RAISING OF PIGS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1921, Page 8

RAISING OF PIGS.

ADDRESS BY GOVERNMENT EXPERT. NEW SYSTEM ADVOCATED. The address on pig-raising given in the Omata Hall on Monday evening by Mr. K. W. Gorringe, of the Government Agricultural Department, was full of interest. Mr. Gorringe, being an expert in swine husbandry, was conversant with this subject from A to Z. “A new broom sweeps clean,” and in this respect the lecturer advocated a more scientific farming of pigs on entirely new lines from those usually adopted in Taranaki towards "the gentleman who pays the rent”. The lecturer said he had always recognised that New Zealand farmers to-day were working under great disadvantages because' they had never had any instruction on the subject of pig-raising, and this was practically the first time an official had come among them. A man putting up a piggery to-day did so under the old methods adopted by his forer fathers for generations. Now the public demanded certain things, and these had to be supplied. During the last four or five years there had been a very acute shortage of pigs, so much so that the department found that, whilst there were 348,000 pigs in 1911, in 1919 there were only 235,000, making a shortage of 113,000. This decrease had been going on for three or four years at a rate of between 25 and 30 per cent, per year. There were three causes for this. In tlie first place there were the cheesemaking areas. Wherever a district turned to cheese it was noticed that there was a decrease in the number of pigs. Whey, after it had been skimmed and had had the sugar taken out, lost its former feed value. Thus, “no whey, no pigs.” Secondly, there were tlie dry milk areas. The farmers took milk to the factory, but were bringing nothing back. These two factors alone were quite enough, but there was tlie indifference of the fa mers themselves towards breeding pigs. There snould be no such thing as store pigs—of yne man buying another man’s pigs, for the farmer who was buying didn’t know what he was getting, as only the breeder could tell what happened between the farrowing and weaning stages. The farmer also paid far above the value of the pigs, last year prices up to £3 and £4 having been paid for pigs from ten to twelve months old. When the farmer came to sell again he found he didn’t get as much for the fat pig as he had paid for the weaner. Let them consider how much it cost to rear a pig. Other countries had left no stone unturned in finding this out. In the United States, where the pig occupied the same place as tlie cow In Taranaki, the pig was preeminently the animal, and had, in fact, made Chicago. In America no expense was spared in providing suitable feed'Tor the sow during tlie farrowing and weaning stages, and it was found that under even the heaviest cost, and in experiments extending over nine years, that it cost no more than 10%d per week to rear a pig. He would allow a more liberal estimate of Is a week, so that up to 10 weeks of age tlie p' should have cost the farmer no more than - ..s. For the same article farmers had paid this year at the sales £2 ss. Every farmer should keep his own brood sow. PIGS v. COWS. There was always a market for the man who had a little more than he required. A brood sow should bring in anything from £2O to £l5O per annum. He'knew of one case where a purebred sow last year brought in £l6O. If a sow only brought in two or three pigs at the first litter she should not be condemned, but if the same thing recurreA/it

was best to "pork” her. He had the record of a pig which had brought in successively 7, 11, 11, 12, 17, 17, 15 and 12, of which number 84 were reared and 74 sold. These 74 realised £323, and then he still had the sow and ten pigs in hand. The average sow should bring in about £9O a year. This was done by selection, and any farmer could do the same. Even with a large number of pigs, all tlie bother was repaid. All that was needed was a little system. To make his meaning clearer a diagram was made use of to show that three sows could be maintained on I’/s acres for twelve months without the assistance of the dairy. In the United States casein was not given to pigs; it was too valuable. The forage system, supplemented by a grain ration, was the method adopted. The grazing area, and not milk food, was the maintenance ration, and food the supplementary ration. In New Zeal: nd the exact opposite was done. When a,, comparison of land values was made the cow must take second place, for the pig stood head and shoulders above every animal on the farm if given- the right attention, though in Taranaki the pig had always been placed last. Even on the Wairaate Plains, where land was up to £l5O an acre, the figures worked out quite satisfactorily. He would take £35 per acre as a fair average price for land throughout the Dominion, though, whatever figures were taken, the pig came out on top. On 1% acres three brood sows could be kept for twelve months without the aid of the dairy. From each sow two litters of eight pigs could be raised, making a total of 48 pigs, which would sell as weaners at £1 each, giving a return of £4B. And at what cost? They had seen that the highest ' cost for a pig was 10s, or a total cost of £24. leaving a. clear profit of £24. Then, take the case of a cow, which it was impossible ; to keep on iy 2 acres. On his estimate he had allowed a cow to two acres, making the value of land for a cow £7O. The cow’s average for last year, the highest on record, was £2O. The cost of keep had been worked out fifteen years ago at between £7 and £7 10s, though i he knew now that it was between £l2 and £l3 a year. Nevertheless, he would reckon on the lower figures. Thus the profit of a cow on two acres would be put at £l3, as against the profit on pigs on 1% acres of £24. He was more than ever convinced that a pig at 5d per lb was the best proposition on the farm in New Zealand to-day. Butterfat at Is meant starvation, but pigs at 5d meant that the farmer was in clover. In his comparisons he had given the cow every chance and yet tlie pig had come out on top. The Americans were no fools; they saw a good thing, and kept to it, and there the farm land was covered with pigs as far as the eye could see. Pigs made farming a pleasure, and there was not the bugbear of rushing home to milk. Were they doing the pig justice? Not by any means, for, though New Zealand had tlie best facilities, it was doing less in this direction than any other country. We could grow pigs all day long under the grazing system, but we had failed. The pig was the only iininjal that could not stand neglect, but which responded quicker to good treatment. If once mortality got. among pigs it wept right through the herd, and farmers had to study this factor if making a living in this way. METHODS OF REARING. The old type of piggery Mr. Gorringe condemned. Under the prevailing conditions the pigs became infested with parasites and germs, and pigs had to light for their life from the day they were born. Germs got Into pigs in three ways—viz., down the throat, up the nose and through wounds. The pig ran a risk from the first suck of its mother’s germinfected teat. If we could only save the pigs that died every year we would be doing good work. Last year over 82,001) pigs were lost, exclusive of those killed for consumption. There were only 32,000 brood sows in the Dominion, and if two or three pigs from each litter died it soon made up 100,000 lost to the country, hut cleanliness in the piggery meant the saving of this number. We must give the pig n chance under the grading system, The permanent stye had to go on account of the germs and consequent infection. A sow could fatten on an open paddock, but It must be separated from oil green stuff a fortnight before killing In order to clean out the system. The open paddock -was healthier, and gave the pig more opportunity of getting exercise. A pig could not complain of itself, and an inexperienced man would be unable to diagnose the cause and effect a remedy. T|ius the trouble was aggravated, and at. ljuff, the pig would die. The pig suffers from fff|y different ailments, and suffer frojn six at once, each one bad for her and rendering her un> thrfty. We must, then, set to work to remedy the conditions. The selection of site was important. Generally the last and worst, bit of ground was chosen, whereas what was required was ,a piece of ground which could be ploughed, and 00 wlprh the sup ;( rid w>«d C-ould upprato. Tho glee was invariiihly near tlie cowshed, where the milk was easiest carried. Other countries had stricter conditions,’ but these we did not want here, as the lecturer believed that quiet persuasion was the better way if a man could get round and talk to the farmers. All the speaker could do was to stir up interest till more instructors were obtainable, flo not, bp sifld, choose a wet, damp piece of

