CO-OPERATIVE HERD TESTING RESULTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1934, Page 11

CO-OPERATIVE HERD TESTING RESULTS.

PIGS ON DAIRY FARMS f•- • ■ breeding and raising hints. ADDRESSES AT KAKARAMEA. The commercial value, of. pig rearing on dairy farms and proved methods of management calculated to produce the highest returns, formed the. subject ~of addresses to a Farmers’ Union meeting by Messrs. W. J. Croucher, Pig Recording Officer, Manawatu, C. P. McMeekan, Massey Agricultural College, and. P. G. Stevens, Feilding, at Kakaramea on Wednesday. The chairman, Mr. H. Hodge, introduced th. speakers. Mr. Croucher said that the speakers had been heralded in Taranaki as pig rearing experts, but they were still trying to learn all they could. While a section of the farming community had always realised the value of, pigs there have been much good pig raising material allowed to go to waste. Those who were looking for new avenues to augment their. income from dairy products would bo interested in pig rearing. That many farmers were taking advantage of the opportunities, was shown by the increasing export figures, 140,075 carcases in 1931-38 season, and 310,000 in 1932-33. Although i tat increase was satisfactory it did not nearly' approach the totals required in proportion to the auantity of dairy by-products available. The compilation of statistics to demonstrate the varying forms of management on eleven farms yielded valuable information in terms of pig flesh per lOOlbs. of butterfat. Ah the farms covered practised home separation, the skim milk produced being fed to claves and pigs, the farm areas ranging from 31 to 428 acres and carrying 20 to 300 cows. A summary of the results obtained, the data for which was verified throughout the periods by the recording officer, showed that a total of 180,230 lbs. of butterfat and 62.9681b5. of pig flesh was produced, representing an average production of 34.91b5. of pig flesh per lOOlbs. butterfat, 83.41b5. per cow and 55.11b5. per acre. One calf per lOOlbs. butterfat was also reared. Valuing this production at 4d per lb. the average gross return was 1.4 d per lb. of butterfat and £1 7s 9d per cow. On a valuation basis the individual returns showed that with pig flesh at 4d per pound the gross cash returns varied from 1.92 pence per pound of butterfat and £2 5s 6d per cow on the best farm, to o.BBd per - pound of butterfat and 18s 7d per cow on the worst. The full utilisation of dairy farm byproducts for pig .-earing would return £1,060,000 to farmers without milking another cow, an indication. of lost opportunities. When it is seen that without the addition of elaborate equipment a substantial increase in farm revenue is possible, pig rearing will become an integral part of dairy farming. : PROBLEMS OF BREEDING. Sow litter recording was an excellent means of testing inherent qualities of parent stock, showing both good qualities and deficiencies. The type of carcase produced was of the utmost importance. Too much attention and, too much care was taken with exhibition stock. A pig should be judged by what it could do and not by what it looked like. The difficulties were not with sows but with boars. He had seen prjzewinning boars that should have had their throats cut. One boar with a black hairs on the leg would be disqualified at a snow, but possessed excellent breeding qualities. A Sow whose turned snout would have kept her from any show, produced a litter weighing 171bs. apiece at three weeks. The weighing of the litter was the best indication of the condition of the sow, good management by the farmer carrying on the sow’s ■ good progeny. Good housing, feeding and close personal, supervision were important factors in success. Most pigs that died in first week of life were the victims of frost on the night they were farrowed. Good housing of a type similar to the miniature displayed provided warm, dry accommodation essential to good litters.. Early maturing qualities were important factors for early and economic success. Weight recording of a group taken from three to ejght weeks showed wide variations, the best pig being two and a-half times heavier than the worst. A 561bs. litter at eight weeks increased to 1401bs. live weight at 16 weeks. A mistake that was made by many breeders was the failure to- breed pigs required for home use and often pigs were bought at sales that could have been produced more economically by the purchaser himself. The pig was as necessary as the cow in order to make the fullest use of every dflade of grass. It was possible to run .sow to every seven or ten cows. Many farmers give as a reason for their neglect to raise pigs instances-of bad luck with litters. This could, be most always attributed to badly designed farrowing pens, sow housing . and general bad management. Reasonable expenditure on the right type of housing was a sound capital investment. Most farmers made the error of buying the pig before they erected the. accommodation, which was obviously wrong. There was at present an unsatisfied.demand for good breeding stock, chiefly of typy crossbred sows. ...A; first grade pig could, by faulty breeding, be made into a second grade pig. It was necessary for the breeder to: develop an eye for the quality of his product from a grading point of view. Examples of the

APRIL AVERAGES COMPILED.

