IDEAL PIG CARCASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21249, 1 August 1932, Page 14

IDEAL PIG CARCASES

"AIM FOR EXPORT" RECORDING OFFICER'S ADVICE That some 3000 pig carcases had to lio handled beforo two carcases suitable for show purposes could be secured, was a stateinont mado by Mr. Pierson, of the Waikato Pig Recording Club, during a recent address to Matamnta farmers, in which ho strongly urged the need for brooding a typo of pig suitable for tho export market, reports tho Thames Valley correspondent of tho Weekly News. Mr. Pierson stated that Scandinavia, Britain, America and other countries had all started on pig recording methods to build up their pig industries and ho thought it was time New Zealand tackled this method in earnest. lie was often asked what breed tho club recommended, but preferred not to give an answer on thi3 subject. However, Denmark had only two breeds of pigs, and crossed these, and surely Now Zealand could work on the same businesslike lines. Pig recording, where adopted, had resulted in increased profit from pigs, and that in turn meant reduced costs. Three seasons' work in pig recording had rosulted in tho following increase in percentage of littors giving 401b. weaners: — 1928-29 1.5 per cent; 1929-30, 24 per cent; 1930-31, 57 per cent. This was secured chiefly by giving tho young pigs a grass paddock to ran in, together with somo additional feed to that of thoir mother. Slides wero thon shown explaining a model piggory based to carry five sows and ono boar on two acres. Tho area was shown cut up into 13 paddocks of varying size which provided for rotational grazing on clean pasture. Tho speaker said that £3O would bo an outside estimate for butter-fat from two acres, whereas five sows and a boar should return £6O from the same area. If pigs wero given proper attention during tho first eight wcoks of their lives they would pay all right. Irrespective of tho number in the litter, a pig at 16 weeks should be two and a-half times its weight at eight weeks under their aim of 401b. weaners. Four hundred pounds was a great weight, and as a sow could not perform miracles they had to bo fed. Artichokes alono wero not worth while, but, with meat meal, were a balanced ration. It was not so much a question of breed at tho moment as of commercial type. What was wanted was a pig with a small head, light shoulders, a long side and compact ham. Tho ideal carcaso was about 721b.