Modern Pig-Keeping

Northern Advocate, 28 November 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

Modern Pig-Keeping

Mixed With Treacle. , A unique method has been closely investigated recently by Professor Basket in Northern Ireland. A mixture of iron salts is made up with treacle < and smeared on the teats of the sow so that the pigs get it automatically each time they suck. In this case a solution is made from 3£oz ferric sulphate (anhydrous), foz copper sulphate crystals, 1 pint warm water. Dissolve the iron and copper salts in, the boiling water, add one pint of treacle, and mix thoroughly. The udder of the sow should be painted twice daily with this solution. In looking out for anaemia, remember that it may occur without any scouring, and in fact the sufferers may occasionally look extra fat and thrifty. It is only the very pale appearance of the skin that gives the warning. A Word of Warning, 1 One word of warning—scientific discoveries sometimes have an unhappy knack of receiving more attention than is altogether due to them. Vitamin deficiency, mineral deficiency and other aspects of nutrition have all in their time become father a “Vogue, and there has been a tendency to assume that proper treatment of these irregularities would cure all the troubles to which young pigs are heir. Scouring is one of the typical symptoms associated with anaemia, but it would be' a grievous mistake to assume that merely because the proper treatment for anaemia had been given

j By C. E. Cuming

the scouring was sure to stop. There are far too many causes of scouring for that to be possible. Yet there are people who on mention of the word scouring will hasten to assure you that it can be cured at once by some such simple formula as that outlined.

The Home Doctor. There can be no doubt that there are too many pigs lost because of the pig-keeper’s lack of knowledge in with disease. Another thing, too many think that the only way to deal with the ruptured pig is to take the simple expedient of knocking the animal on the head. The rupture can be remedied merely by a simple operation, although advice should first be sought from a veterinary officer or from a man who has had previous experience with performing the oper- ' ation. It is, of course, not advisable to perform the operation without the use of anaesthetic and this can be purchased for a few pence from a chemist. Every pig-keeper, if he wished to reduce mortality among his pigs to the very minimum, should endeavour to make himself familiar with the more common methods of overcoming the troubles to which the pig is heir. Often a pig is killed, or allowed to lose all condition, simply because its owner is at a loss to, know how to treat the animal. Of course, as we have repeatedly stressed previously, prevention is better than cure, but all the care in the world will not prevent some little trouble creeping into the herd at some time or another. Ashes and Coal Dust. Most young pigs begin to root at about a week old, and if litters cannot get out all day long, as sometimes happens in winter, they should be allowed a small supply of clean ashes and coal dust in their pens. .The way in which they tuck into this is evidence of the desire they have for something of the sort. When they do begin to fend for themselves the amount of solid food taken is very small at first, and the result is that if the pigs are not rooting, they soon use

up their reserve of iron and begin to

suffer from a deficiency. It is when they are about three or four weeks old that this deficiency leads to anaemia, which in turn may be associated with other symptoms such as scouring. It is 'pigs confined indoors that suffer from this trouble, but outdoor pigs seldom if ever show any symptoms. It is only recently that anaemia has been recognised as a dangerous disease of young pigs, and when it was first appreciated efforts were made to increase the amount of iron in the milk by special feeding.

Anaemia in Pigs.

Considerable trouble is being experienced with anaemia in young pigs and many pig-keepers are concerned with the loss in condition of their pigs. Where profits depend on the rapidity with which growth can be made, it is the endeavour of the keen manager to keep the pigs growing from birth to killing and therefore it is a matter for the deepest concern when pigs display any sign at all of unthriftiness. Anaemia is usually noticed in the young pigs between birth and three weeks, and is usually a sign of iron deficiency. The sow’s milk is usually rich in minerals, but often when she has been receiving a mineral deficient ration her milk is accordingly deficient in minerals "and thus her litter are made to suffer. The best way to cure anaemia in the young pigs is through the sow, and this Can be done by feeding a teaspoonful of iron ammonium citrate in the sow’s food each day. The citrate can be purchased from the ordinary veterinary suppliers. Practical pigkeepers have found this method the most efficient and the most rapid means of banishing the anaemic condition. Once the young pigs began to obtain the iron they invariably make rapid headway.

Deficiency of Iron. The treatment of anaemia in pigs is an interesting example of the value of pure research to a commercial undertaking. True, certain direct investigations have been carried out, but the present treatment is the outcome of some of the most scientific investigations, the results of which are seen in the new methods of treating such dread diseases as pernicious anaemia in human beings. Anaemia is a condition in which the iron content of the blood is much lower than normal and it shows itself in the familiar pale colour of the tissue. In some cases the condition is due to the inability of the organs involved to transfer the iron of the food into the blood, but in the case of normally healthy young pigs anaemia is due to the absence of iron in the food. * '

Iron is only present in the milk of the sow in very small quantities, much less than 1 required by the young, rapidly growing - pigs. The only x explanation of this would appear to- be that the young pig is born with a store of iron which is supposed to last it till it can obtain supplies itself. This, however, is just where the trouble comes in. In the case of most other animals supplies of iron would not be obtained from external sources until solid food began to be taken. It will be found on the other hand that pigs start to root well before they take solid food, which .is seldom before they are three weeks old.

Better Handling- Required. In the improving of the quality of pig and cattle carcases for export, much of the improvement made possible by better strains, better management and better feeding is lost if stock continues to be handled in a careless manner when being taken to the killing works. If it was more widely realised what irreparable damage can be done to a carcase by bruising there would be a great deal less carelessness in droving and bringing stock from trucks to the works. Everyone connected with the fattening of stock for the export market would be well repaid by a visit to a killing works. There would be seen ideal cattle and pig carcases that have been disfigured by extensive bruising and which consequently are ruined for the export market. It is surprising what an extensive bruise cjan be made by a slight knock that an animal receives when being trucked or driven by road to the works. While a great improvement has undoubtedly been brought about during the past year in the matter of handling, there is still mucli room for further improvement. It would be an excellent idea for the various branches of the Farmers’ Union or other farming bodies to arrange field days at the different freezing works where farmers could see for themselves the great loss that is being incurred through careless handling.

Denmark’s Methods. The Danes have specialised in breeding a pig which produces a bacon carcase proportioned to weigh 54 per cent, of back and gammon (value 66 per cent.) and crop and streaky 46 per cent, weight (value 34 per cent.), states a visitor to Denmark. All breeders were more or less under the direction of the officials appointed by the Government and the Farmers’ Cooperative Society. It was a common fallacy to say that Danish bacon was produced from pigs crossed by Large White boars out of Danish sows. From Hobock factory in Zeeland there were ever :<■)(} boars placed out in the dis-

trict, and less than 10 per cent, of these were Large Whites. The boars wVhh supplied through official channels ,and 50 per cent, of the purchase

money was paid by the Farmers’ Cooperative Society, assisted by the Government. All the pigs appeared to be extraordinarily long and had surprisingly wide hindquarters. It is certainly interesting to learn the extent to which the Danish Government is prepared to help the bacon producers of the country. The farmers are evidently supplied with boars of the ideal type and this would perhaps account for the great uniformity of Danish pig carcases.