THRIVING PIGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3404, 11 June 1919, Page 10

THRIVING PIGS.

Picr S exist especially to manufacture fatty"tissue, and will consume almost anything eatable. It would seem, therefore, rather an easy matter to keep a pig thriving Yet, if'we can believe a correspondent in Farm and Home, there are two ways of killing a pig—giving it too much and giving it too little. Generally, we find that farmers are, in the former connection, giving their animals an amount of food far beyond their capacity rightly to assimilate. A very large proportion of tender-hearted people fling a bucket ot swill or a few diseased turnips at their "porkers" every time their animals lift up their voices in supplication. Of course, the pigs gobble up the gift. Few selfrespecting pigs are self -respecting enough to refuse food in any shape or form so long as gastric and digestive organs are at- their appointed posts. But feeding is an art or science itself. It is no economy giving a pig huge quantities of food of a nebulous character with the idea that quantity is what is requisite to make pork. ' Quality, or rather food of a concentrated nature, such as barley, maize, pea or bean meal, etc., is desirable, and such things as whey and buttermilk, potatoes and roots. Fattening should commence immediately after weaning, exercise should be reduced to a minimum, and the animals kept warm. It is necessary, in order to make the most of the foodstuffs available, to study the food constituents. Some foods provide ever so much more flesh-forming elements than others. A concentrated diet means much to a fattening pig, and.is, or should be, the immediate concern of the pig's owner. The latter should endeavour to arrange a ration reasonably well proportioned. It is in a general way recognised that a ratio of from 1 to 6 is about the best blending of proteins (generally concentrated food) and carbo-hydrates (roots, potatoes, etc.). This being so, some rough estimate in respect to each food product should be arrived at and rationed accordingly. In order, therefore, to keep a pig healthy, both carbohydrates and proteins should be blended in such a way that the desired ratio should be approached as nearly as practicable. It may be here stated that proteins are the recognised flesh and tissue producers, .and that carbohydrates furnish heat and energy. The former has such substances as gluten, casein albumen, etc., while the latter bulks largely of starch, sugar, etc. Fat is a valuable form of carbohydrates, and is said to he two and a-quarte.r times more valuable than either starch or sugar, in so far as the production of the energy and heat is concerned. The proteins can also produce heat and energy, but as their price is generally far ahead of the carbohydrates, the prudent feeder would prefer to utilise roots to furnish this essential. Indeed, this is the chief reason why feeding is -not confined to concentrated food. There is, too, of course, the fact that turnips, carrots, etc.._ have a very wholesome effect on the animal's bowels and general health. It is necessary, however, that such foods must be supported by plenty of protein foods if the animal is to produce the maximum of wellflavoured delicate flesh. The moral, then, is to feed carefully, remembering that quantity is not everything in the production of pork. Your pig may eat from morning till night, and remain as lean as one of "Coptain Cook's" breed, fed up on fern and scenery. In the mixing and preparing of foods considerable experience will prove advantageous. The palatability of a ration is of importance. The digestibility of the ration may be greatly improved by providing a number of kinds of food products. The Avork of digestion is lessened in so furthering the assimilation of a greater amount of nutriment out of a given Quantity of material by slicing or pulping the roots, brewing or grinding the grain, and by cooking or steaming mixtures. It is true that cooking or steaming does not increase the digestibility, but it improves the palatibility and enables one to use more or less damaged farm products, while warm food is beneficial to animals during cold weather, as it saves the waste of heat producers, which otherwise must be used up in excess.