PIG-BREEDING.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXII, Issue 1, 20 January 1921, Page 16

PIG-BREEDING.

SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BOAR AND SOW.

K. W. GORRINGE,

Instructor in Swine Husbandry.

THE BO AB.

The choice of the boar is one of the most important matters in the successful breeding and rearing of pigs. It is true that with pigs a false step can be more readily retraced than with other farm-animals, such as horses and cattle, owing to the shorter period of reproduction, but this does not lessen the necessity for the greatest care being taken when starting a herd of pigs, or when purchasing a boar for use in an established herd.

The type of boar to be sought for is one compact in frame, as long and deep in carcase as possible consistent with strength, with a wide, deep capacious chest, legs placed well outside the body, well developed in the hind quarters, ribs well sprung, with deep flank, medium-sized ears, wide between eyes, bone of good quality, standing well upon his feet, good action, and showing strong masculine qualities. Both testicles should be visible and evenly suspended in the scrotum. The embryo teats should not be less than twelve in number, evenly placed, and distinct in development. Further, he should be from a good family showing prepotency, prolificness, constitution, and early maturity.

. The selection should be made preferably from a breeder of repute whose stock has stood the test. The safest course is to visit the herd of the breeder and buy after seeing the sire and dam, and, if possible, others of the same strain as the animal selected. In making the final choice preference should be given to a boar from a large even litter, as fecundity is hereditary. The power to produce good litters is an essential in successful pig-breeding, and a good even litter is the best indication one can have. A special qualification is the possession of a gentle, docile, and tractable disposition. A bad temper is almost invariably transmitted.

It is not easy to judge a young boar just weaned. The powers of the digestive functions are' practically unknown at that period, and until these are more developed it is difficult to arrive at a safe conclusion. His disposition, ability to put on flesh, and capacity for stock-getting can be estimated only after the birth of his first litter. It is therefore inadvisable for the inexperienced breeder to purchase a boar under six to eight months old. Many breeders, of course, purchase boars when weaners, but to be successful in this way requires a wide experience and sound judgment. It is much safer for a beginner to buy a mature boar than a young untried one. Some breeders of purebred stock have in the past been too willing to sell for breeding purposes the bad with the good, and amateurs, without knowing better, have used boars which have nothing . to. recommend them but their pedigree. When allied to quality and size pedigree possesses considerable value, and is more or less of a guarantee

that the produce will be good, but it confers no advantage on a boar with nothing else to recommend him. It is a great deal better to own a good boar in partnership with one's nearest neighbour, or to have one to be used co-operatively among a certain number, than each to have an inferior animal, which practically means a backward "movement in the type of each herd.

The management of the boar is a very important part in the raising of strong, healthy pigs, and one which is sometimes neglected. He should be looked upon as the most valuable animal in the herd, and as such deserves the best of attention. A boar for service should never be fat. In some cases breeding-power is injured by too high condition at some time in the life of the animal. He should be well fed, but not fat, as this has a tendency to make him inactive, a slow breeder, and an uncertain sire.

The young boar should not be put to service until he is at least six months old, or, better still, eight months, and then only to a small number of sows at first. Too much work at this age may permanently ruin him. It should be remembered that one good service is all that is necessary, and it behoves the breeder to conserve the vitality in his boar as much as possible.

During the breeding season it is well to confine the boar to his paddock. As soon as the sows come into heat they can be brought into the boar’s pen for service. This is a much better plan than allowing the boar to run with . the sows, as a more accurate record can be kept of the time when they will farrow, or come on again in heat. It is during the breeding season that the boar may become unruly, often showing temper, and he should not be trusted too much when attending to him. If it is necessary to chastise him, never use a heavy weapon, or severe injury may be caused. A light stick or cane, giving a smart rap on the snout, is all that is required to keep him in order. A boar well fed and cared for may be expected to keep in serviceable condition until he is ten years old, although many boars prove prolific and virile long after that age.

