THE PIG INDUSTRY

Kaikoura Star, Volume LVII, Issue 47, 14 June 1937, Page 4

THE PIG INDUSTRY

ARTICLE No. 14.

Notes by

M. J. Scott,

8.A., B.Se.)

SOW EFFICIENCY. The returns that are obtained from pig keeping are very closely associated with the care and attention that is given to sows. On farms where sows are neglected there is a tendency for every other class of pig to have to put up with unsuitable conditions. When

sows are ill-used, even the best of care given to the other pigs is sadly misplaced, for they cannot take full advantage of it. and even though they could their rapid and efficient growth could not make up for the losses that arc incured through inefficient sow production. That the sow is the mainspring of the whole business has always been recognised by the thoughtful producer, and it is chiefly because of this recognition "that the production of 40 lb weaners gave the industry such an impetus. From 1921 to 1927 there was an increase frottri 5.12 to 6.05 pigs killed per sow, ari(T-from the latter date to 1936, there _Ty_as.. a. further increase up to 9.28 .pigs “lulled per sow kept. Over the first seven years, the killings per sow increased by less than one, but

over the last nine years they increased by nearly three and a quarter. Litter recording started in 1928. Pigs seem to be just about one and a half times as -well-managed now as they were in 1927. This is a source of considerable satisfaction, but there is still room for further improvement if -we are to reach the levels of other countries where 12 pigs per sow are regularly sold. Fourteen pigs per sow should be our ideal; wo might make the 12 a little sooner thereby. 'Sows Farrowing Twice a Year. For the season ended September, 1936, the total pig killings for New Zealand arc estimated at approximately 1.100,090. The sows kept to produce this number of pigs are about 120,000. Tf these sows had two litters per year the average litter size would be about 4X pigs. Actually, however, the average size of litters reared is nearer 7, and the lower production per sow .is duo to the fact that about only hjylf the sows have two litters. One litter a year is produced in order to avoid the difficulty of winter feed supply, but even though it may appear profitable to have only one litter per sow this practice increases the overhead costs per pig to such an extent that the apparent profits are seriously reduced. Having only one litter per year is the chief factor in the waste of feed that now goes on.

Feed Wasted. Skim milk and dairy by-products alone that wore available for pigs in Now Zealand in 1935-36 season were estimated at about 700,000,000 gallons (i.e. poupd of feed), and this amount was turned into 100,000,0001 b of pig meat. Under perfect conditions it would be possible to produce at least 2 per cent, more with this feed supply; a further 20 per cent, might be expected from present farm sources, and perhaps-a further 5 per cent, from the use ofAneals." This points to a wastage of up to 45 per cent, of feed available.

Aids to Efficiency. Over the average of many farms it has been shown that where 17 pigs per sow were sold each year (on farms that carried less than 10 cows each) all the skim milk, and some other feed in addition, was required to feed the pigs produced. When 9 pigs per sow were sold (on the larger farms) only about 75 per cent, of the milk produced was necessary on the same basis as in the former ease to feed the pigs produced. The average number of cows per sow was about 16 to 18. Whore one sow was kept for every 11 cows, 85 per cent, of the milk produced was required to feed the pigs reared. Where one sow was kept for every 22 cows only 63 per cent, of the skim milk produced was required to feed the,pigs sold. These figures are very dependable because they do not refer to just one or two farms; each is the average of hundreds of farms. They might bo questioned on account of differences in the number of cctJ-Ves reared, amount of meals and pthyr... .feeds used, and other variations *bf practice. It is felt that the large number offers safeguards against even these sources of variations.

Extra Feed Required. Both these circumstances, viz., many pigs yei* sow and having a sow to only a few cows, bring into prominence the necessity of having feed other than skim milk when this is in short supply. The possibility of milking all the year round or of growing about a quarter of an acre of good roots—eaiTots, mangols or swedes —for every sow kept, with the object of filling up the gap, cannot ultimately be ignored.