Bacon Trial on Cheese Whey

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20494, 10 May 1938, Page 23 (Supplement)

Bacon Trial on Cheese Whey

(By Mr. C. P. Haring-ton, Supervisor Waikato District Pig Council.) To prove that cheese whey as a basic food for the production of bacon is an economical proposition, a trial has just been completed by the Waikato District Pig Council, under the supervision of the Council’s Supervisor, Mr. C. P. Harington. Two weaner pedigree pigs from each of the four well-known breeds and as many pedigree first cross as were available, were donated by breeders in the Waikato. All pigs were apprpximately the same age and weight at the commencement of the trial and run in pairs in good grass paddocks of one sixteenth of an acre. Housing and all conditions were equal. Feeding on an equal basis per pig was commenced one week after delivery of the pigs to trial pens. This was necessary as most of the pigs were used to a basic food other than whey, and a few days were allowed in which to accustom them to their new diet and surroundings. All pigs were weighed fortnightly and records kept of the amount of whey and meal fed. To the basic food of whey was added a ration containing half meat meal and half barley meal, commencing with i lb, per pig pep day and rising gradually to 1 lb. per pig per day. The rate of whey feeding was 3 gallons per pig per day rising to 6 gallons. The first weighing was made on October 8, when the average weight over all pigs was 49.2 lbs. Subsequent weighings over the respective fortnightly periods showed live weight increases per pig per day of .93 lb., .36 lb., .82 lb., 1.06 lb., 1.24 lb., 1.26 lb., 1.34 lb., 1.46 lb., 1.66 lb. In the second period, a low increase was accounted for by bad weather conditions prevailing during most of the fortnight. All pigs were fed regularly five times per day, the meal baing added at the morning and evening feeds, after 12 hours’ soaking. At this juncture I may remind readers that what has been accomplished in this trial can be done on any average dairy farm where cheese whey is utilised as a pig food. It seems that New Zealand has at least four good breeds of pigs, and provided the right strain and type within these breeds are selected and managed correctly, success is assured. ... 4 FEED TRIAL RESULTS

i 1 | Be i 1 d I** ¥ a •a a- q Ilf Q .5 i •s 1 l S 1 $ 15 Breed & No. & . ■< Et s Q mJ 3 o H £S5 Berk. 5 - 200 201 149 25.87 112 18/T. Berk. 12 - 287 196 147 24.61 167.5 19/7 28/7 T. Berk. 13 - 287 201 148 26.36 157.5 19/7 23/7 L. White 8 - 191 200 140 80. 131.5 16/4 20/4 L. White 4 - 217 204 152 25.49 167.5 19/7 23/7 Tam. L.B. 9 - 196 200 146 27. 119.5 19/Tam. L.B.10 - 207 196 140 28.20 129.6 20/Tam. 1 - 176 200 144 28. 93.5 11/7 16/7 Tam. 2 - 201 199 148 25.62 129.5 20/L. Black 6 - 196 191 138 27.74 116.6 14/4 18/4 Tam. L.W. 7 - 180 204 148 29.90 118.6 19/Tam. L.W. 8 - 191 189 186 28.67 129.5 20/AVERAGES PER PIG . 202 198.25 144.16 26.86 129.95 16/3 20/8 Average increase per pig per day from birth--.98 lb.