MODERN PIG-KEEPING.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19314, 21 July 1934, Page 21 (Supplement)

MODERN PIG-KEEPING.

Pig Rooordlng. Mr W. Perry, a member of the Meat Bjard, has been explaining that the dairy industry is well represented on the Board, as three of Its members have dairy herds, but 'they are mainly sheep farmers, and their dominant interests are associated with sheep. He also told of the assistance the Board had given the Industry by giving grants for the carrying on of pig recording. The Board has certainly given grants for pig-recording work, but the grant has not been sufficient to enable the work of the pioneer club, that of the Waikato, to continue, and this has now ceased to exist. The pig-recording officer is now employed by the New Zealand Pig Marketing Association. The Manawatu Club can only carry on with the grant of the Meat Board because the recording officer is a retired enthusiast in regard lo pig-keeping who is prepared to do the work for a very modest remuneration. The lecturer employed is Mr E. E. Hale, chairman of the Waikato Club, who has been engaged by the Board to give lectures and demonstrations in the Auckland and North Taranaki provinces for three months, the Department of Agriculture, which Is rightly co-operating in the work, arranging for Mr Hale’s transport. A •great deal of voluntary work has been done, and much expense incurred, by the executive members of the recording dubs, and under the circumstances the Meat Board could -well have afforded to be a little more liberal in its financial assistance. Milk Yield and Pigs. The amount of separted milk a herd will provide has become a faotor of considerable Importance where pigkeeping is concerned. In the Whakatane district where pig-keeping is being conducted on the modern paddock system, the complete plans of the lay-out of the Waikato Pig Recording Club having been adopted, some striking cases are reported of the money value of pigs when properly managed. In one oase, Mr R. Reypolds, who has two large herds, about 100 cows in each, is definitely proving what pigs can do. One of his herds' is composed of 'Friesian and the other of Jersey cattle. Both are exceptionally high producing herds, having been graded up through consistent group herd-testing. The pigs with the Friesian herd have given a return of £3 15s a cow and the pigs with the Jersey herd'have returned £2 10s a cow. These are remarkably fine figures, and they are to be better next season for Mr Reynolds is increasing his sow herds and expects to turn off 1800 pigs. ■ * * * * Carrots. A correspondent is anxious to know the variety of carrot that has been grown In the Waikato with such success for pig-breeding. It is the Geurande. It was grown with four cwt. to one acre of a special mangel manure and was grown on the ridger system, a Planet implement being used to sow the seed on top of the rdiges. The plants were not thinned out but the cultivator was used between the rows. The seed was sown in February and the roots were ready to feed in May. Grown on the ridger system harvesting is a very simple matter. A hunch can be pulled out when a spade has lifted the soil below. * * « * Fat and Lean. It Is generally conceded that the proportion of fat to lean is mainly a matter of breed. A fairly safe rule is that the shorter, the dumpier the pig the greater the tendency to produce fat, while the lengthier Hie pig there Is a lessened tendency to make fat. In either case extremes are bad. Length should not be gained at the expense of constitution. A simple guide is the shape of-the head. The lard pig has a short face, the lean pig a fairly long one. In the race for lean flesh there is again a danger in it being ovedone. A certain amount of fat Is desirable if quality meat is to be secured. As to feeding it has been proved that more protein food is required in the early stages of a pig’s life and some carbohydrate food in the later stages. There is still a want of appreciation of Ihe value of properly balanced food, the correct mineral supplement and Hie importance of vitamins. Much requires to be done in the way of properly conducted feed trials to settle these matters under New Zealand conditions. * * * * Recordod Pigs In England. According to the annual report of the East Anglican Pig Recording Scheme of England the per oentage of recorded pigs at slaughter centres to reach prime grade was only 38.5 The characteristics of this grade were greater length and thinner hack fat; the main faults in medium and stout grades were excess of fat and deficient length. Certain correlations were again evident between carcase faults. With Increased weight Hie quality of a carcase declines to thicker back fat, while at the same time thin flank tends to be correlated with thinness of back fat.

The principal carcase faults were again “ 100 thick hack fal," "uneven fat and heavy shoulders,’’ " deficiency jn length" (in relation to weight), and in that order.