ADDRESS ON PIG-RAISING

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1933, Page 13

ADDRESS ON PIG-RAISING

VALUE TO DAIRYMEN STRESSED. PRESENT METHODS CRITICISED. An address tx> farmers on the management of pigs was given on Tuesday by Mr. A. W. Gorringe, of the Department of Agriculture. There were present members of the Eltham, Mangatoki and Lowgarth branches of the Farmers’ Union, Mr. W. P. Jenkins presiding. Mr. Gorringe said his aim was to lay a foundation so that the farmers of New Zealand would be able to make money. He had warned them against having all their eggs in one basket, and some people had recently been / very hard hit. He had endeavoured to show farmers that despite the lowering of prices they could make money out of pigs. They had to combine the humble pig with dairying. It was inseparable because the largest portion of the product of the cow went into the pig.’ Only those farmers who had properly organised the piggery were comfortable to-day. , Mr. Gorringe mentioned a Hawke s Bay farmer on 900 acres who was faced with the probability of having to walk off his farm. Mr. Gorringe advised him to lay out a piggery. Although these operations had been going on only 18 months there was already in sight money to pay the interest on the farm. Two men in New Zealand had already abandoned dairying and were now running pigs over the whole of their farms. There should be at least orie sow to every five cows After that they might increase it to one sow to every four cows, or even three cows. In Denmark the proportion was nearly one sow to one cow. On ten acres of land 20 sows could be run without an ounce of milk, by the growing of .green feed on the farm, supplemented by meatmeal. Mr. Gorringe advised farmers to go into the pig business as.soon as possible, growing porkers and letting the baconers take care of themselves. He doubted whether any fanners in New Zealand were farming pigs properly, and he thought there was still extea money to be made out of them. He wanted farmers to send away pigs y the dray-load every month. It would be better if farmers abandoned several of their worst cows and gave the land to pigs, Mr. Gorringe said. Regulations governing the compulsory grading of pigs had been gazetted, and if the pork grown was acceptable for export it would be acceptable on the local The pig was naturally a grazing animal, Mr. Gorringe said. He advised farmers to provide adequate pastures for w g’.ze. He suggested . l«ss« amount of iwhey and more meatmeal fo the pigs. The prime porker was supposed to have only half an meh of fat on it, and it Was desirable, therefore, to grow the lean meat that was most in

favour. The lean carcase could be grown on grass with meatmeal and whey, and topped off with a little grain. The value of mangolds and carrots was also mentioned. For housing pigs Mr. Gorringe advocated the use of three-sided houses constructed of straw bales with iron roofs over them. These formed a warm, cheap and satisfactory shelter. In New Zealand a good type of crossbred had been evolved from the Berkshire and Tamworth. Mr. Gorringe advised farmers not to make breed changes hastily, but to do it gradually and so work into ‘better lines. Farmers should cease to use the word “fatten” in regard to pigs. They should “grow” them and “finish’ them, but not “fatten” them. In the course of a general discussion Mr. Gorringe advised feeding meatmeal dry. A model of an ideal pig trough was exhibited by the speaker. This contrivance prevented pigs getting more than their share of the meatmeal. The prime porker was what New Zealand farmers Should concentrate on. It was so easy to get rid of them. Under the paddock system of grazing it was easy to maintain breeding sows. The lecturer advised farmers to measure the amount of meatmeal they were giving, and not give it by guesswork. On the Government farms the pigs paid handsomely. Mangolds should be pulled and wilted for six weeks or a couple of months. Water should be available to pigs at all times. Mr. Aagaard, representative of the Stratford Herd-Testing Association, spoke on the formation of the Stratford group. An application had been made for a tattoo brand and affiliation as a group. The desire of the new association was to bring down the cost of testing, and it was hoped that farmers would support it. It had been claimed that the cost could not be brought down, but the other associations in New Zealand had effected a reduction of 20 per cent, this year. The various speakers were accorded a hearty vote of thanks and supper was served by Mesdames J. Cocker and D. May.