BREEDING-PIGS,

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 8

BREEDING-PIGS,

THE QUESTION OF MANAGEMENT. Undor proper management, says Mr. E. E. Alexander in tho "Canterbury Agricultural College Magazine," no branch of farming, under proper management, offers a nioro certain return than pig-breeding. At the same time there is 110 surer way of losing money than by keeping a herd of badly-managed pigs. Like every other class ot' animals 011 tho farm, the key to success lies in the management of tho breeding stock arid young animals. The results of tho management are more lasting and more marked in the enso of pigs than with other classes of farm stock.. Sows for- breeding purposes should bo selected from tho very best of a litter, ami not, as is often done, from those that fail to grow .and thrive. If no want quick growers and f'attonera and animals that will pay for the food they consume, wo should select a sow which exhibits those qualities from , the beginning. As good and bad qualities aro hereditary, always get tho best strain. Tho dam of tho yoiuig son- should bo typical of her breed, a good nurse, prolific, quiet, and careful with her borhams. The sow should have at least ten teats well set and coming well forward towards the breast. When weaned, pigs intended for breeding .should bo well fed and get plenty of exercise. The sow should bo put to breed when she is about eight months old, so that sho will have her first litter when she is twelve months old. If sho has been properly ■looked after she should be mature enough to nurse a full litter, and do them well. When the litter has been reared, the sow can again be put to breed in from three to nine days after weaning, or three weaks later if thought desirable. A good plan is to put the sow to breed about, three days after a litter has been reared, and give her a spell. of three weeks after tho succeeding litter. This gives two litters a year almost to a day. A good breeding sow should bo kept so long as she is active.' She can easily rear two litters a year for at least sis or ■seven years. " Seasons for Breeding.—The best seasons to havo a sow farrowing are'»just before spring and before autumn—say in February and August. The weaners when they are .put by themselves, thus escape the 'extreme heat or extreme cold, and thrive much better. For about three .weeks after service brood sows, especially those (hat have just reared a litter, should get a liberal allowance, of a fairly ricli diet-given in a sloppy condition. Skim-milk aud kitchen refuse or pollard and kitchen refuse would be quite suitable. After this period for .about ten to eleven weeks tho sow docs not demand a large allowance, but she must get plenty of exercise. A gpon plan is to, put the sows in a' slnall paddock and feed them once a day (at night), and thus compel them to take plenty of exercise, foraging among the grass. About three weeks before they farrow sows should be put in tho farrowing pens at night,-and given two feed? of- sloppy fond containing bran and pollard. The object of bringing them into the house, accustoms them to the farrowing pens, and makes thorn more docile. The extra food ensures a bolter litter of healthy pigs, and enables the mother to nurso tho youngsters, properly from the start. Accommodation. Proper accommodation should be provided for sows to-farrow in. The system of allowing sows to. farrow in tho paddock maybe convenient, but it is not profitable. If a separate, well-sheltered paddock .waa provided for each sow tho arrangement might be suitable 1 for the summer litters, but in winter, and when a, number, of sows .are-,,kept, together, it -lis .impossible to rear -young pigs to advantage in a paddock. Young pigs pre so easily affected by changes in the climatic conditions, and then it is almost impossible to get them to start feeding soon enough, as they are so wild. The result is that they get stunted more or less, and a stunted pig is _ more'difficult to get into thriving condition than any other young animal so handicapped. Suitable accommodation could be r-' tip quite cheaply. Concrete on a dry foundation makes the 'best floor. The sides of the pens, which should bo about 3ft. Gin. high, may be mad? of conereto or wood. The rest of the building may bo.as "cheap and as light as desired. Tho main points are to provide good drainage, dry bed, and plenty of fresh air. Each pen should bo 12ft." deep and Sft. wide, with a fall to tho front, where the dnor and feeding trough will be. Protection bars fin. from the ground and lOin. to 12in. from the wall should be put round the back half of tho pen to prevent tho sow from crushing the youngsters. Ono and a half inch -galvanised piping makes excellent protection bars. The. pens should be bedded .with cut straw, and the sow accustomed to tho pen for some days beforo she farrows. For the first week after the sow farrows a iin-lit should lie left in the piggery at nights, to give the sow a chance of saving tho youngsters and enable a straggler to find its way back to the mother. The diet'should "be nutritious as long as the sow is nursing; Bran, pollard, and milk are tho best foods, as they induce a flow of milk. Eirrht to 10 pigs only should be left on the row even thoueh she has double the number. Eight good pig 3 are better than 12 medium ones, and no sow can do' justice to more than 10. Feidi.n9.the Young Pigs. When the young pigs aro about 18 days old they should be induced to take a little milk. In another day or twojtoiled potatoes can be mixed with the mi", and a few davs later a little of the ordinary food cqn.'be given with skim-milk. The sooner yoop.g P'.- p nTC taught to feed the b?tt«r. " They should be encouraged to gobble their food, itnd not to suck it. The sow should be put out of the hnu=e when the youngsters aro being fed, and this can easily be managed, as a sucking sow should get at ieast two hours exercise every day. Weaning. should take place when the youn l .' pigs are about seven weeks old, and the process should be a gradual ot<« First start by making the daily spells for exercise longer, then take the sow out at nights, and allow her in to the pigs morning and evening for three or four davs. Tho young pigs should still be well cru-ed for til! they .are at least 10 weeks old. After this they arc better able to rough it; but even then it does not pay to allow them to forage for themselves. The practice of keeping pigs in store condition is an unprofitable one, as no return whatever is given for food consumed. AN EXPERT'S VIEWS. Interesting remarks by Mr. A. Matthews, tho well-known Itomney breeder,' of Wairongomai, Fcatherston:—When delivering a lecture to farmers at Masterton on Ronuiey sheop, Mr. Matthews stated with regnrd to shoep-dir/ping:— "I have not seen a louse in my flock for twenty years, imd if oi shearing time a tick is seen, it is 3iich a rare occurrence that the shearer is certain to ca.ll my attention to it. I have just had over 500 ram lioggets shorn, and not a tickwas seen among them, and I never dip more than onco a year, and always early in t!;p season." As Mr. Matthews has been a continuous user of "White's" Dip for 1G years, his remarks speak volumes for the efficvicv of Hawke's Bay mixture. Those desirous of putting themselves in thto happy position of Mr. Matthews with regard to their flocks will do wedl to give "White'« ! v "n a trial this coining seanon. Obtainablo from agents ail over NX-Advt. Factory Managers are invited to drop a post-card for particulars of checso vats and hoops,; the best made, Victor brand, to Albert J. Pirton, Carterton. Do it now.*. Chlck-rearlng is not only profitable, but a pleasure, when you teed "A. and p," Chick Raiser. It is a complete and properly-blended food for Yomng Chick*. Obtainable from ill itorekcejpMfc—Adrt,