FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 February 1937, Page 10

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS of interest

(By

“Rouseabout”)

PIG INDUSTRY.

REARING THE LITTER.

No, 4 of the series of articles prepared by Mr M. J. Scott, 8.A., B.Sc., of the . Department of Agriculture:— Attention given to a litter from birth to weaning probably returns more satisfaction to the owner than is returned for care spent on pigs at any other time of their lives. The'litter is the pig harvest, and as with. crops, harvest is the time when hopes and fears are realised. When the harvest is abundant satisfaction results not only from the material reward, but also from the knowledge that effort spent was not in vain. Just as the abundance of the harvest is paramount in the profits of a farm, so the excellence of the litter is the foundation of profitable pigs. All animals at birth have a decided inclination to grow rapidly, the so-called “growth force,” and if this is destroyed by their beingkept under conditions unsuitable for growth, the animal loses its ability to resist infection or to eliminate from its system poisonous by-products associated with digestion. These infections manifest in the weakly and usually blamed for their poor health and growth, are secondary in nature. They are present everywhere, bu,t do. not appear in the thrifty pig simply because he has higher powers of resistance. - The thrifty weaner is thus the foundation of the profitable baconer. It is generally agreed that for the first three weeks the piglets get all their nourishment from their mother’s milk, and for this reason the three weeks’ weight has been used as a measure of sow quality, milking capacity, etc. At three to four weeks the sow appears to have reached her ■ maximum milking capacity, but the i feed requirements of the litter continue to increase daily, and feed other I than their mother’s milk is necessary if the piglets are to grow as fast as nature meant them to. It is just the same with pigs as with lambs, exqaat that the latter can collect from grass whatever feed they require to supplement their mother’s milk, whereas the owner has to supply it for the piglet. It must be realised’ that the piglets have to learn to eat, and therefore that it is necessary to provide appetising food offered in small amounts when they are hungry until they eat it readily. Sows are often turned out during the day, and if a little skim milk and meat meal is placed before i the piglets when they are being taught to eat, just before the sow comes in, they are more likely to be interested than if it is put down while the sow is present and ready to supply them. Once they have begun to eat it does not matter, so much when they are feu. CREEP FEEDING. • The Waikato Pig Recording Club have achieved splendid results by using a creep through which the piglets get access to their feed supply, and which keeps the sow from it. The creep is easily made by spacing boards ' with eight-inch openings between them across top and bottom, four by 1 twos that are nailed across the corner 1 of the sty. The trough is put behind 5

this in the corner, and' the little p

get through the openings. It has b( found that pigs fed on the creep s,

'tern average about ten pounds better at eight weeks than where no creep is provided, but where the piglets nevertheless have acess to the trough along with the sow. Further, it has been found that the final weights at eight weeks are ifi keeping with the amount of feed used in the creep. While ten pounds of feed per piglet gives 401 b weaners, fifteen pounds per piglet gives 451 b weaners. Creep feeding is iundamentaly sound because it ensures no check on the pigs at weaning, and so makes it possible to keep them going till they are twelve to fourteen weeks old. After this age, pigs that are well grown can be put on to any class of feed without serious reaction on their health, and' often with splendid results from the economic point of view. Too many make the mistake of using unsuitable feeds in large quantities as soon as the pigs are weaned.

1 It is usually reckoned that an averi age-sized sow wants six pounds of ■ feed or gallons of milk per day for ■ maintenance, and a pound of feed or a • gallon of milk per piglet, while suckling the litter. While this is a useful ' guide, it is unwise to lay down any ■ hard and fast amounts. Successful • feeding depends on the intelligent observation and experience of the owner, • and it is his obligation to feed his animals as much as they will eat in, say, 20 minutes, and keep them looking for their meal when feeding time comes round. For the first three weeks the sow will probably take the whole twelve gallons. At five weeks she may be getting 10 gallons, and the litter 2 gallons, and at 8 weeks she may be getting 8 gallons, and a litter of 8 another 6 gallons. If the sow is getting thin she wants more feed, if fat, less. Where sows are turned out to grass they can often get all their j maintenance as pasture and, this | along with two to three gallons, may ; suffice as weaning-time approaches. | SETBACKS TO LITTER. , Up to three weeks most litters experience very little trouble unless it be from scours. This probably arises always from some infection picked up in the sty, and it is most difficult to combat. Treatment of the sow is probably the most satisfactory way. A dose of salts so as to check the milk flow for 24 hours and so give the litter a mild starve is probably quite useful. Many owners have great faith in different kinds of mineral licks, especially those containing iron, since, anaemia of the little pig is often blani-l cd for babyhood upsets. One of the| most noticeable happenings when a. litter is let out from the sty for the first time, is the avidity with which i they consume ordinary soil. Each pig must eat ounces of it in the first few hours. Investigators the world over have offered explanations of this soileating proclivity, and in view of these investigations and of the already wide adoption of the practice of putting a' fresh sod of earth into the little pigs ( that are in sties, the Department re- I commend's it strongly. Soil possesses I valuable absorbing properties for

