or other grown crop. If sows were farrowed in June and December both litters could be turned off as bacon in the flush of the apple season. The June litter would have .to be carried through as summer stores on pasture and meat-meal when no apples were available, and finished off in the early part of the apple season. The December litter would be weaned on to apples and finished as bacon at the end of the apple season On the assumption that the equivalent of 1000 eases of apples are not gathered or are rejected oil a 15-acre orchard, it is recommended rfjiat one sow be kept to deal with this quantity. One sow could be kept: for each addition:'.! 10(10 cases that arc unmarketable. Many farmers have had little success with feed ing apples, • chiefly because they went the easy way about it, | were not prepared to adjust their ideas to fit the circumstances. They bought pigs too dear, had insufiicient equipment, and used insufficient supplementary feeds. Because of these experiences an outline is given of the programme of feed and costs and returns for one sow and her two litters to baron in a year. Approximately 1000 cases of apples, half a drum of molasses. one ton of meat-meal, j3G bushels of barley, and two acres of grazing, at a total cost of gives a return of 14 baconers of l.)0lb carcass, worth more than £50. The equipment necessary would be approximately £30 per sow.