VITAMINS FOR PIGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1939, Page 3

VITAMINS FOR PIGS

ONLY TWO CONSIDERED IMPORTANT. As far as can be ascertained from experimental evidence, the result, of research at the National Institute for Research in Dairying, at Reading, England, the pigfarmer's attention should be directed mainly to supplying the two vitamins, A and D. The pig apparently requires no vitamin C, and any ration, unless very abnormal will supply all the Vitamin B required. Vitamin D is particularly required where the diet is low in its content of either calcium or phosphorus. If there is abundance of these minerals very little Vitamin D is needed. Vitamin A ori the other hand, must always be made available to the pig. This Can be secured from either plant or animal sources. In the former the active Substance is In the form of the deeply orange-coloured carotene. In the latter, the almost colourless vitamin A is found. We know now that carotene is active because it can be converted in the animal body, most probably in the liver, into vitamin A. Other valuable sources of vitamin A are cod liver oil, halibut-liver oil, dried lucerne, green grass, maize or whole’milk.