want of uniformity in grading were given. He recommended the type of housing submitted in a model to the meeting, together with full specifications and general lay out of grassland runs adjoining. VALUE THE MAIN CONSIDERATION. Salient points of Mr. Croucher’s address were touched upon by Mr. P. -G. Stevens, Feilding High School,' who stated that purebred pigs in New Zealand did not come up to a good commercial standard. In the early days purity of breeding was the chief concern, but commercial value was desired. In the schemes employed for testing utility types a sow must wean eight pigs at eight weeks and they must be 381bs. If she had more young the weight naturally decreased. Two pigs were taken on for bacon or pork weights, poi ;ers to reach 801bs. in 16 weeks and baconers 1401bs. in 24 weeks,, which was. the maturnity. test. If the carcases passed th- test in- England a certificate was granted. In buying these pigs one was buying a line one knew something about. The matter of breed should be shelved and strain sought after. Mr. C. McMeekan, Massey College, stated that the present state of the Dominion’s pig industry was an indication that knowledge of pig husbandry was limited. Attention had been drawn to the quality » the animal and the keeping of records. The sows, of whom knowledge through records had been obtained, would form the nucleus of successful pig raising o-_ a larger scale. Feeding of pigs, as with cows, determined results. Evidence is available that farmers arc paying ‘„h prices for sows and pigs, but if he has not provided adequate housing he would not have much success, Th® period or]

growth between birth ana weaning constituted a reliable guide, to the subsequent growth of the animal. The aim was for heavy litters and heavy weight c individuals in the litter. . Good dairy pasture was what was, required for the Sow prior ' fcr.ro wing. As farrowing approached supplementary feeding was required, such as whey, skim , milk, or, in spring, meatmeal o- similar food. From farrowing onwards a maximum of 12 gallons of whey per day should be given in measured quantities at measured intervals. It definitely paid to supplement her feed with meatmeal during the suckling period. No definite formula of supplementary feeding was employed, but whatever good meals or grain mixtures were cheapest at the time should be supplied three times daily. The’heavier the pigs at three weeks the heavier-1 developed pig would be. It was essential that early supplementary ■ feeding of the young be made. The earlier the taking of that food was; commenced.the heavier the litter would be. The training of the litter to take that food early would amply repay the trouble taken. Experience of -grassland methods proved unwise and costly, and most of the problems were solved by the employment of the housing methods suggested. ’ • ‘ ■ ’ The speaker recommended that the feeding of a little meatmea! when milk supply was falling would hasten. the time when the pigs rould reach market weights.. Meat meals of high protein value was to be desired even if a higher cost .vas involved. .A number of questions were asked the speakers,-and a vote of thanks, for their informative addresses was- carried with acclamation. '

The April averages of the cows tested by the Taranaki Herd Testing Association are:No.' bf Cows. Monthly Herd Averages. Highest Av. Groun Tested. Cows. Milk. Test. B.-fat. .Cows. B-fat V- ............ 779 52 524 5.5 28.80 65 36.6 Lowest Cow 35 Av. Highest. Lowest. Fat Cow Fat Cow Fa* 17.4 58 6 .... 693 33 465 6.0 27.86 24 37.4 42 22.1 7 4 .... 264 24 461 5.8 26.74 11 34.7 14 14.8 55 xvonurci Ldiii .... 279 404 6.4 26.04 41 29.6 67 22.6 58 58 TT1+1-I n wn -IVTg r> t/rlc i ............ .... 1332 469 5.5 25.67 21 35.0 98 20.3 3 .... 533 48 408 6.1 25.02 26 32.0 62 20.2 49 56 6 4 .... 611 51 416 6.0 25.00 52 28.8 46 17.7 .... 1103 42 437 5.7 24.77 41 34.0 27 16.9 53 4 •.Midhirst-Tariki .... 1476 51 433 5.7 24.50 61 32.8 47 15.4 69 3 o Lid tlvl £> C” X CIA • • • • Lepper ton-Huirangi-Brixton Inglewood ..... .... 1469 .... 1135 .... 1420 47 39 53 413 407 411 5.9 6.0 5.8 24.45 24.40 23.96 37 66 41 37.3 36.1 38.5 34 26 41 13.5 14.3 14.3 76 73 55 2 4 5 .... 1596 57 420 5.7 23.86 21 38.0 77 17.7 18.5 65 5 4“- .... 2072 71 452 5.3 23.77 '.88 30.1 82 67 Plvmniith .... 1005 37 393 6.0 23.63 39 ' 37.4 47 12.9 69 3 B.B. Hillsborough-Tarurutahgi TVEntraii - A wakinO .... 883 .... 748 42 . 47 412 409 5.7 5.6 23.53 22.98 49 34 31.2 32.4 19 41 11.4 15.8 60 68 1 4 .... 673 61 337 6.2 20.99 47 29.8 34 10.8 76 4 HTi 1+11+awn . .... 637 42 319 6.1 19.37 50 25.9 46 11.4 47 2 . ’8708 Cows Tested. Average: 424 milk; 5.7 test; 24.35 butterfat.