THE PIG INDUSTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20669, 6 March 1937, Page 15 (Supplement)

THE PIG INDUSTRY

FEED SUPPLY BY M. J. SCOTT, 8.A., BSc. (Department of Agriculture). No. 7. Organisation: In most text books on pig-feeding, attention is focussed on composition of feeds, on the amounts to feed, methods of feeding, feed mixtures and the response of the pig by way of live weight increase. A knowledge of these is of fundamental importance to the beginner, but it is equally true that attention to the organisation of the whole year’s feed supply and to the cost of it, is equally important. Organisation is important because as pointed out earlier in these notes, the food supply of pigs that are producing to their maximum has a double peak each year, whereas nature has only one animal peak production period. When no provision is made for the second peak period, all the advantages of abundant spring and summer feed may easily be lost by excessive overhead costs, or by having to resort to the market to buy pigs when everyone is buying in spring, or to sell when no one wants to buy in winter. In the p.st these were the chief causes of pigs being unprofitable. A man either kept sows from which he took one litter only—pig recording in 1928 shows an average of 9 litters per year for every 7 sows (bulletin No. 16, N.Z. D.S.I.R.)—or else where two litters were produced each year spring weaners were 35/- per head, and winter weaners 4/- per head. It was difficult to make profits from an abundant milk supply under either of these circumstances. The information obtained from pig-recording and the introduction of meat-meal, to provide a proteinrich feed for use along with cheap home-grown feeds for winter use, have helped to overcome the difficulties just mentioned. Feed Required In the following table there is set out the amounts of feed (lbs of grain . or gallons of skim-milk or equivalent quantities of other feeds), required by a sow and her progeny during a year. There is nothing hard and fast about the quantities set out here, they are accurate for pigs that groV as stated here but obviously the amounts will be different if there are more pigs per litter, or if the pigs grow at rates different from those stated here. The table serves the purpose of showing the variations required from month to month. Table 1 Amounts of feed required during a year for a sow and her progeny, two

litters each of 7 pigs, (a) to the weaner stage, (b) to 901 b carcase porker stage, (c) to 1401 b carcase bacon stage. In the table column (1), headed sow maintenance, the amounts stated are for a sow of 3001 b live weight, whose daily maintenance requirement is 2 per cent, of her live weight. She could eat much more and would increase in weight if she did so. In practice most sows get thin while suckling a litter and improve again while dry. Column (2) states the feed required for producing two litters of 7 pigs each 401 b weight at weaning. In column (3) the average weight of the weaned pigs each month is set out. Thus the average for August is 531 b, obtained from an initial weight of 401 b and a final weight at the end of the month of 661 b. Similarly tn° average weight for October, 112, is obtained from an initial weight of 941 b and a final weight of 1301 b. Column (4) is the feed for 7 pigs for 30 days each month. Column (5) is similar to (3), and (6) to (4). Columns (7), (8), and (9) are the total feed required each month for a sow and her pigs when these are sold as (7) weaners, (8) porkers, and (9) baconers. It will

Totals g i-i s crp o < p- *o go 5 'c • .• • • • . c-t- . - ■< a. Month. Feed required each month (lb). to oooooooooooo Sow Maintenance. o ii ii is i ii iis§ Feed for Litters un weaned. 1 t— co cn | | I h co cn | I co 1 to o co | I | to o co 1 1 Weights of Pigs average. 1 CO CO O CO CO O) | CO CO CO I I I co CO CO I I local 1 local | Feed for Weaned Pigs to Porker Stage. siiiissiiiisS Weights of Pigs Average. s to cn lo cn Go S 1 1 1 1 SS 1 1 1 1 S'Feed from Porkers to Baconers. o cocoacooai ooooooooaooo Weaners. | Totals for £ i-* c a co co >-* o o co co oo coa5>-*t-*oacoo5»-‘h-oci'--ccococoacacc Porkers. O O CO CO 4* o a 05 to o aat-‘>-*Oh-*ocnH-*i-‘OH*'—■ acooooaaaaoo Baconers.