or a very dry ground; the pig was subject to heat and cold alike. Choose a high, dry site with a gentle slope for preference, to facilitate drainage. Mr. Gorringe particularly deprecated the dirty green water-hole. We must see thg>-everything was convenient. A clean trough and a stream of running water were the best forms of water-supply. In the matter of fencing he would not attempt to dictate. One thing, there was no excuse for pig trespass, as it made bad friends. Put up a good, secure fence, with six pig barbs up to two feet from the ground, which was sufficient to keep in an ordinary pig. The bottom of the fence should be securelj’ fastened to the ground. On top there should be nine inches if plain wire and twelve inches if barb wire, which then constituted a legal fence. Subdivision fences should be constructed with six plain wires on the roller system to facilitate tightening. The more battens in the fence the less it would be interfered with. CROPS FOR FODDER. The suitable kinds of crops were then touched upon. He advised farmers to establish lucerne, which was a wonderful feed. Three feedings and three cuttings could be obtained yearly. Furthermore, lucerne inoculated tlie soil, sufficiently for use on the whole farm without the trouble and expense of sending away for it. A small plot would prove the salvation of the whole dairy business. Rape (from which two cuttings yearly could be obtained) and peas (one cutting) were also suitable. Other crops mentioned, for Taranaki particularly, were oats, crimson clover, turnips, mangolds, barley, beans, maize and artichokes, which should be supplemented by a grain ration. The growing of shrubs—treelucerne for preference—was also advocated, to act as a sun shade for the pigs. The most important thing of all', the lecturer continued, was proper housing. Cold, wet, draught!’ styes defeated ail the other work, and what should have gone to make 1 flesh was used up in maintaining body heat. ! Permanent buildings must be eliminated. Port- | able houses were* the things of the future, for | we must not exclude nature's greatest dis- I inf ectant —the sun’s rays. The styes should | be built on sledges to facilitate this opera- < tion. The economic stye was made of wood | and felt, but no iron. The sides and floor were all in one, so that it could be opened out to the sun, and thus perfect ventilation was secured. The ground space was 7 feet by 5 feet, or 6 feet by 8 feet, on runners 4in by 4in, with guard rails on the inside. There were 27 different breeds of pigs in New Zealand. The question was, which were the most suitable? We in New Zealand had to cater for both the pork and the bacon trades, of which the latter was the larger. The type needed in the Old Country was the “small Londoner”, of about 80ibs, which brought the best price. For porkers the first cross /between the Berkshire and the Yorkshire was the beat for sUch details as lightness of bone, dressing and offal were taken Into consideration at Home. For "baconers” it was no good growing fat pigs. Two and a ’ half inches of fat constituted a third grade pig, two inches a second grade, and one and a quarter inches a first grade. As white boars did not do well here we had to con- ; fine our choice to the colored varietes. The best results were obtained from the second cross of the Tamworth and the Berkshire in the proportions of one quarter Tamworth and three-quarters Berkshire. This constituted the i ideal baconer. The first-class Wiltshire side i was what the eurers wanted, and not what was characterised as seventh grade "skin and scraggy”. In passing, Mr. Gorringe mentioned that the embargo was now lifted off pork for export. The promoting of pig clubs in all districts was strongly advocated, as it cost nothing, and the benefits were incalculable. Community boars could be imported, and when a change of blood was desired an exchange could be effected with other similar clubs, so that the first cost was the last cost for a considerable In concluding, a strong plea was put In for co-operation, which, it was claimed, would be the saviour of the whole bacon industry. Replying to a question, Mr. Gorringe said the best age at which to get a “ba-coner” ready by the grazing method was seven months after the animal had fully matured. In answer to another question, the lecturer said young pigs should not be given pollard, but rather linseed meal in nuts or cakes, with all the oil crushed out. Peas were the best crop for weaner pigs. Artichokes were the coining winter feed for pigs. On the motion of Mr. J. Andrews, seconded by the chairman 4Mr. A. P. Kurth); a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Gorringe for his instructive address.