Pig Census Returns

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 1, 15 January 1940, Page 15

Pig Census Returns

Production of Pig-meat per Sow

M. J. SCOTT,

Superintendent of the Pig Industry, Wellington

* I ’HE pig census returns from apX proximately 280 farms for the year 1938-39, discussed in the last two issues of the "Journal” under the headings “Amounts of Meal Used” and “Proportion of Meat-meal Used,” have again been examined, this time from the viewpoint of the amount of pig-meat produced per sow. The farms are grouped as follows: Those in which sows produce (A) Less than 800 lb. of pig-meat per sow (95 farms). (B) 801 to 1200 lb. of pig-meat per sow (90 farms). (C) More than 1200 lb. of pig-meat per sow (96 farms). The results are in close agreement with those obtained from last year’s returns, and are set out below. Group. A. B. C. Number of farms .... 95 90 96 Averages of —■ Pounds of ' pig-meat per sow 517 977 1477 Number ,of cows per farm 36 52 55 Number of sows per farm 5.1 5.8 3.8 Number of cows per sow 7.0 10.4 14.0 Production per sow as: « Number of pigs born 11.6 13.1 15.0 Number of pigs bought 0.5 0.9 2.7 Number of pigs sold 9.0 10.4 13.8 Number of pigs died 2.9 3.7 3.9 Pounds of pig-meat produced 517 977 1477 Peed used to produce 100 lb. carcase: Total (lb.) 910 . 644 607 As milk (gals.) .... 678 535 496 As meal (lb.) 102 56 63 As other feed (lb.) . 130 53 48 Returns per cow (500 gals.)* 25/sd. 39/2d. 41/3d. Last year’s returns per cow* 28/4d. 33/9d. 41/2. ♦These returns are arrived at by taking pork at 6d. per lb., meal at £l4 per ton, other feed at £2/10/- per ton. No deductions are made for labour or overhead costs. In view of the change-over to baconer production this table is of considerable interest. Those in Group A sell pigs of an average carcass weight of 57 lb., those in Group B of 97 lb., and those in Group C of 107 lb. At the present time it is most gratifying to be able to report from actual farm returns that the greater the weight of pigs produced, the more profitable is pig production.

Although pigs when small require the least feed to produce a pound of meat, there are advantages in producing baconers. Fewer sows are kept, baconers yield a higher percentage of dressed carcass than porkers, and there is greater elasticity and ease of adjusting pig numbers to the feed supply. For these and other reasons baconer production is more profitable than weaner pork production. This point of view has been frequently stated in Great Britain during the last few years. Other Points The attention of readers is directed to a number of other points. Contrary to the general belief that pigs are most profitable on farms where cows are few and where the number of cows per sow is low, this table shows 36 cows per farm, or seven cows per sow, on the low-producing farm, as against 55 cows, or 14 cows per sow, on the highproducing farm. Group A farmers appear to have lost the advantage of small herds and many sows by failing to get the best use out of their sows; ’ they obtained an average of 11.6 pigs born, while Group C obtained 15 pigs bom per sow. Under the heading “Feed used to pro.duce 100 lb. carcass” the first notable feature is the poor use of feed made by Group A — lb. compared with 607 lb. for Group C. The percentage of meal used in each case is similar. Had any group used 20 per cent, of meal the results would have been at least ss. per cow better (see November “Journal”). Farms Grouped When these farms have been grouped into those which use other crops and those which do not, it is found that those which grow feed for pigs get a return of 3s. to ss. per cow better than those which grow no crops. Yet in this case Group A actually grew nearly twice as much crops for pigs as did Group C, and got poorer returns than Group C.

It would seem that, as is the case with the number of sows per cow, the stage is set for high production by Group A, but that inefficient use of the feed provided offsets all the advantages of such feed. The man who produces baconers usually has better facilities for producing pigs, and there is evidence that more thought is given to the job by him than by the man producing baconers and porkers. CORRECTION. In the article on seed certification in the December issue under the heading “Brassica Crops” the amount of seed sealed was incorrectly given. The last sentence in the paragraph should have read: “Low yields averaging 3 cwt. per acre were experienced from the 60 acres harvested, and there were finally sealed 30 cwt. of the Broad Leaf Essex type and 146 cwt. of the Giant type.”