SUGGESTIONS FOR PIGFEEDERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 762, 10 March 1910, Page 10

SUGGESTIONS FOR PIGFEEDERS.

• BEITISH CONDITIONS..-''".... ' The scarcity •■ and Ugh .prices of pigs ' "ihaye attracted much attention in Great ißritain, and'have given fresh impetus to 'the.idea of establishing bacon factories .throughout '■ the country. Pig-keeping in [the Old:-Country has suffered from'snd- , jden irregularities in the mar\ketsy'the normal' habit of business ..being. I to'jump; from: one. extreme'to the other.' , . li, isnow contended that local cooperative factories' would remedy' this defect, lid projects.are being mooted in various parts ( 'of the country. Tho London '-. 'dimes'' says the dearth of pigs at' the. present time, when prices are so high.' is'often remarked upon and the farmer • 'of missing :'a great opportunity . if or reaping a handsome'profit. It is' (forgotten,' • however, s that a year ago de- - ip'ression-still' prevailed in' the pig trade, iand prolific as pigs ;arti'production can!»bt be.: increased or reduced as rapidly jas'the-market'changes.' 'Sloreover,'high ' ■ jas the. : selling prices of- live' pigs' are at / (present,/fanners state that the prospect . K>f. obtaining a' profit is, hot• sufficient to ; . juetify.ithem in extending their scale of. '■■ rprbductibii. In other words, the'cost of seeding stuffs has risen - more 'relatively 'than-the price of pig's."' • ' '■ .In view; ■of the recent shipment of [bacon; arid frozen pork 'from New Zealand to note that the '.British farmer has lately been receiving ■considerable advice as to the right class ttf-pig to produce: Mr.'Sanders Spencer, iona of-the leading authorities at Home, ■described to a recent gathering the class of pig;adapted for the bacon-curing busiaifiss. 'In his experience; the best bacon iiß manufactured from . speyed or. castraTted pigs .'of some seven: months old, and weighing; alive, about 2001b.' The welliformed pig is not only the more economi-, : <al feeder,'' but is. always the more marJketaole;,as buyers are'assured of a proIP? 1 ' proportion of the higher-priced cuts. .As; to', the feeding. of pigs,- Mr. Spencer •cautioned his hearers against the use of ■excessive quantities of hiake, beans, and roeas. ' These articles ,in moderation are fvery serviceable, but they should be given in conjunction with dairy.''offals,- clover, lucerne, arid other vegetable food, which lad a "beneficial effect upon the quality of the:carcass., The lecturer further.contended that young pigs give a better, bs well as.a quicker, return for tho food consumed, than those of niaturer 'age.- :.' .'The'-British- "Journal'• of Agriculture'-has-also; been taking lip,the tjujestion of, pigrfeeding.'. Incidentally i't notes'that the number of pigs in Qireat Britain-in-1009 ■was 'nearly 20 per cent, less than., in 1008, -and; the number of breeding sows lower than in any year since 1893. The first necessity of such feeding, the journal points'out, is, to stimulate and-sus-tain an -abundant supply : of .milk from ihei'time of farrowing !■ until, the. young jigs are A ration composed of ontter-milk or skim milk and middlings •with barley meal or maize meal, is recommended for milch'sows.