some of the by-products of digestion. It contains suitably low concentrations of essential elements such as lime, phosphorus, potash, soda, magnesium, iron, chlorine, sulphur, and most soil contains those mysterious trace elements which appear to be just as essential to health as many of the better-known minerals are. Fresh .soil that is free from internal parasites may satisfy the pig’s desire for exploring the floor of his sty, and so reduce the possibility of picking up infection that gets into the sty by various channels. Give the little pigs clean soil in preference to dirt brought in on the sow’s udder. BASIC SLAG. A VALUABLE FERTILISER. j Over the high-rainfall areas of the North Island, basic slag is a most favoured fertiliser. Principally valued for its phosphatic content, it has in addition several “impurites” that are considered to produce beneficial results. The chief centres of consumption are Taranaki, Manawatu and North Auckland. This fertiliser is a by-product of certain types of steel furnaces and comes from Belgium and England. To land it cheaply in New Zealand, 12,000 miles away, it has to be freighted in specially chartered steamers. This involves loking a long way ahead. Importers have to place their orders and charter their ships in the Spring, so that the fertiliser is landed' the following Autumn.

Imports during recent years have varied from 15,000 to 94,000 tons. During 1929 and 1930, the tonnage stood at 93,000 to 94,000.

During the five years 1931-35, the importations averaged 55,000 tons yearly. Last year the figure had climbed up to 60,000 tons. This season’s tonnage is up again. The first shipment arrived at Auckland last week, and the balance of the shipment was to be unloaded at New Plymouth this week. A later ship will be discharging at Wellington, probably in March.

j So as to reduce handling costs to a minimum, sales are made on an exship basis, the bags being loaded .straight from the hold, on to the truck in which it is consigned to the , farmer-purchaser. | Although last season’s recovery I brought increased orders, these would j require to rise by 50 per cent, to equal ire-depression quantities. Some j people consider that 250,000 tons a year would not be an excessive conI sumi'.tion* in New Zealand for this excellent fertiliser. , FARMS ON TRAINS. “Farmyards'' now travel by rail in Canada. Farmers in the Canadian prairies may live as far away as 200 or 300 miles from a large town and consequently they have no opportunities to acquire knowledge of the latest methods of crop rotation, fertilising, or of scientific sheep and cattle breeding, so “better farming trains” are being run. Passenger coaches are provided for lecturers, while other coaches are fitted for the transport of animals,, their feed being carried in compart-[ inents constructed for the purpose. The animals are used to illustrate lectures of the experts when an open box-car is used as a show ring in which, the good and bad points of the animals are demonstrated to the audience. Sometimes, however, good breeds of cattle are exhibited for sale. Co-operation between the Canadian National Railways and Provincial and Federal Departments of Agriculture

and also with various associations of producers has meant that each district has been dealt with in relation to its own particular problems. Thus in Ontario and Quebec, the wheat province, a soils and crops train has been operating, while in Manitoba a sheep demonstration train was preferred. Cars in these trains are fitted with the most modern sheep-dipping tanks the use of which is demonstrated to the audience by expert lecturers. Other activities are instruction in the rearing of calves and hogs, poultry breeding, dairy farming, and better farm management. On many of the trains a coach is fitted with miniature cinema, where films dealing with various aspects of agriculture are shown. GIANT CHEESE. The giant cheese at the Empire Exhibition at Johannesburg was manufactured in East Griqualand by a large co-operative cheese factory on the initiative of the Superintendent of Dairying of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. It was made by the managing cheesemaker of the factory working in co-operation with two officers of the Dairy Division of the Department. The weight of this cheese is considerably over a ton, while it measures 3ft 9in in diameter and is 3ft in height. About 400 cows produced the 2,300 gallons of milk used for its manufacture. For the making and the handling of the curd six cheese vats, with capacities varying from 300 to 600 gallons each, were used. On the morning of the day the cheese was made the large space in front of the cheese factory was as busy as a beehive as milk was brought in from all directions, mostly in large 10-gallon milk cans by lorries, wagons, and ox-carts.

In the making of this cheese many difficulties -were encountered, but these were successfuly overcome.} Special steam pipes had to be laid on and a special mould had to be made. A crane was erected in the curing room of the cheese factory, worked i by a windlass with which to hoist the I mould, and for which the outer ring ' of the mould had been provided with j two trunions or pivoting studs for the i safe and regular turning of the cheese 1 during the period of curing. [ A special case had to be made for the protection of the cheese against the depredations of rats or mice dur- • ing the time of curing, and a native I was on guard at night.

Thousands of people from all parts of the Empire have seen the cheese at the Exhibition.

JiN OLD DOG

When is a dog an “old dog”? That} is a question often asked. The average : age of dogs that are allowed to live on is said to be about 12 years. But some dogs have been known to live more than 20 years. Mr R. Martin, the authority on dogs, recently discovered | a female aged 23. “This animal. Gyp, j is a record-breaker.’ Mr Martin told i the “Daily Mirror.” “She had her last I litter of puppies when 18, and followed i a milk cart on its round every day till I she was well pa, st 20. One of our' years is equal to about six for a dog; so Gyp’s age is equivalent to about 138 for a man.” Have any readers ac-

curate data concerning ages of their j old dogs? i