PIG HUSBANDRY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 96, 10 May 1937, Page 8

PIG HUSBANDRY

Lecturette to Farmers' Union A lecturette on pig husbandry waa given by Mr C. J. Harris, of Taranaki, at the monthly meeting of the Hastings branch of the New ZeAland Faxmr ers' Union, held in the Chamber of Commerce room, Hastings, on Saturday' afternoon. Mr I. Priest presided. Mr Harris predicted that next year every pig would be graded entirely according to measurements, and that s pig council would be set up representing every branch of the industry. Pigbreeding, he declared, was a major in* dustry with tremendous possibilities if properly organisedThe first thing that had to be dbne" was to get right away from the old system of stye feeding. Fat pigs wero no longer wanted. Open air feeding on what was known as the Waikato system was the best, ^ aud the Departrneut of Agriculture llas making this the foundation of its scheme. Grass was 25 per cent. of feeding value, and this was where New Zealand had a great advantage over other countries. Pig clubs established in Taranaki were doing a great deal of good in 'providing farmers with breeding sows. One of many important points stressed by the speaker was that potatoes were better if cooked before being fed to pigs, as they contained too much starch otherwise and poisoned the digestive system.