PIGS AND LIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19028, 27 May 1925, Page 17

PIGS AND LIME.

Many farmers have the opinion that the only use of lime is for whitewashing, and use it very sparingly even at that. The mechanical effect of a good coat cf whitewash is well worth its cost, to say nothing of the appearance it imparts to tho buildings. Lime is one of the most reliable disinfectants and deodorisers, and, at the same time, the cheapest. Wc use it iii tho form of whitewash for walls and roosts in chicken-houses and walls of pigsties, also the watering and feeding troughs. In the form of air-slaked lime it is an excellent absorbent of foul odours If mixed with the droppings of animals it. certainly has a tendency to liberate ammonia, but, it can l>e used so as to cause vei'v little waste, and the sacrifice of a little ammoni.i is preferable to the illhealth of our animals. Milk of lime is an inodourous disinfectant which can be used in concentrated and dilute, form. Concentrated milk of lime is prepared by adding slowly, with continual stirring. 3 quarts of water to 1 quart of freshly-slaked lime. Dilute milk of lime is prepared by adding slowly, with continual stirring, 20 quarts of water to 1 quart of freshly-slaked lime. .Freshlyslaked time is made by putting newlyburnt hrue into a bucket, covering :t with about half its quantity of water, ft should lie sprinkled on the floors of pigsties after the latter has been cleaned out and before new bedding is put in. A small amount of lime may bo added to the pigs' slop, not enough to make it caustic or to turn it yellow, but just enough to sweeten it. and the pigs will relish it. If one would take the time to mix it. lirncwater would he better for the last named purpose. To make it. put. a good quantity of water on quick lime and use only the clear water that rises after the lime settles. Sprinkle powdered lime on the floors and about the yards of piggeries; it will not hurt, anything, and it has proved effective in checking disease. ,\ pig that has all he needs in the way of minerals is a more contented pig than any other. Pulverised limestone, such as is prepared at, any limestone quarry, is suitable for a mineral mixture. However, farmers who are not located near a quarry may find it difficult to obtain in small quantities. Air-slaked lime may bo substituted, but the proportions of tho mixture should be changed, since air-slaked lime is a more highly concentrate, 1 form than ground limestone. Those .v!io have compared the two forms say that a given amount of air-slaked lime is equal to four or five times as much ground limestone when used in a mineral combination for pigs.