Page 20 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21414, 5 March 1935, Page 20

AUCTIONS. H. MATSON AND CO. A VALUABLE PIG FOOD. jiUi 1// NO MEANS FOOLPROOF—TO FEED SWEET OR SOURBEST QUANTITIES TO USE. THE great value of milk for pigs is '• closely associated with the type of ,-mach and digestive organs, which s'.-» almost exactly the same as those , :'a human being. In nature the pigs d-et is a mixed one, but the standaid ivpc of food fed to pigs under domesi'.c control consists of grains and the ~ cjals made from them. These happen ui be verv deficient in protein and I,'.ne which the omnivorous animal votild obtain from the consumption of : mall wild animals. In milk it so happens that there is ui«t exactlv what the pig needs to Supplement its ration of grain. The , : -otein is not only high in amount but it is both easily digested and of -'he type to supply just what is wanted 1o such a rapidly growing animal. Milk for pigs should Preferably have the cream removed from it. But. even if the whole milk is fed, the buttei--ai has a high feeding value without having much deleterious effect on he f-t of the carcase. Finally, tne rnntrals in milk are particularly valuable for their quality and the ease vith which they are digested. In America the Pig is known as the Mortgage Lifter of the farm, and the present excellent prices ruling for pigs in Addington for all classes, certainly go to bear this out. > MATSON'S keep a permanent <tafl of specialists in their Pig Department at the Addington Saleyards, who do nothing else bu attend to their pig business, and consignors would be well advised to remember this when sending forward their next lot for realisation. IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR With such a valuable supplementary feed as milk, therefore, it is important that the best possible use be made of it. Often, however, the supply is irregular. Where milk is fed in large quanti\<a for a short time and then withheld all the advantages are lost. Treatment of this kind, for one thing, leads to digestive disturbances, causing scouring or constipation, and it also interferes seriously with the appetite of the pigs. It is fortunate that pour milk is of equal or greater value than sweet milk, because this permits of it being held for some time and issued out to tWe stock in regular amounts. Even if skim or separated milk is available in a perfectly fresh condition, it is usually advisable to *ped it soured, otherwise if milk were to be fed sour even one day in a fortnight, the change would lead to trouble. In addition, it is probable that the soured milk is more easily digested.

SHELTER FOR PIGS. The pig has a higher body temperature than the human, varying i from 102 to 103 degrees Fahreni heit. Possibly because of this I high temperature, pigs are more I susceptible to heat than many I other animals. 1 In spite of that, pigs in summer time will resist the heat comparatively well, providing they have access to shade. Pigs running in the open paddocks, with defective water suppy, will suffer from heat I apoplexy, sun scald, and somei times with respiratory diseases : which are always aggravated by I exposure to extreme conditions. Pigs housed in very small yards with close partitions which do not i permit of the free circulation of 1 air, are also likely to suffer in the hot weather. AMOUNTS PER PIG. Considering, however, how milk can best be used by the small or medium producer, we might do worse than examine the experience of Denmark. With a very considerable amount of separated milk and whey to deal with, the Danes have spent a good deal of thought in arriving at the best proportions to use in a mixed ration. Naturally, methods vary slightly, but sneaking generally, the proportions of meal to milk which have been found most satisfactory have been: — From weaning to 1001b live weight: 2 parts milk to 1 part meal. From 1001b to 1401b live weight: H parts milk to 1 part meal. From 1401b to 2001b live weight: 1 part milk to 1 part meal. What is of most interest is that the total amount of milk is standardised j,t approximatey the same amount—<i',lb per head per day—while the meal ration rises as the pigs get heavier. -Almost exactly the same arrangement prevails with the feeding of potatoes in Germany, where a small fixed • ■mount of grain and protein supplement is fed. while the amount of boiled potatoes is increased according to the appetite of the pigs, thus balancing the ration all the way through. In the case of milk, one could feed iust over half a gallon per head per dav and allow increasing amounts of u simple meal ration as the appetite jncreased. With the above amounts of milk fed. the food is rather too dry to mix easily, and so a certain amount of water can be added, but this is best restricted to a minimum. In regard to feeding pigs with milk, it is advisable only to do so when vou can guarantee the supply for iome time. Correctly speaking the milk should be pasteurised or boiled while it is sweet, but not fed until it is sour. For young pigs feed two parts of milk to one of meal, altering this for finishing pigs to equal parts of both. When these main points are kept in ir.fodl, milk can be one of the most profitable pig foods obtainable. H MATSON and CO.