CARE OF PIGS

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 13 September 1930, Page 11

CARE OF PIGS

QUARTERS IX AVINTER

IMPORTANCE OF WARMTH

If winter pigs are to do well —fatteners especially—they must be kept warm. Without a comfortable and warm bed to go to they cannot make the- progress that they should, and may even stand still, so that the food they consume goes for nothing. This is simply because a pig must have a certain quantity of food to keep up the heat of its body, and if its body is always losing beat so much more food will he lequired to put hack the heat that is necessary.

In the case of the fattening pig. the extra food beyond the maintenance ration goes to the production of meat and fat. it is far cheaper, therefore, to prevent loss of body heat by providing reasonable warmth than to have to manufacture extra warmth by means of additional food. 'The reason winter pigs often fail to do well is that they are kept in enld and draughty sties. Kept, in warm and comfortable quarters they would do far better on the same allowance of food. A pig has a comparatively small stomach, and if its body happens to become chilled to a serious degree it is physically impossible for the -animal to swallow enough food to make good the loss of heat and at the same timelav on flesh. Three or four or even more- pigs together if they are not too large for their quarters, says an expert in the Live Stock. Journal, will always do hatter in winter than a single pig. They keep each other warm, and anyone may observe how important warmth is to them ii he will take notice of the way in which a pig lying on the -outside of the group .will after a time n'ose its way in between

a couple of its fellows. This is a natural habit, and every pig gets its; turn. Litter should be provided with a liberal hand in all cases, so> that the pigs, if they wish to, can get right under it. In very cold weather they will sometimes do that. But the important point is to keep the litter as dry as possible, and renew it at frequent intervals. In regard to that the situations is sometimes difficult. Borne pias are much more dirty in tlieir habits | than others and quickly foul their bed. The most that can he done to teach them better habits is to make sure that they are empty themselves |at night. If the pigs’ bed is made up in the warmest corner of the inner stv and away from the door they will usually keep that part reasonably clean, though they may foul other parts of their sleeping quarters.