PIG MANAGEMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 3, 24 July 1946, Page 3

PIG MANAGEMENT

RECENT RADIO TALK Y.F.C. MEMBER’S EFFORT Following is the first in the series of articles constructed from a talk given recently from IYA by a junior Young Farmers’ Club member, Bruce Mundy of the Whakatane District High School. The subject is Tig Management on the Dairy Farm’ and was written entirely by the speaker. I Pig Husbandry Since pig raising emerged from the “mud and smell” stage, in which it wallowed for so long, a great deal of experimenting and hard work has taken place in devising the best methods of pig production. It has not only enabled the farmers of New Zealand to find the most pleasant and profitable means of pig husbandry, but has also helped to raise the standard of New Zealand pork on the world markets. I will touch briefly on some aspects of pig raising as follows: The piggery; the breeding stock; the production of good litters; the care of the sow; and one or two of the most common diseases.

The situation of the piggery should be chosen with great care, and a dry area, with good drainage, is desirable. A shelter belt is essential, and this should be far enough away from their sleeping quarters, to prevent draughts. The general layout should be for the greatest comfort to the pigs and the greatest convenience for feeding them. Necessary Equipment One of the first things needed is a warm dry house, and the houses should all face the direction in which they will get a maximum of sunshine, for the sun is a germ killer and will reduce any dampness. The houses should be constructed so that they are free from draughts, for draughts cause diseases such as pleurisy, colds and pneumonia. One of the most necessary things in a pig-house, is to have a warm floor. There are several types of floors, such as sawdust, concrete, wooden, or a wooden platform raised above the concrete. A wooden platform raised above the concrete is the wrong principle because when the pigs lie on it they warm the air underneath which rises up between the boards. The result is that more air rushes in, and thus a continual draught is passing up from underneath. The pigs put in a good part of their lives on this platform, and use up a fair percentage of their energy warming that 'air. This requires food to produce, yet it contributes nothing to what goes on the hooks. Modern Flooring A really good type of floor was designed by aMr Clarke. It has been well tried in practice, and has proved to be excellent. There seems to be little doubt that this type is the best possible at a reasonable cost. The ground under the house is first levelled off, and a layer of scoria or coke, or some similar material, is put down to prevent the coldness of the ground from cooling the floor in the winter time. Threeinch field tiles are then laid down in close rows across the area and the surface filled in with concrete, so that, the highest part of the field tiles is just covered. When this floor is completed the air in the field tiles is permanently trapped, and the warmth from the bodies of the pigs is sufficient to keep this air warm after the first 24 hours of occupancy. In one piggery where this type of floor was used, the floor was so warm several hours after the pigs had left it that steam could be seen rising during cleaning.

The pens should roughly be a tenth of an acre, and there should be sufficient pens to allow for cropping or regrassing. It is essential that a portion of the piggery each year should be freshened up. The fences should be constructed with pig netting, for barbed wire, fences are liable to scratch the pigs and reduce their market value.

The Sow

The choice of the sow is very important, and to be profitable a sow must rear a certain number of pigs per year, but there is a limit to the number of pigs a sow can rear to the best advantage.

Very few can manage more than twelve, and it is far better to have eight or ten sound pigs than a greater number of undernourished animals. The sow, therefore, should be of a quiet and friendly nature. The reverse is indicated by a strong mane, and eyes that are fierce and cruel. Farmers have found that a

fine neck, absence of mane, and large, soft, kindly eyes go hand in hand with milking capacity. Just as cows vary in the quantity and quality of milk, so do sows. Consequently it is of the greatest importance to obtain the pigs whose mothers’ records show these important qualities. The udder should be well developed and have at least twelve teats, evenly placed and well forward. (To be continued)