PIG REARING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1538, 6 September 1912, Page 8

PIG REARING.

ITS VALUE TO THE FAKMEB,

Tho prico paid for bacon pigs during iho past season touched tho high mark ot fid. per lb., which prico was maintained inr over six weeks by tho- Woodvillo Bacon Co., Ltd. When this factory was established by the Christchurch Meat Company thirteen years ago, the ruling prico for pigs-ranged from 2<l. to 2J<l. per lb.- Practical farmers in those days expressed the opinion that if the. price over reached 3d., and remained, at that, pig rearing would bo tho most profitable part of forming.-At tho present period if,tho prico falls below Id.' per lb. farmers go out of tho pigrearuig business as being unprofitable. This, however, is attributed. to the fact that abnormally high rates are being .paid for other classes of produce. Chatting to the. manager of tho Woodville Bacon Factory, aiepresentative of an exchange noted some interesting points made by him, which should prove of interest to farmers. The opinion was expressed that prices for some years to como for bacon pigs .of. the right class would be maintained at a good paying .standard.; Notwithstanding the vast quantity'of bacon placed upon tho market throughout tho. Dominion, the whole had ban required for .local, consumption, and. in addition a fair quantity had beau imported from Australia.. Farmers w.ere beginning to recognise, the importance of rearing pigs, particularly suited for bacon purposes, and as a result were getting the very best returns. The ideal breed of pigs for bacon purposes, and .one that matured more 'rapidly!'than any other known breed, was tho Berkshire-Tamworth cross. This breed produces a. long sido and light shoulder,"while tho lean is well distributed. . "Our-'business is of a mercurial character/' remarked the manager, "and it is surprising how materially it is affected -by ciroumstances. For instance, immedi.ately there is an increase in the price paid for calves, there is a maTkcd depreciation in the number of pigs forthcoming. The farmer shifts his ground frequently,'and chases the up-going prices, often to his disadvantage. If a farmer fed to a pig the same quantity of milk that he would feed to a calf, for which ho would get the sum of 305., the pig would, at the prices ruling now, net him 50s.' Tho farmer, however, often took the course of least resistance, and as the pig required a little more attention than the calf, he was content to make the loss."