THE RAISING OF PIGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19625, 2 May 1927, Page 16

THE RAISING OF PIGS.

EFFECT OF MINERALS. An investigation is reported from England in "relation to the effect of minerals in overcoming breeding difficulties in certain sows. ' At the farms where this investigation was carried out trouble had been experienced in raising litters to the weaning stage, and this was attributed either to the effects of inbreeding or to the boar. Trials, however, showed that sows in the neighbouhood produced good litters by tlia boar, and equally bad litters vvere obtained when an outside boar was used. Before the system of feeding a mineral mixture was tried, the sows were on pasture with a small addition of a ration consisting of maize meal, pollards and meat meal From seven sows out/ 49 yo.mg pigs were obtained, an average of seven per Sitter. Of these 49 only 26. or 3.7 per sow, survived at five weeks, and only 17, or 2.4 per sow, reached the weaning stag" Before 'ihe next farrowing these sows received, as part of their ratio... a supplementary mineral mixture consisting of ground limestone, steam bone flour, salt, iron oxide, and sulpnur. They produced 73 young pigs, or 3'j average of 10.4 per sow,, of which 50, or 7.1 per sow, were alive at five weeks am! at weanin.». Tins shows an increase of 48.5 per cent, .n the average number alive at weaning. The Live Stock Journal states that the field in which the sows were run was excessively sour, with a very high lime requirement, and it appears probable that calcium and phosphorus were the limiting factors in the mineral deficiency oi the sows.