PIG MANAGEMENT

Southland Times, Issue 19899, 18 June 1926, Page 7

PIG MANAGEMENT

A PROFITABLE INDUSTRY vkeAT EXPANSION POSSIBLE ADDRESS BY MR K. W. GORRINGE The concluding lecture of the 1926 Farm School was delivered by Mr. K. W. Gorringe, Instructor in Swine Husbandry, to a fair audience which appreciated the instructive lecture delivered. “The pig industry is low in Southland” said Mr. Gorringe in opening, “and you do not produce enough for yourselves.” An increase in the pig stocks of the province would mean a great deal more and it was worth while to increase them. A certain amount of pork was now exported from the Dominion, but it would increase if the South Island produced enough pork for its own needs. EXPORT. There was a great era ahead of the pig industry when they realised that Denmark exported £22,000,000 worth of bacon pigs to England every year. New Zealand had already started to export and the value of last year’s products was £164,000 which was a start. At present the cow was the main animal in New Zealand, but the cow could not produce half the amount of money per acre as the pig. If they specialised a little in pig production they would get a surprise when the cheques came in. At present things were never in a better state to expand their export trade. Denmark had taken 20 years to produce the bacon pig exported, while New Zealand had gone right to the top of the tree in their first attempt to produce a bacon carcase for the London market and English curers were anxious to secure as many carcases as possible. As soon as the New Zealand product was placed on the market there was a big demand for it, and orders were received for 50,000 carcases but they could not supply them. It was hoped that they would be able to do so next year. The North Island was arming itself for the fray, and he was confident that the farmer could increase his pig stocks with safety. New Zealand was the only country producing the TamworthBerkshire cross baconer, and it was this carcase that gained for the Dominion its reputation. PIG TROUBLES. The greatest troubles experienced in the herd were caused by parasites of which there were three sorts: the invisible; the visible type which grew inside the pig and the visible type that grew outside the body. The invisible parasites were numerous in sunless sties, and were taken by the young pig when it obtained its food from the sow. So long as the pig was healthy these parasites did little harm but when its vitality was lowered they obtained a hold. The only way to eliminate them was to open up the sty to sunlight. Six worms attacked the pig and any one was sufficient to cause it to sicken. The worst worms were:— lung worm, stomach worm, round worm, kidney worm and thorn headed worm, and all these were encouraged by bad feeding and housing. The usual method adopted by fanners to house pigs simply bred vermin by millions. PIG RETURNS. In New Zealand the cost of raising a pig was put down at 7/-, but in America where special foods were used the cost was 10/as the American recognised that the youngster was the pivot of the farm, and if well treated would go on. They wanted to know how much a sow would return. Well he knew of sows that returned £327 j>er annum, but that was only in special lines, and they wanted the return from an average farmer’s sow. During his period of pig farming he selected a sow and bred her at eight months. That pig gave excellent results; in four years her litters were: 7; 11; 12; 12; 13; 15; 17 and 12 and the money received over that period £360—£90 per annum. How many cows would return that amount? It would take four cows to give the same return and they would have the extra labour. He would produce on a 14 acre plot, from three sows, at least £4B per annum, the returns from the sale of 48 pigs at 14 weeks old. The cost of raising the pig was 10/-, a total of £24, leaving a net profit of £24 for the acre and a-half of ground. There were only two other farm industries that would return more; poultry keeping and bee farming. The pig would beat all other classes of stock. Under the best possible conditions a cow would not return more than £l3 with added labour. A boy of 12 could easily run a properly equipped pig run of such dimensions provided he was started in the right lines. When he started pig fanning he did not possess the necessary knowledge and had to flounder along. The whole secret of good pig management was sanitary conditions for the animals and a return to nature. The pig had a good set of teeth and by running outside on forage crops he used them as nature intended him to do and this with the exercise kept the pig healthy. The pigs should be run out all day and given liquid food at night with a handful of grain during cold snaps. With proper treatment the pig would produce revenue and they would be able to secure some of the money offering overseas for baconers of the right type. By grazing they obtained a long frame and it was then comparatively easy to finish off the animal when required. They should only export the highest quality and keep the second grade bacon in the Dominion. HOUSING. He condemned the close sty used by the majority of farmers and recommended portable ones which could be moved when required and would give the pig free range all day. By starting the young pigs in warm sties they went right on, and kept increasing in weight while the exercise obtained in the paddock kept them in good health. Grazing pigs put weight on quicker than those confined to the sty. In mapping out the pig area they should provide for a lucerne stand and if it were not possible to grow this crop then sow cow grass, white clover and timothy. Cow peas and roots should also be provided, while they should not fail to have chou moellier also. They all knew it was not a good practice to put all their eggs into one basket, and if they sold the lowest producing cow in the herd and replaced it with a sow they would get a start. They all knew how uncertain dairying was and on many farms in the North Island the pig was keeping returned soldiers on their farms. Orchardists were beginning to realise that the pig could assist them, and clean up the apples not used for marketing. Some 30,000 tons of apples were wasted yearly in Nelson until pigs were introduced. No other country offered the same facilities for pig production than New Zealand and with a little specialisation they would get results. There was no danger of the market becoming conjested, as a number of countries would take their produce. They should have no bother in Southland in producing pigs along the right lines, and he would like to see them extend this branch of farming. They should, however, aim at producing baconers, as there was not the same openings for porkers. The BerkshireTamworth cross had made New Zealand's name on the London market and they should stick to it. Just before concluding, Mr. Gorringe said that he had been informed that some Southland farmers were feeding raw rabbits to pigs, and he would like to warn them that they were liable to prosecution under the Act for such. No raw meat could be fed to pigs, but apart from that, rabbits gave the bacon an objectionable flavour. A hearty vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.