FEEDING PIGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 11, 6 October 1937, Page 13

FEEDING PIGS

Use of Meat and Linseed Meals A BALANCED RATION For successful and profitable porker production, pig raisers fully recognise that speed in growth is the essential factor. The scientifie feeding of pigs has developed eonsiderably in the last few years, and the u,se of concentrates ntuc-li more widely used. Pig raisers fully appreciate the dictum of the superiutendent of the pig industry, Mr M. J. Scott "that meat meal, added at the rate of i lb. to i lb. per day, improvos every known feed for pigs in proportion to its unsuitability. " Whilst the cfflciency of meat meal is iully recognised, an luteresting tast held under the supervision of the Waikato Pig Recordiug Club has proved that eveu better results are obtaiued by feeding a more balanced protein ration of Toamoana meat iheal and Moose 1 nseed oil cake meal. AU sows received a ration of Tomoana meat meal and Moose linseed ineal prior to farrowing and all littors were fed a mixture of these two meals with a dairy produce by-product. T!he average weight at three weeks was 13 Ibs. and at eight weeks 45 Ibs. The average time from barth to slaughter as porqera was just over sixteen weeks, and these results were obtained despite the fact that the test was completed in the month of Jcly when the quabtities of dairy produco by-products stich as skim milk, wbey and buttermilk were in short suppjy. The average weight at eight weeks (45 lbs) is eonsiderably above any averages recorded for sucha number of pigs in New Zealand in the past. Suitability for Market lt was further shown that fast growth from these two high quality meals was economical not only from the saving in food in getting the pigs off quickly, but also from the proportion of prime porkers produced— 200 prime out of 215 pigs, and again from the very few pigs which were affected by disease. Only one pig .was condemned and only 7 out of 216 were uuexportable. Record Litter The jecQrds of the best litter are worth studying. With a litter of 10 pigs, the average weifeht at three weeks was 20 lbs., at eight weeks 59.6 lbs. and the dressed weight at time of slaughter, only 12 weeks 5 days after birth, was 69.3 lbs. Thus oue sow produced 693 lbs of pork m 12 weeks and 5 days at the value of £17 17/6, whilst the cost of the Tomoana, and Moose meals was £2 7/6. The resuns of this test have delinitely proved that although meat meals used with a dairy produce by-producf will increase the rapidity of growth of all pigs, a more balanced ration of Tomoana meat meal and Moose linseed meul, wliercby the pigs receive not only an animal prolem but also a vegetable protein in their ration, will give even better results. Tomoan moat meals ate processed by ihe most eliicieufc and scieiitiiic metkods to produce a highly palatable aud digestible meal enabling the stock to absorb the greatest possible percehtage of protein. This meal moxed with Moose linseed meal, which provides as well as a varied sou.rce of protem a Slightly laxative effect, has proved the eiiiciency of Tomoana Moose meals as a rapid, profitable and eeonomic protein balanciug ration for porkers.