STUD BREEDERS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 33, 2 November 1933, Page 6

STUD BREEDERS

VALUABLE WORK Pig Recording Movement Extensive Experiments At the present time when there is talk in Great Britain of the imposition of a quota on dairy produce importations from New Zealand, and iut view of the fact that the British Government has provided for increased imports of pork and bacon from the Dominions, there is a golden opportunity for the farmers of this Dominion to swell the Dominion’s pork export returns by increasing their pig production. Pigs offer to the ■farmer a remunerative means of absorbing the by-products of his farm and a means of increasing the returns from his land.

rpHE Pig Recording Clubs of the Dominion have been carrying out valuable experimental work in the last few years and their work has resulted in a greater use of pigs on dairy farms. Extensive experiments have been carried out in regard to farm managementand the following is but a brief review of the Manawatu Club’s work. The pig recording movement was commenced in the Dominion in 1928 with the establishment of three clubs. One club was located in the Canterbury province with its centre at the Lincoln Agricultural College, a second club was established in the Manawatu district with its centre at Massey Agricultural College, and a third club was formed in the Waikato district with its centre at Hamilton. The movement was first started in Sweden. In originating such a movement, the Swedes had in view the principles of herd testing which they decided to apply to the testing of sows and litters. They commenced by weighing the litters at the age of three weeks and again between the ages of six and eight weeks. At the age of three weeks the young pigs relied for their nourishment on the milk which they received from the sow, but after the age of three weeks they started to consume other foods and the Swedes commenced to weigh them again before they were weaned. They discovered that young pigs might do well until the age of/ three weeks, but they commenced to improve as they started to consume other foods in addition to milk. They discovered that the two big principles involved were the effect of breeding on young pigs and the effect of management. When the scheme was commenced in Sweden it resulted in an improvement of the standard of pigs to be found on farms. The scheme was introduced to |

England by the formation of an East Anglia Pig Recording Club which was fostered by the Cambridge University. The Hast Anglian Club secured similar results to those that had been ootained in Sweden by the scheme and carried the scheme another stage further by recording on farms the times which the recorded Utters took to obtain bacon weight and made a careful investigation of the effect of breed and management on bacon. The three clubs in the Dominion did good work in 1928 and 1929. During the past two years -the prices for milk and cream have annually decreased and farmers have found it necessary in addition to effecting economies to take steps to increase the returns from the sale and use of all usable produce. On farms supplying butterfat to dairy factories, 00 per cent, of the amount of milk produced by the herd is available for conversion into a saleable product. This high percentage is available because cream represents but 10 per cent, of the milk although it centains 98 per cent, of the butterfat produced by the cow. Skim milk contains solids and fats of a high food value and consequently men who make good use of skim milk can add considerably to their factory returns by the conversion of the milk into pig flesh. It is a well-known fact that many dairy farmers do not bother about

pigs, and that all rear a certain number of calves. Some dairy farmers, however, make better use of the available surplus skim milk supply than others. Those who do not make good use of the milk either do not keep pigs or pay •little attention to them The Pig Recording Club in the Manawatu last season went closely into the returns which could be obtained from the fattening of pigs, and collected information from a large number of farmers. This information was analysed in order to determine what returns could be expected from a farm when pigs were well managed. It was found that on a reasonably well managed farm, a farmer could fatten over 40 pounds of pig flesh for every 100 pounds of butterfat produced, and that where the management conditions were very good close on 50. pounds

could be secured. This means that with pork at oven 4d. a pound (much less than the present value) a farmer selling and producing 40 pounds of pig flesh for each 100 pounds of butterfat could swell his returns by 13/4 a 100 pounds of butterfat or, in other words, IJd. a pound of butterfat. On tho very well managed farm the return would be 1.93 d. a pound. With pork at sd. a pound, however, the returns secured on a well managed farm would be in the vicinity of 2d. to 2?d- a pound.

