DEVELOPING THE PIG INDUSTRY

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 378, 9 March 1937, Page 7

DEVELOPING THE PIG INDUSTRY

HINTS TO FARMERS ON THE PRODUCTION OF GOOD

LITTERS.

Department of Agriculture Notes by M. J. Scott, 8.A.,8.5c.

Feed Supply. Organisation: In most text books on pig-feeding, attention is focussed on composition of 'feeds, on the amounts to feed, methods of feeding, feed mixtures and the responses oi tne pig by vday of live weight increase. A knowledge of these is of fundamental importance to the beginner, but it is equally true that attention to the organisation of the whole year’s feed supply and to the coct of it, is equally important.

Organisation is important because as pointed out earlier in these notes, the feed supply of pigs that are producing io tneir maximum has a

double peak each year, whereas nature has only one animal peak production p riod. When no provision is made for the second peak period all the advantages of abundant sprint and summer feed may easily be ios by excessive overhead costs, or by having to resort to the market to buy pigs when everyone is buying in spring, or to sell when no one wants to buy in winter. In the past th s v'ere the chief causes- of pigs being unprofitable. A man either kept -sows from which he took one litter only—-pig recording in 1928 shows an average of nine litters per year for every seven sows (bulletin No. 16. N.Z. D.S.I.R.) —or else where two litters were produced each year spring weaners were 35/- per head, and winter weaners 4/- per head. It was difficult to make profits from an abundant milk supply under either of these circumstances. The informa tion obtained from pig-recording and the introduction of meat-mbaF, to provide a protein-rich feed for nsn along with cheap home-grown feeds for winter use, have helped to overcome the difficulties just mentioned. • Feed Required.

In the following table there is set cut the amounts of feed (pounds of grain or gallons of skim-milk or equivalent quantities of other feeds' required by a sow and her progeny during a year. Inhere is nothing hard and fast about the quantPW set out here, they ! are accurate for pngs that grow as stated here ThU obviously the aimounts will be cl’ffer ent if there are more pigs per letter or if the pigs grow at rate® from those stated here. The table serves the purpose of showing the variations required from month to month. Table 1. Amounts of feed required P year for a sow and her progeny, two litters each of seven pigs, (a) the weaner stage, (b) to 90lib carcase porker stage, (c) to 1401 b carcase bacon stage.

In the table column (1), headed sow maintenance, the aimounts stated are for a sow of 3001 b live weight,

whose daily maintenance requirement is 2 per cent, of her live weight. She could eat much more and would increase in weight if she did so. In practice most sov.'s get thin while suckling a litter and improve again while dry. Column (2) states the feed required for producing two Utters of seven pigs each 401 b weight at weaning. In column (3) the average weight of the weaned pigs each month is. set out. Ilins the average for August is 531 b, obtained from an initial weight of 401 b and a final weight at the end of the month of 661 b. Similarly the average weight for October, 112, is obtained from an initial weight of 941 b and a final weight of 1301 b. Column (4) is the teed for seven pigs for 30 days each month. Column (5) is similar to (3). and (6) to (4). Columns (7), (8) and (91 are the total f.ed required each month for a .sow and her pigs when these are sold as (7) weaners, (8) porkers, and (9) baconers. It will be seen that in each of ths Columns (7). (8) and (9) there is a double peak of feed required, occurring in July, October and November respectively, and again six months later. It w“ be obvious that by a little manipulation and by sales of weaners or porkers or baconers, the peak or peaks of feed required could be made to occur at any month. Production of Pork or Bacon: k ~iis ability to vary the feed requirements by selling pigs of light or of heavy weight is one of the most important charact ristics of the pig business, and full use amounting almost to abuse of it has been made in the development'df the industry. Because there was little milk in April, May and June few second litters were obtained, with the result th-1 sowkeeping tended to be unprofitable. This point is discussed elsewhere. Now that sows more g:nerally have two litters per year the second litter is often sold as light pork in March or April, thus eliminating the AprilMay peak which would result from keeping them to bacon. The fact that the same tows are used to produce baconers in November and porkers in March is another feature of thindustry that calls for careful deliberation. It means that a type of pig must be selected’ with a carcase suitable for either pork or bacon, or that different boar:- be used for the spring and the autumn litters, or that the pig-raiser must forego this natural safety valve he now possesses for getting out of the difficulty of insufficient winter feed, and find a cheap and efficient feed supply that allows

him to produce bacon only. The last proposition appears to be the best, but only if it can be done profitably.

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