MODERN PIG-KEEPING

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19893, 23 May 1936, Page 31 (Supplement)

MODERN PIG-KEEPING

The Great Need. The greatest need oi! the pig industry of this country is a rapid and wide Extension 'of the knowledge or how to Intake the business pay under New Zealand conditions that has been developed by the pig recording clubs of the \Vaikato and the Manawatu. It is to be hoped the Powers that Be will realise this. There are great possibilities in the pig industry of this country under a proper system at management. The despised whey. that has cost some dairy companies big sums of money to get rid of, is being proved by the recording clubs to be a very valuable pig food, that is. when it is properly fed. 0: course management, as in every other business, is the first essential to success. A case came under our notice the other day where a progressive farmer gave pigs to his boy. And the boy did just what the recording oilleer told him to do. iAi‘ter paying for supplementary food lthe boy has netted this season just £2OO from his ten sows. And this with whey feeding. Before, the whey was run down the creek. ‘ a e :- I n ißapid Maturity. i One fact that stands out prominently its that the more rapid the maturity ilihe better both in the case of the Iporker and the baconer. Quite apart it‘rom the desirability of producing the {pig as quickly as possible there is the ‘decided influence ot‘ rapid maturity on ,mrease conformation. Growth takes ‘plaee in different parts of the body at |iiifrerent times. The greatest growth iiakes place first or all in the skeleton, {and this is relatively “ell-developed im‘rn before the animal is horn. it is [hermwe tho homl and shoulder are 50 :i‘ull of hone that they grow fastest. in 'iho early stages. \\'hcn lhe growth of iimne begins to slow down, then the i’musrles, which form the lean mrut, in—icrrusn in growth. Finally when the iskoloion has prnrtirnily stopped its lurowth, and [he muscle growlh has islovsrd down the growth of fat reaches its maximum, So up to a rertnin stage of maturity tho roniormation improves in proportion to tho speed at which the stage of maturity is rcnrhod. This is because tho rnrly nmluring fore—ond icomplrirs its growth early nnd all the i nourishment available is iron to RI‘OW ‘ loin and ham, \\‘hon maturity is roughed slowly ilm more rapidly grow—inn: fore—end has ilrst roll on tho food any! so the loin rlors not grow so fast I:md a hill”)—i|iliiiilt‘(‘fl conformation is the remit. “1' course no method of feeding will make pigs that have inhrriird poor vont‘ormntiou into a desirable shape wiih tho dowlnmnrui where it. should hr, hui pies ihut have inhrriiod good I i‘ohi‘ormalion run he spoilt liy iho ‘mrihod ot’ {C(‘tilllil. The only safe 1 rule is to encourage the pix to llliliU‘l 1:14 quirk :rowih as posslhh‘ from ihni siqu'i. This is \\hn‘rr rroop fretting is so important, “hr ul’ tho mmi \'nl— Imiilr ihihzs ilm! mum out or the ox—[u'rit‘nvn :uui Mymrimn'niul work of tho \\'.iiiiaio Pi: livrorihu; liluh \\us ih" wlui- of ”'l' rroop. ‘lllti ani to illisi iill' illlllili'iiilll'l‘ :li‘ ili\iiiin'_" lill‘ sow p.mhim'l‘, >4! limi .l imr‘ioix ni‘ il-i- ::uns run :i\:llil|'.iil‘ i'or inn-l 1 .\«m' \\nuill lulu? iiiv ::=‘.<~\ i‘i".tll :ilui |-.ii.li.liliw i'ni‘ lli't .\uuuu' pies \\ili'il iiii‘) uwml it most.‘ l’uilrr iho puthlorl; anion] ilth'isi‘ii by the rlui) thousands at litters Liminr !

ordinary farm conditions weighed 40 pounds on the average at eight weeks, a weight that is seldom reached in Britain. and then only in some pedigree herds where the cost of feeding is not a consideration. The old Wai—kato Club maintained, and now the Waiksto Pig Recording and Research Association maintains that creep feeding is of prime importance and is ab—solutely essential, both to give rapid maturity in the litter and the ability to the sow to have two litters in the year. t O i 3 Points to Look For. One or two interesting points are brought out in a publication entitled “ The Midland Curer's Requirements," issued as a bulletin to their customers by the big English curing firm or Marsh and Baxter. in dealing with the standard of excellence from the curer's viewpoint the value of the arched back as against the flat back is strongly emphasised. In treating “seedy cut" the presence of this is said to be very undesirable; any tendency in this direction would be always obviated by the use of a white boar; it was invariably present among female piss by black boars. It is declared that, piss which stand well up on their toes present an outward sign of an inward quality. This characteristic. it is stated, may be said to denote a state of “muscular tone,“ which. in turn, indicates thick lean streaks. so much desired by the consumer; it is also a sign that the flesh of the pig is in good condition for curing. m * a at Green Food Imperative. The one thing that should not be neglected in the feeding of the pig is greenstutt, especially good leafy grass. There is grass and grass, and very few pigs get the type of si‘aSs they need. It is almost impossible to keep the grass right “'llch runs are not subdivided or rested. A pig will eat any green thing as long as it is fresh i but he will not eat soiled grass. \thre frcsh green grass is made available pigs, even the little ones on the mother, will neglect their ordinary food for it. Such grass is probably the best Source of vitamins, and this is one reason why ‘it is so valuable to stark that grime (11l it, nnii \\'ll)‘ ihoy [\l‘i‘ri‘l' it. By nui—nl'nl instinct the animal cats the thing 1 it must needs. I‘