Modern Pig-Keeping

Northern Advocate, 31 October 1936, Page 2

Modern Pig-Keeping

Entry of Disease.

There are many who attribute the entry of disease into their pig herds to pigs they have purchased in the saleyard, but is not their system of management equally at fault? When pigs are bought at a saleyard very often the purchaser has no idea what soi't of > farm the pigs were reared on or I whether they are healthy or otherwise! The pigs may be very badly infected with tuberculosis, but the farmer: has no means of ascertaining fbis for himself. Anyone purchasing in.the saleyards would be well advised, to isolate the purchased stock for a period before letting them come in contact with the rest of the herd. ~ ..Some' I '-miniature quarantine system " "should be practised and by this means f it will be possible to a large extent to • check the entry of disease into the ■ herd:' The new stock should be put ;i: into clean, • Well-grassed pens, and the jQ-yvner’s observations over a few days , Tiwiil probably tell him. whether or not the pigs are unthrifty. • When pediSrbe cattle: are imported from overseas,' they/have to pass through an elaborate quarantine system and it is ' apparent to the keen pig-keeper that it ’ will be difficult to keep his herd fyee from disease if he indiscriminately introduces pigs of doubtful origin into his v own herd.

By C. E. Cuming

Reducing Pleurisy,

Pleurisy continues to be one of the main reasons for the condemnation of pigs at the killing works. When it is considered that pleurisy is due in the main to poor management it is full time pig-keepers themselves sat up and took notice. While by leaving many things undone the farmer may save himself a-lot of trouble yet in the long run he is merely robbing himself. Inspectors of stock in districts where thp incidence of the disease has been unduly, high have made reports concerning the conditions on the farms and it is interesting to note the conditions on those farms where the pigs affected by pleurisy ranged from 16 to 20 per cent. The reports indicate that in the majority of cases it was found that the store pigs had been run in the opqn without houses for a time during a period of wet, cold weather. The general conditions were very bad, pigs sleeping in the -open under trebs and where there were houses these were poor and draughty. In many cases the pigs were being run on wet, heavy land with small and dirty runs. Farmers rearing pigs under these conditions are simply asking for pleurisy and merely feeding the majority of their animals for .condemnation.

Care at Farrowing. There are many pig-keepers who are too apt to Jblame misfortune as the main reason for the mortality among their pig herds. They report their ill-luck at having so many pigs born dead. It was found by the Waikato Pig Recording and Research Association last year that there was a mortality of 22 per cent, between birth and weaning and that pigs born dead represented the largest percentage. But it would be interesting to ascertain definitely how many were actually born dead compared with the number reported to be born dead. By the term “born dead” >we usually understand that the piglets are found dead by the farmer when he- makes his first examination of the litter. The proof that they were actually born dead is lacking and the cause of death was probably suffocation. This emphasises the great need for some one to be in attendance if possible at the time of farrowing, for probably the greatest percentage of deaths occur at this crucial time. The great annual farrowing loss could be considerably reduced if more attention could be paid to the sow at farrowing time. Some may not think that it is worth the trouble, but if the annual loss from piglets killed at farrowing time is taken into consideration it will be better realised that there exists a vital need to take some steps to eliminate the grave loss arising from neglect at farrowing time.

Management of the Herd.

.The sows and boars may be run together during the major portion of. the period when the sows are dry and these pigs require very little other food than good nutritious grass. Stores and. weaners: should be separated according to size, for when pigs of all sizes are fed together, the smaller pigs dp not get anything like their share of the food; Feeding troughs should be divided‘into suitable sections., This can be done. by placing partitions of 2 by 1 inch timber across the trough. This stops the bigger pigs and more energetic pigs from pushing other pigs out. of the trough, thus giving every pig a fair chance and preventing, as it does, pigs lying in the trough. It is well worth' the little trouble to do the job. The farmer’s aim should be to keep the weaners and stores growing all the time. The best way to do this at this time of the year is to run the pigs out on good clean pasture, for exercise combined with adequate food produces .healthy and rapid maturing pigs. If the system of management is ideal then there Will be no “store” period in the pig’s life at all for it has been demonstrated that the best carcase comes from the pig that has been kept growing from birth to killing.