QUALITY FEEDS.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20266, 7 August 1937, Page 26 (Supplement)

QUALITY FEEDS.

WINTERING THE PIGB. 0 ANGER OF CHEAP MIXTURES. With the disappearance of the milk supply during the month of May, pigraisers who still have some pigs on hand are faced with the difficulty of getting through the winter months, or rather the months in which milk is In short supply, states M. J. Scott. There are many different ways of neetlng the winter feed shortage, and nost farmers have tried some of them In different years. Some avoid pigs in winter, selling their weaners or stores in the yards before the end of May for the proverbial song, or selling them through the freezing works at

sucking pig weights for a fair prloe. Those who get rid of the winter responsibility make difficulties for themselves In October, November and December when their young pigs are unable to cope with abundant milk, and they have to waste some of It as a consequence. All things considered, it might be a wise solution of the difficulty, but when one sees the profits that can be made by the wintering of stores on home-grown roots, plus bought grain, It Is difficult to believe that having no pigs in winter time adds materially to profit. The next way of wintering pigs is to get them fally well grown towards the end of the milk season, and then turn them out to grass, or provide just enough feed to keep them alive. They supply much of their feed requirements from their own body and may lose up to 301 b. weight in 60 days of June and July. This practice has arisen doubtless because farmers have seen that sheep and cows that are starved for these months ultimately recover, and at the end of three months’ grass feeding are just as fat as If they had been well fed all the time. The cows and sheep so treated are not being fed to produce a oaroase as a rule, their milk or wool are the production that Is looked for from them. Further, they are often full grown animals and •finally their grass feed supply is abundant and cheap. Pigs differ from them In all these respects and cannot ever he starved profitably for any length of time. Usual immaturity Is the strongest reason why pigs cAnnot be starved in winter. Starving usually results In some disease getting entry Into the pig’s system, and either killing him or making him a most profitless pig to feed. Feed to Keep Pigs Healthy. It has been demonstrated times without number that pigs can be wintered profitably on a foundation of about one pound of good meal In addition to paddock-feed, grass, roots, green crops, artichokes, or even ensilage in unlimited quantities. One hundred days’ feeding may cost 12s 6d to 15s per pig, but if the feed is of the right kind it converts a pig that was worth 10s into one that is worth 30s. and provides a pig In September that is really worth feeding. Where the grain or meal used Is designed to provide a foundation for a bulk home-grown supply its quality wants to be the best procurable. Two things only determine quality in a pig feed for winter use. There must be little fibre in it, and it should in protein. Meat-meal Is the perfeot winter supplement. It is followed closely by linseed-meals, pea-meal, and then the cereal meals all together, viz., barley, maize, wheat, oats, pollard and bran. Low-priced mixtures are unsuitable for wintering pigs on. Many have been very pleased with the results from these latter meals, but as a result of having seen these compared frequently with meat-meal one has little hesitation in saying that those who are satisfied with the cereals will be delighted with the meals that are rich in protein. Some farmers have acquired the viewpoint that they must buy cheap feeds, and set their faces against highpriced feeds. While the Department of Agriculture has always preached the necessity of a cheap feed supply it has also stated that the Ideal feed supply Is made up half of home-grown roots and half of milk and grain of barley quality. It Is folly to buy low' quality feeds of any kind even though they are low-priced. It is hard to believe that farmers imagine that they get something for nothing when they buy low-prloed feeds. The boot is usually on the other foot; they buy nothing for something. Low-priced feeds are always compounded of low-er-priced Ingredients high in fibre that renders the better Ingredients in the mixture valueless.