NEW BREED OF PIGS

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 48, 13 November 1929, Page 6

NEW BREED OF PIGS

INTRODUCTION OF DUROC JERSEY.

Some months ago there was brought to New Zealand a shipment of Duroc-Jersey pigs—a new breed to the Dominion, the introduction of which was recommended in 1924 by Mr. C. E. Robertson, Stud Stock Manager for Messrs Wright Stephenson & Co. Ltd., who, in thqt year, paid a visit to South and North America. In the former country, he found the largest breeder and exporter of pork products in Argentina had decided to discard some of the older breeds and specialize in this breed which had been imported into the Argentine some eight years earlier than the visit of Mr. Robertson. Going on to the United States, it was found that this country, which is famous for its pigs and where pigs outnumber sheep in the ratio of five to four, had evolved quite a number of breeds of its own, but foremost among these was the red pig known as the DurocJersey.

This pig was evolved somewhat for the same reason that the sheep breeders of Canterbury set themselves to establish the breed now known as the Corriedale—to incorporate the best qualities of several separate breeds. To-day the breed has become the national breed of America, for, in that land of millions of pigs, 51% of the pork and pork products marketed in the United States is produced by this breed. After some years’ delay, authority was given by the Department of Agriculture to make an importation of these pigs from Canada. The first shipment was landed in New Zealand some months ago by Messrs Wright Stephenson & Co. Ltd. The.breeders for whom the pioneer shipment was imported are Messrs R. G. Dalziell, Hunterville, Fred Discombe, Hautapu, Cambridge, D. and S. Ross, Te Puke, andG. Newcombe,Tauhoa. In each case, a boar and one or more sows in pig were imported, and as they are practically all of different strains, the foundation of the breed has been soundly laid in the Dominion.

Keen appreciation of the new breed has been expressed on ail sides, and Mr. Discombe who has the largest piggeries in the Dominion, has expressed his opinion that the Duroc-Jersey is in type the ideal for which he as a pig breeder has been striving for many years. The first of these imported prgs to be shown in the Domln'on were placed on exhibition by Mr. Dalziell at the Manawatu Spring Show, and, in addition to that, Mr. D.ilziell also exhibited two pens of half-bred pigs sired by the Duroc-Jersey boar. One pen ot these were out of Bershire sows, and the other out of Tamworth sows. The exhibits created widespread interest and called forth the unanimous approval of farmers interested in pig breeding. The Duroc-Jersey is a lengthy but particularly well made pig, arched in the back and very deep in the hams and sides. Practically all waste has been eliminated from its conformation. The fact that this breed is the most popular in the United States proves it is the best for utility purposes. Many contests are held annually throughout North America to prove the best breed, and the sweeping victories that the Duroc-Jersey pigs have won have proved conclusively that they make the quickest growth and return to the breeder and fattener the most profit in the shortest time. The sows are'very prolific and are great mothers.

1 hey are particularly tractable and have a great reputation for rearing successfully their extra large litters. They are also known to be wonderful foragers in the open and make the best possible use of their food. Being an active type of pig and of such quick growth, they are naturally the cheapest to bring to profit, and, both as a fattening breed and for crossing purposes should have a great vogue in the Dominion. It is interesting to note that the National Duroc Record Association in the United States, the largest of all pig breeders associations in the world; registers the progeny from 7200 herds of Duroc-Jersey pigs.