THE PIG INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 1 July 1937, Page 5

THE PIG INDUSTRY.

THE FEEDING OF PIGS. (Notes by M. J. Scott. 8.A.. B.Sc.) Roots have been nominated as the most suitable feed, but no hard and fast rule can be laid down. The only guide as to which is the best source of cheap feed is the yield of feed units that can he obtained and the cost ol obtaining it. The following table ol feed units per ton and yields per acre is set out for the information of those interested. —The table shows corn- , putative values of different feedstuiis

In the above table each crop has a j yield in tons per acre set out beside it. These cannot be the relative yielding capacities of these crops in any locality. They are included here for the purpose of calculating the amount of feed units grown per acre at that yield, ft is necessary to take both yield and quality into account in | valuing a crop and then to look at the costs of growing that crop m comparison with other crops. In the past too many have grown crops because of convenience or prejudice. While convenience is ol sonio importance, it can lie overdone. Artichokes are often grown as a pig feed because they call for very little expense, and little work in feeding them. A six-ton crop of artichokes producing 2400 feed units per acre fot just the cost of the rent, say 30s per acre, compares favourably with an 80-ton crop of mangels producing 12,000 feed units if the mangels cost £8 per acre to produce. The middle course is, however, probably the most ; useful. Grow small areas ol several 1 different crops in place of a larger area of any particular one. Don’t grow 2 tons of artichokes when your ' land could grow 100 tons of mangels per acre! 1 It lias been stated that the ideal > amount of these cheap feeds is about < half the total feed used, and in •quantity this amounts to 2J tons for every cow milked, say 1 acre of a good ' crop for 30 cows, plus 10 tons for • every ton of grain bought. There is ■ nothing to be gained'by trying to use • still greater amount of the cheap , feeds because the quality of the whole ) feed supply is so reduced by using too • much cheap feeds that it is impossible s' to get pigs to thrive on it.

and yields per Crop. Parsnips Carrots Swedes Cabbage Chou moilicr .. Rule acre: — Yield in tons pur acre. ... 40 .... $0 .... 45 ... 30 ... 20 .... 15 .... 6 lb. feed units per fori. 240 200 160 200 130 200 240 Lb. Feed units per acre. 9.600 8.000 7,200 6,000 3.600 3.000 1.440 Mangels Artichokes .... 60 .... 12 .... 12 150 400 400 9,000 4.800 4.800 Stock melons Pumpkins Soft turnips .... ... 60 .... 60 .... 30 .... 18 130 180 300 260 7.800 10,800 3,000 4,630 Lucerne, green Lucerne liay ... 16 .... 5 .... 12 200 650 270 3.200 3.250 3.240 Gra ns (short 1 Ions). 1.440 1,440 1J 1.640 2.420 When t 1 1.460 1.460 Peas 1 1.400 1.400 1 1.200 1.200 0 1.200 — 0 900 . 0 3.300 — Linseed-meal 0 1.600 —