The Feeding of Pigs.

Northland Age, Volume 6, Issue 48, 20 August 1937, Page 2

The Feeding of Pigs.

(Notes by M. J. Scott, 8.A., B.Sc.) Department of Agriculture No. 22 THE FEEDING OF PIGS Use Meat-Meal Meat-meal added at the rate of onequarter to half a pound per pig per day improves every known feed for pigs in proportion to its unsuitability. Added to raw potatoes or roots of any description, feeds on which young pigs go back in condition even to the stage of dying, and on which grown pigs just about hold their own, meat-meal improves the feeding value from about three shillings per ton up to thirty shillings per ton, after paying for the meat-meal used. Grass fed to pigs returned about twelve shillings per acre per month without meat-meal, with meat-meal the value of the grass was 40/- per acre per month, after paying for the meat-meal. These are striking improvements, so striking that they have to be seen first before they can be believed. One does not appreciate the value of meat-meal unless the results of it have been seen, and there is certainly no feed used in small amounts that does give such striking results, especially with feeds that are not by themselves pig feeds. With milk or grain the benefits from using meat-meal are still noticeable, but not in such a definite way. As a general rule meat-meal at the rate of half a pound per day, or skim-milk at the rate of one gallon per day, should be used as a foundation feed supply for all pigs after weaning. From weaning until pigs are 70 lb live weight, i.e. at 12-14 weeks old, they are still babies and should receive as a minimum 2 gallons of milk per day, or half a pound of meat-meal and lg lb of grain. In addition they may be fed fuidher milk or grain, as much as they will eat, or else they should be allowed access to roots or pasture to pick up as much as they want. This two gallons or two pounds of feed is sufficient till they are about 50 lb weight, but only enough for limited growth after that weight. Unless it is supplemented with other feed, growth will be slow after 50 lb is reached. If the pigs are being taken on to porkers, it probably pays to give them as much skim-milk as they will consume, especially if there is an abundance of it. If the supply is limited, the skim-milk can be gradually reduced to 1 gallon per day after 12 to 14 weeks, plus as much grass, roots etc. as they can consume. Where grain is the main feed supply it is wise to reduce the amount and let the pigs grow slowly on light rations from 70 lb to about 110 over a period of about 8 to 10 weeks. Three ■weeks’ finishing should make them prime at about 140 lb alive if they had not been done too hard. If bacon is being produced, the slow growth period can go on for eight months till the pigs are 170 lb live weight. Three weeks’ topping off on full rations makes them into baconers of 200 lb live weight.

TAMING A STEER One morning I watched a couple of cowpunchers going out to bring in a wild steer from his range in the mountains. They took along one of those shaggy little gray donkeys—a burro. Now a big three-year-old steer that’s been running loose in the timber is a tough customer to handle. But these cowboys had the technique. They got a rope on the steer and then they tied him neck and neck, right up close, to the burro. When they let go, that burro had a bad time. The steer threw him all over the place. He banged him against trees, rocks, into bushes. Time after time they both went down. But there was one great difference between the burro and the steer. The bmio had an idea. He wanted to go home. And no matter how often the steer threw him, every time the burro got to his feet he took a step nearer the corral. This .went on and on after about a week the burro showed up at ranch headquarters. He had with him the tamest and sorriest-look-ing steer you ever saw.—Arthur Kudner in “The Atlantic Monthly.”