It is possible for farmers to secu.'e these high returns without the expenditure of a large amount on feeding stuffs. It was made plain by the experiments that tho farmer with the good returns was the one whose pigs wore well managed and who made the maximum use of his available skim milk supply. To secure the latter they reared their own pigs on their farms and kept a sufficient number of sows to give them sufficient pigs to utilise all of the skim milk available and all the time had their sows producing two litters a year. This practice, however, does not generally obtain. Some farmers’ pigs litter only once a year, while other farmers do not keep sufficient sows to consume their skim milk supply, and in many Instances buy weaners in preference to rearing their own pigs, It was discovered that a ration of one

sow to every eight to seven cows gave the best results. The information collected by the club showed that management played an important part in the obtaining of good litter weights. It was found that as soon as the pigs could feed them- ' selves they should bo fed on skim milk or whey with a small amount of dry food. When meat meal was fed to the pigs and gradually increased, only half a pound of meal was being fed to each pig at the age of eight weeks, it was found that there was difficulty in producing 40 pound weaners. This weight should be regarded as the standard of efficiency, and it should be possible for farmers to obtain this standard and excel this weight without needless expense by good management. The following points in management were discovered: — The necessity of providing the sows

with reasonably comfortable quarters at time of farrowing and while the pigs were still young. Considerable mortality results from young pigs getting out immediately after being farrowed and becoming frozen or chilled to death. By keeping the sow inside and giving her roomy and comfortable quarters this loss can be avoided.

The usefulness of good grass was. clearly qhown. When the sows and their young were allowed access to good short pasture they showed better growth and health than if kept indoors or allowed to run on too rank a pasture.

it was found that the feed supply was an important factor, and that the best results were obtained when the number of pigs was just sufficient to consume the amount of skim milk available. In many instances the tendency was to overstock, making the litter weights light and the pigs less vigorous.

It was also clearly shown that when pigs were kept clean and their troughs and the area around the sty maintained in a clean condition, they did better than when these factors were disregarded. The pig is essentially a clean animal and loathes filth, and thus will not thrive under dirty living conditions. Unfortunately there are few

farmers realise this fact to the detriment of the pig. It was also shown that pigs need to be supplied with ample fresh water and be protected from the sun, wind and cold by the provision of adequate shelter. Most useful information was collated in regard to strain by the club. It was noted that some strains give consistently good results, but the club has not yet been able to collect sufficient information to be able to say that one strain is superior to another. This information will probably result by the accumulation of a much larger fund of information in regard to the animal and will take many years of work to be known. SCIENCE AND FARMING Value of Massey College The value of the application of science to agriculture in all its -branches has been recognised by every section of the industry during the past few years. The drop in the prices for the Dominion’s produce in overseas and domestic markets and complaints from abroad in res] -cfc to the quality of our wool and our cheese have emphasised this value more and more. The incidence of keener competition and restricted markets have also been factors that have stimulated the application of science toward effecting improvements of quality in agricultural products. Massey Agricultural College came into being on June 1, 1927, and in the six years which have elapsed since its opening the college has made such remarkable progress and growth that it now ranks with any similar college in

the southern hemisphere. In the prac-| tieal character of the courses offered at' the college, the scope of its curriculum, and the valuable research work being carried out in conjunction with the Department of Scientific. and Industrial Research and the Dairy Research Institute, the college has more than justified its existence and fulfilled the most optimistic hopes for its success. The courses offered to students are spread over a wide range of subjects and embrace practical and theoretical farming in its many branches. The courses offered are; Leading to the degree of Bachelor of Agricultural] Science; leading to the degree of. Master of Agricultural Science; lead-, ing to the Associateship in Dairy Manufactures of the Massey Agricultural College; herd testing; sheep! farming; dairy farming; poultry farming; wool and wool classing. The instruction centres mainly on dairy and 1 sheep farming, the two chief branches of farming in the North Island. In conjunction with the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research, the' college is engaged in research into wool! and flax and in conjunction with the| Dairy Research Institute in dairying research. Sheep research is also carried out. The college farm is of 865 acres and comprises a wide range of soil tvpos and conditions.