HANDLING OF PIGS.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18928, 24 April 1933, Page 2

HANDLING OF PIGS.

EFFECT OF ROUGHNESS. GREAT NATIONAL LOSS. A PLEA FOR GREATER CARE. The New Zealand Co-operative Pig, Marketing Association has issued the following statement regarding the rough handling of pigs:— The loss resulting to producers and the Dominion from the rough handling of porker pigs is very considerable and is dally increasing. The skin of the porker is remarkably sensitive, and the number of times a porker -has been hit or bruised is plainly advertised to the world, when the dressed oarcase is hung up to be graded at this end or to be sold in London. One often sees good pork carcases hung up for grading in the freezing works absolutely disfigured by red weals marks, telling the grader just how the pig has been treated, when alive. The nature of the marks indictates the cause. The many weals across the skin (generally on the •most valuable parts, the hams and the loins), indicate that the pig has been urged along with a stick. The marks along the side suggest injury from barbed wire; while the bruises suggest that the pig has -been actually kioked or that it was knocked about by reason of rough driving in half empty lorries or by bad shunting of a careless engine driver of a train. Every mark and bruise shows to the trader and buyer, wffien the dressed carcase is hung up for inspection. The market demands a white skinned pig and the white skin advertises often in exaggerated form, every hand touch to the skin of the live pig. The marks do not -show up to the same extent on the bacon oarcase after it has been singed and dressed, (though bruising of bacon carcases has been seriously complained of by British buyers), but the disfigurement of the porker caroas-e, by marks, Is absolute and is seriously detrimental. In catering to a oritioal overseas market, appearance Is of the greatest importance, and anything that seriously detraots from good appearance places the product in a lower grade with a resultant lower price. Too high a percentage of tnr porker carcases are disfigured as the result of oareless -or rough handling, and a good proportion of these are graded down in consequence. In the majority of cases, few farmers probably realise the delicate nature - of the pig’s skin and that the use of a stick, used however lightly, will leave a mark that will remain and finally cause the carcase, however prime, to be graded down. It has been recommended that a piece of rubber hose should be used in persuading pigs to-' move, but even a stroke with a hose will leave a mark. Probably the best thing to use is a piece of old sacking. At the freezing works, the men handling the pigs have an excellent thing with which, to encourage the pigs to move. It is made of several strips of disused inner -tubing from motor cars cemented together, and one end of tills cut into ribbons. Only the fringed portion, of this touches the pigs. The touching is very lightly done. Any farmer who finds it difficult to realise that hitting a pig lightly with a stick will leave a disfiguring mark on the carcase, should visit the freezing works, when bis own pigs are being dealt with and see for himself. To see some carcases with red marks all over them, and the red colour -standing -out vividly against the white skin, would quite cure any farmer of ever -striking a pig again. Until farmers and all those concerned In the Conveying O’f live pigs have become educated to the necessity of exercising the greatest care in the handling of porker pigs the individual, the industry and the country must seriously suffer.