FEEDING OF PIGS.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20260, 31 July 1937, Page 26 (Supplement)

FEEDING OF PIGS.

WHEN MILK IS LIMITED. RATE OF GROWTH. There are times of the year when the feed supply is limited and the growth rate correspondingly small, states Mr M. J. Scptt, Superintendent of the Pig Industry, in continuing his articles. It often happens that the growth rate is so slow that interest in the pigs is lost and they become neglected. That is the dangerous time; everything seems to go wrong. In the following table there are set out the rates of growth associated with a long store period, half a pound per day from 14 weeks to 28 weeks, about 1 three-quarters of a pound per day for a further three months until a weight of 170 lb. is attained, and then about 30 lb. in 20 days of finishing off.

Daily Rations for Pigs—Slow Growth.

This rate of growth can be obtained by using the pounds of grain or gallons of milk stated from weaning till 14 weeks’ old, gradually changing then to half a pound of meat-meal, or one gallon milk, plus all the cheap feed the pigs will eat, viz., grass, roots, potatoes, artichokes, marrows, etc. When the pigs are 70 lb. alive, they will have to eat £ lb. of meat-meal and 15 lb. of roots per day in order to get 23 lb. of feed. At 110 lb. alive they will want £ lb. of meat-meal and 21 lb. of roots. At 170 lb., £ lb. of meat-meal and 29 lb. of roots. During the last three weeks the use of , roots is discontinued, and the pigs ivill

eat from 5i lb. up to more than 63 lb of grain or gallons of milk per day.

Economy of Feed Conversion. Where the pigs grow rapidly the total feed consumption is about 580 lb. per pig. It is all high quality feed supply. Where the pigs grow slowly the total feed consumption is about 865 lb. per pig. Of this only 325 is high quality feed. The remaining 540 is obtained from say 11 tons of mangels. All sorts of further calculations can be done by those who have followed so far, and the results all point to the advantages of using these cheap feeds. At finishing these pigs are about 43 weeks’ old, and If this takes place in the flush of the milk season, in say November and December, the pigs should have been farrowed in January and February. These fattening baconers should just be finished when the next litter is just out of its babyhood, and it could be taken rapidly to bacon at about six to seven months’ old.

Live Weight Age. Wght. Increase Lb. Feed Daily for Wks. lb. per day Maint. Product Total 1 6 0.6) 2 9.5 0.6) Mother’s milk only. 3 12.3 0.4) 4 16.8 0.6) 6 20.0 0.6 .90 -30 1.20 6 24.9 0.7 1.00 .40 1.40 7 29.8 0.7 1.20- .46 1.0ft 5 35.4 0 3 1.25 .48 1-78 9 40.3 0.7 1-28 .42 1-70 10 44.5 0.6 1.35 .36 1.71 11 48.7 0.6 1-45 .38 1.81 12 62-9 0.6 1.56 .36 1-92 13 66.1 0.6 1.80 .36 2-16 14 60.3 0.8 2.10 .36 2-46 15 63.8 05 2-10 .34 2-44 16 67.3 0.5 2.30 .85 2-65 17 70.8 0 5 2.39 .85 2 14 18 74.3 0.5 2.48 .35 2.83 19 77-8 0.5 2.57 .35 2-92 20 81.8 0.5 2.67 .85 3.02 21 84.8 0.5 2.75 .40 8.15 22 88.3 0.5 2.79 .40 3.19 23 91.8 0.5 2.82 .45 3-27 24 95.3 0.6 2.89 .45 3-34 25 98.8 0.5 2.96 .48 3.44 26 102.3 O'. 5 2.98 .50 3.48 27 105.8 0.5 3.00 .50 3-50 28 109.3 0.5 3.02 .55 3.57 29 114.0 0 7 3.05 .77 3.S2 30 119.0 0.7 3.10 .77 3.87 31 124.0 0.7 3.15 .80 3-95 32 129.0 0.7 8.18 .82 4.00 33 134.0 0.7 3.22 .84 4.06 34 139.0 0.7 3.28 .88 4.16 35 144 0 0.7 3.30 .94 4.24 36 149.0 0.7 3.36 .95 4.SI 37 154.0 0.7 3.40 .95 4-36 39 164 0 0 7 3-47 1.00 4 47 40 169 0 0.7 3.50 1 02 4.62 41 176.0 1 0 3.55 1.65 5-20 42 186.0 1.5 3.60 2.47 6.07 43 199 0 1.8 3.70 3.15 6.85