The ration of the boar during the breeding season should be abundant. The only index to the amount of feed to be given is his condition, and this should be evenly maintained, if possible, throughout the season. The following feeds provide a suitable assortment: Skim-milk, buttermilk, lucerne, peas, beans, clovers, millets, maize, rape, roots, and other foods in which the necessary elements are prominent. Food should be given at regular intervals and at least twice a day. The matter of cleanliness should never be overlooked. Pay special attention to the feeding-trough and receptacles for holding the food. Look to the comfort of the boar by supplying good housing, and proper sanitation in his run, plenty of fresh water, and as much exercise as he will take. Under such conditions little trouble should be experienced in getting a boar to produce large . litters of strong, healthy pigs.

THE SOW.

The selection of the sow for. breeding purposes, whether it be for raising porkers, baconers, or stud stock, demands careful study and good judgment but it is not essential, as in the case of the boar,

2—Ag. Journal. 5103

that she be purebred (unless stud pigs be the object) if she is suitable in other respects. It is, however, of great importance to ascertain that she is the progeny of quiet and good-tempered parents, for an irritable, restless sow is frequently the source of disaster at farrowingtime ; that she comes from a good milking-strain ; and that she is possessed of at least twelve well-developed teats, regularly placed, and extending well forward along the body. The points and characteristics to be sought for in a sow are early maturity, length and depth of frame, broad and well-let-down hams, and well-formed udders ; she should be compact, tough, roomy, with a good girth, straight back, broad loins, standing on good short legs with bone of fine quality, and plenty of good silky hair. She should have a good docile temperament, kindly disposition, and be cleanly in habit. She should come from a family of uniformly good mothers and large litters. Spring litters are to be preferred, because the young sows will as a rule grow and develop better during the summer than the winter, and with proper management they can be put to the boar so as to farrow at about twelve months of age. As to disposition, the sow should be, above all, motherly, quiet, gentle, and kind. It is as well to reject any that have a tendency to fatten, for a big clumsy sow is unprofitable and disheartening. The same can be said of a fidgety ill-tempered sow; she is not a success in rearing a litter. Sows coming from mature mothers are usually the best breeders. The principle of the milking-strain in a cow applies equally to the sow. It is therefore advisable that this characteristic be preserved, and breeding-stock should be selected from sows which have heavy-milking qualities, for upon this depends the welfare of the progeny. The young sow should not be less than eight months old before being sent to the boar. If maternity be forced on her under this age it may result in small litters and immature stock, and in many cases it has been, the means of permanent injury to the animal. A young sow will show evidence of sexual heat as early as five months. Her pigs are seldom so numerous as those of a mature sow, and they are never so large. If a gilt is used for breeding and her litters are weighed at birth, it will be found that they are lighter than the pigs of a litter produced by a mature sow. In the matter of size the litter follows the dam. No attempt should be made to obtain large pigs from a small sow by using a large boar.

A breeder whose aim is success should not buy or retain a sow which does not comply with the standards set down, and it is better for the amateur to purchase a mature sow with a record than a gilt, however near the latter may be to farrowing. It may not be always suitable to breed from purebred sows, but for the production of pork the purer the herd the better the results. Good sows from the original Berkshire and Yorkshire breeds are inclined to be a little coarse in character compared with the improved types, but they are prolific, hardy, good mothers, and are noted for converting their food into rich milk.

GENERAL

In making the selection of either a boar or sow it is of practical importance to recognize two types, which may be called the “ pork ” and the “ bacon ” types. Farmers will be guided to some extent by

the requirements of the trade they intend catering for. Skill and judgment should be brought to bear in the matter of mating. When possible select an animal with an extra degree of good qualities that are deficient in the other, so that these may be balanced in the progeny. At best it is almost impossible to choose sows that will always reproduce true to type, but by careful selection of both boar and sow the chances of uniformity will be greatly increased. Some mistakes are bound to be made, but by keeping records of the breeding-stock and their produce it will be possible to dispose of undesirable animals. One ideal of type must always be uppermost in the breeder’s mind, and in order to make real progress the stock must be constantly approaching nearer and nearer that ideal.