HELP FOR BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 136, 10 June 1940, Page 15

HELP FOR BRITAIN

WINTERING OF PIGS

MUST BE INCREASED

REPLACING LOST IMPORTS

I The basis of increased pork and • bacon production to replace supplies I which have been cut off from the ! United Kingdom is the wintering of I a greater number of pigs, and # Mr. 1 M. J. Scott, Superintendent of the ! Pig Industry, Department of Agriculture, has issued a statement to farmers outlining a programme for the s maintenance of pigs when the sup- [ plies of dairying by-products are not i available. The shortage of dairy by- ! products in winter makes the wmter- > ing of pigs difficult enough at any i time, but when the winter shortage lis contrasted with summer's abundance of milk, the wintering of pigs appears to be a real hardship, the world's worst job, says Mr. Scott. ! Men have dodged it by killing off . porkers and lightweight pigs in late | autumn or by taking only one litter . off a sow each year, continues Mr. Scott. Most people, when asked how many pigs are wintered, put the figure ;at one-sixth to one-eighth of the number carried in the peak months, , but careful estimates based on the ■ monthly killings make it clear that ' the numbers wintered art at least ■ half the numbers carried in the peak > months, and that even although there :is little skim milk the amount of ', feed used is also slightly more than , half that used in the peak months. , That extra feed is mainly homegrown crops. i THE FIRST ESSENTIAL. Because sows to be profitable must have two litters a year, it is the first ' essential of successful pig production, that pigs be carried through the winter. Some people who disagree with this may quote numbers of immediate reasons for not wintering pigs, but the facts remain that any; 1 increase in pig production depends absolutely on more pigs ' being wintered and that- already at least . half 1 the farmers do carry pigs through the) 1 winter to their own advantage. Few : will dispute the contention that there is more profit in spring-fed pigs than; in winter-fed pigs, but that discussion gets nowhere. All must be con- ; vinced that there is more profit in keeping pigs all the year round than 1 there is in keeping them just when milk is abundant. In general, half a ton of roots and 1 half a hundredweight of meatmeal are sufficient to winter a pig of 701b live weight in June to make him 100- ---! 1201b live weight by the end of ■ August. Feed roots at the rate of--1 lib per pound of live weight weekly; thus a 701b pig gets roots at the rate lof 701b a week, a 1001b pig at the rate of 1001b a week. Feed half a : pound of mealmeal to get a growth of 3-41b in ten days, or one pound to get a growth of 4-61b in the same time. If no roots are available, and there is some grass, Jib of meatmeal with 1 to l£lb of grain daily along with grazing will give the same kind of growth as stated for root feeding. If no roots, grass, or other growing crop or cheap feed is available, it is not advisable to try to winter pigs on meal alone. In the past too many have fallen down on the wintering of pigs because they tried to do it too cheaply. Because they had plenty of feed they were not prepared to use even a little meatmeal and as a result finished up with a few disheartened pigs instead of a nice line of stores. They lost more than the price of the meatmeal in dead pigs. CONSUMPTION OF MEAL,. It is estimated that there jis approximately enough milk to give a gallon a day to half the pigs wintered during June and July. If the rest of the pigs got their half a pound of meatmeal during these months they would consume 3500 tons. It is also estimated that only about 4000 tons of meatmeal are used for pigs annually, and, although the consumption in winter is greater than in other months, that for June and July does not exceed 1000 tons, approximately one-third of what should be used. Those who have not previously used it, or who use it too sparingly, could with advantage try meatmeal at the rate of not less than half a pound per pig daily. More pigs have to be wintered if production is to be increased. Roots for pigs are the fuse that starts the blaze of increased production. Bring those you have through the winter without loss and make preparations now for that extra half-acre of roots to winter twenty pigs more next year. Have dry sleeping quarters, use a foundation of meatmeal and/or grain, give them enough other feed; watch for and treat the sickly pigs.