RECORD LITTER FARROWED BY WAIMANA SOW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 55, 21 February 1949, Page 4

RECORD LITTER FARROWED BY WAIMANA SOW

Might Possibly ; Reach Ton Mark ! The heaviest litter of pedigree Large White pigs yet recorded in the Bay of Plenty after three weeks feeding from farrowing, was weighed on February 9 at the farm of Mr F. Robinson, Nukuhou. The litter came to a total of 209.61b5, which is one of the heaviest recorded in New Zealand. Weight for age the litter is only 40.41bs behind Messrs Montgomrie and Bell’s world record litter of 250 lbs at three weeks, killed last month. The weighing was carried out by Mr C. G. Burgess, inspector of stock at Whakatane and Mr A. F. Barwell, Whakatane, supervisor of the Bay of Plenty District Pig Council. .The heaviest of the litter weighed 17.3 lbs and the lightest 10. libs. One was 161bs, four 15 and the remainder from 11 to 141bs. Mr Robinson’s farm is situated 17 miles from Whakatane on the main highway to Opotiki. He has raised very good litters previously and with this sow and boar is determined to try for a ton litter. Both animals in the past having very high records. An Outstanding Sow ’ The sow which farrowed the litter, Dudley White Lass 2, comes from an outstanding family of .producers noted for high milking qualities. In a previous litter she raised it to 139.41bs in three weeks, rising in eight weeks to On these figures she easily qualified for the A Grade Certificate, being 191bs over at three weeks and 1121bs over at eight weeks the total required. This was with a different sire.

It was this performance of the sow under ordinary farm conditions that decided Mr Robinson to attempt to reach a ton litter. With this in view he mated her with another boar, Moerangi Supreme 1, a first cousin.

A close watch was kept on the pigs during and immediately after farrowing. Special attention had to be paid to the feeding of the litter as the sow only had 13 teats. For the first two nights two of the pigs were hand fed and then returned to the mother. Careful Feeding

All the feeding was in the care of. Mr Robinson’s 16-year-old son, Dick, who takes a remarkable interest in these pigs. He watched the sow- from farrowing and has been entirely responsible for the feeding of the litter.

Litter was farrowed on January 19 and on the first day the piglets were fed four pints of milk. This amount was raised by a pint a day until by the eighth they were feeding 10 pints a day. The next Jay the milk was increased by two pints and in addition seven and a half ounces of concentrated meat meal was added. This was continued, with the milk being increased by about a pint a day. On the twentieth day they were being fed 22 pints a day with 15 ounces of meat'meal. The concentrate was doubled on the*, sixteenth day. It should 'be pointed out here that after the sow farrowed she fed the litter the first day.

From the first the pigs gained in weight steadily during feeding.' Care was exercised with their housing which, although kept scrupulously clean, is no way elaborate. A Nasty Shock

When Mr Robinson first saw the litter he received a very nasty shock. Of the fifteen pigs, one was almost totally black while, another four bore a sure magpie colouring. Most of the litter have distinct Berkshire features and if one did not know otherwise it would be thought that the parents must have been Berkshires.

Of this mystery Mr Robinson has no explanation. He has examined the pedigrees and can find no evidence suggesting any introduction of the Berkshire strain. However, the pedigrees do disclose four strains of imported blood from ’ England, and it is possible that the' breeds were mixed before the pigs were brought to this country. Great interest is being taken by pig breeders in the Bay of Plenty over, the progress of this litter. The weighing at eight weeks will be well watched. Mr Robinson plans to take the whole litter to be displayed at W. and R. Fletcher’s Tomoana Porker and Baconer competition at Westfield on July 11.