BACON PIGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 287, 5 December 1939, Page 3

BACON PIGS

WINTER REARING FEASIBILITY SHOWN ANNUAL TARANAKI COMPETITION. Bacon pigs in the annual Tomoana competition conducted by W. and R. Fletcher (N.Z.) Ltd. were, judged at the Patea Freezing Works on Sunday and were on- display yesterday when a successful field day was held. Those present included the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture; Dr. A. H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture; Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. for Patea; and Mr. A. Rowland, New Zealand manager of There was an attendance of more than 350 farmers, including breeders from as far away as Palmerston North. The judges, Messrs. M. J. Scott, of the Department of Agriculture, and E. Hansen, supervising grader for the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, were present at the demonstration and explained to breeders points about the various carcases. Later the visitors were entertained at a luncheon, this being followed by a Department of Agriculture talking film of interest to pig producers. The competition was supervised by the Taranaki District Pig Council's supervisor, Mr. C. H. Sorenson, with the support o£ the Department of Agriculture. Entries for the competition w>as taken in the autumn and the pigs were earmarked. The pigs were then wintered on farm foods and to make up deficiencies in that diet al least half a pound of meat meal as a protein supplement was stipulated. The competition was designed to stimulate the production of baconers from pigs that would have been sacrificed in the autumn in many cases as unfinished porkers. There were 505 pigs entered in the competition, each breeder entering lots of six animals. The total number of unexportable and condemned animals was 12 and three respectively or 2.38 per cent, and 0.59 per cent. Had the pigs been sold to the freezing works during the autumn the average entry of six pigs would have been worth in ail not more than £4 10s. The actual average payment made by W. and R. Fletcher was £2O 6s Id or £3 7s 8d a pig. T’he cost of feeding each line at the rate of half a pound of meat meal daily was not more than £2 18s 6d a lot or 9s 9d a PigThe results were as follow: - L‘. Redshaw (Cardiff) Tam worth x Tamworth x Berkshire. 168 i points 1. D. S. Musker (Erute) Large White c Tamworth, 168 points 2. H. C. Taylor (Ngaere) Berkshire, 167 j points 3. A. V. Tait (Kaponga) Tamworth x Berkshire x Large Black, 167 points P. T. Julian (Kakaramea) Tamworth. 1661 points h.c. At the luncheon it was slated that the objects of the competition were: (1) To show that it pays to carry unfinished pigs through the winter to bacon weights. (2) To show that this can be carried out successfully if rationing and housing is given proper attention. (3) To assist the National Pig Club movement. (4) To demonstrate and popularise on a commercial basis the results of the research of the research workers of the .Department of Agriculture.