PIG MORTALITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 43, 31 July 1939, Page 2

PIG MORTALITY

EXAMPLE TO BREEDERS MAORI PRODUCER'S SUCCESS .Maori farmer. Mr (Il>org e (Jrown, «>l' i'uha, has set a fin;* exant'de i. the pig producers of Ihe I>oraV.i-->n as Tar as mortality i~ cone;' j. Last year lie reduced iV uvt l in his pigs nv .'{7> per r v. :in ! !.,st yei.tr th- mo-tality rate was o::lv ;i fraction more than 10 p - "ent or '.ho total pigs horn. The h'gh'y saiifactory na'ture of this wiil he npprecir\v._ ed when it is realised that a mortal, ity rate of 22 per cent is usually allowed for in New Zealand between birth and weaning.

During tlie IM7-38 si-a.on. Mi Brown, who is n j>rt>misupplier the P.M. A ~ in-t 31 pijis nut of •; 'o't-d of IKB b:>rn, ih's being wi ? within the avenge of 22 >J - r •' :•* t, | During the pn-'t season wi.h :sf! :-i- j crease in Ihe number of puis born , 1 the were n'ditv::'! 'u 2". j most of lho mortality being ' 11;c 1 '.<■> j pigs being born dead. j The successful Maori p it! lie":' owes his low mortality r.;lo to hi •• keen management arid lli«* heallhy eondit'ons of his very modern pi >4 gery. The lay*_out_ which re -t Mi Brown i; 0() to build, is divided into 22 small paddocks and has set a stan dar'd for other producers in the district. Mr Brown realises the value oi keeping records and since he commenced modern pig-keeping three years ago, he has kept careful and accurate tallies oi' the number of pigs harrowed. weaned and sold. also tailing into account the linancial aspect, j Summary of Rccovd. In the following tabic is a sum- j mary of the records kept, by M'* I Brown during the- past two seasons: i<;37-38 IMS-M i Litters 11) 21 Pigs born 188 1 !>•"> Pigs weaned 157 17."> Losses 31 20 Average Litttv* Born 9.7 if. 3 Weaned 8.2 8.3 Loses 1. G .9 Average Litter Weights Av pei- pig. 3 wks 10.0 11.0 Av ])er pig 8 wks 30.0 3.7.3 Littc'.' Weights Total, 3 weeks .. 121.0 121.0 Total, 8 weeks .. Inli.O 123.0 A v per pi g 3 wks iI. u 1!. 0 Av per pig. 8 wks 17.0 t'i.2 The heaviest pig at three weeks season '\\ as H!lb. and. at eighl weeks r>2lb. . compared wiih 20lb. and ."til), respectively during 1937-38.