PIG MANAGEMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 5, 31 July 1946, Page 3

PIG MANAGEMENT

RECENT RADIO TALK INFECTIONS Following is the fourth 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 ‘Pig Management on the Dairy Farm’ and was written entirely by the speaker. mi Another one of the infections common amongst pigs is pleurisy. This is an inflammation of the lungs and chest. Draughty houses, and overcrowding are factors leading to this infection. The symptoms are generally cough, discharging of the nose, watering of the eyes, together with hurried, jerky breathing. Treatment should be carried out by isolating affected pigs, and feeding with a light laxative diet, including molasses and cod liver oil, about a teaspoon daily in milk. It is advisable to spray houses and bedding with creosote and oil. Better housing with cleaner conditions, with good shelter and proper feeding, will prevent infection. Combating Disease “Supestifir,” a type of dirt disease, is responsible for more unthriftiness and deaths in pigs up to three months old. This is liable to occur when sows farrow in dirty, filthy sties, and have access to dirty mud wallows where this germ may be picked up, causing diarrhoea and often deaths. Disease can be prevented by cleanliness of the sties and well grassed pens, together with good feeding. This will build up strong and healthy pigs which can better resist infection. A general rule to observe in pig management is that prevention is better than cure. Although dairy byproducts are the main source for the feeding of pigs, it is necessary during the late autumn, winter, and early spring, to have a supplementary food in the way of a crop. Feed A good guide as to how much one should grow is roughly a quarter of an acre per sow kept. Sugar beet is an economical plant, for the pigs eat leaves, root and stalk. Other crops are kumi kumis, pumpkins, artichokes, maize and carrots. Meatmeal is quite useful to use ,in conjunction with these crops for store pigs at the rate of about half a pound a day. Some farmers are rather doubtful as to launching a cropping programme, but I can assure them that all the work put in in planting a crop will be well repaid. It is a much better proposition to grow as much supplementary food as possible on the farm, and be more independent of high priced stock meals. In conclusion remember this! Good management and attention to the pigs will always repay you in your pig cheque.

(Concluded)