PIG BREEDING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 288, 2 November 1934, Page 5

PIG BREEDING.

POINTS FOR OBSERVATION,

A large number of farmers and pig breeders attended the demonstration on the type of pig required to-day which was given by Mr A. T. Rodgers, of Ngaruawahia, at the pig pavilion yesterday afternoon, introducing Ins subject Mr .Rodgers said the idea to be aimed at in pig breeding was to produce the type required for bacon and export, and with two pigs of different types as illustrations he proceeded to demonstrate his points. The first essential to good bacon, he said, was to have a deep side and the animal had to be light in the shoulder, the head carried well out and having meat right down to the hocks, or as far as it could be got. hile the deep flat sided pig was what was wanted too much shoulder had to be avoid ed’ By having a deep side the shoulder was not pushed up. Another important point was the back hue and the loin. A good arched back .slum d be aimed at while a. good flat side dici aw»>! wRh a lot of trouble n the loin. Too much ham on the liock and was not possible to get, but too much meat on the shoulder . was a fault £ be avoided. The flat side would also obviate a lot of the faults commonly seen in the show ring, Mr Rodgers Deaiin" then with the position as it affected “young breeders, Mr Rodgers proceeded to outline the fundamental rules of type. He advised them to concentrate on the young pig with the arched back in preference to that with the straight back line, for when the pig aged it would he found that the straight back would go and the pig would not conform to the type required. In the judge’s opinion too many points were given in the show ring for young pigs with straight back 9, whereas the arched back pig always had a chance of developing into a good show animal. Mr Rodgers also advised against

young pigs being selected out of a litter because of their size. He counselled those Trying to work up their pig farm to drop the idea that size was everything in the young animal. The heavy pig had in many cases proved the ruination of its chances- in the show ring, particularly with pedigree stock, and he urged breeders to select their purchases with an eye to back line and general conformity to type, rather than choosing it because it was the biggest in the litter. Speaking briefly on feeding, Mr Rodgers said that too much feed .was worse than too little, hut the right courso to follow was to- carefully watch what the pigs wanted and to give them careful treatment. Reference was also made by the speaker to the Tamworth sow class at the Show, Mr Rodgers stating that it was one of the finest he had ever seen. He thought he was not far wrong when he described it as fit for any showring in the world.