Pig Producers’ Council Breeding Centre

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 94, Issue 2, 15 February 1957, Page 119

Pig Producers’ Council Breeding Centre

By

A. LONGWILL

Superintendent, Pig Industry, Department of Agriculture, Wellington

W u . T • , , j j ... , ji .. j r it • •j , HAT must be regarded as something of a red letter day for the pig industry was celebrated at Korakonui Road, Te Awamutu, on 27 November, when the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. K. J. Holyoake, officially opened the new Pig Breeding Centre established there by the New Zealand Pig Producers' Council. This event marks an important stage in the fruition of the council's plans for pig improvement which, in turn, are fundamental to the development of a sound pig industry.

AS long ago as 1928 a long-term study of crossbreeding in pigs began at the Minnesota Experiment Station, U.S.A. This study gave scientific support to the animal husbandry man’s preference for a crossbred animal as the basis of production , ~ , , v+ . tte e nrimTcLsSerX “ Sre the prime consideration. For pigs they did more than this, showing that the first cross or hybrid sow was generally a better mother than the purebred and reared larger litters and heavier pigs. In these -j , studies there was evidence, based on a large number of litters, that for numbers reared and feed conversion efficiency, the most profitable system of breeding was out-crossing. This is

the mating of a first-cross sow to a purebred boar of a third breed. Practical Application of Hybrid Vinni.r J' 9our . In 1952 the author in a paper read to the New Zealand Society of Animal deduction, -i-red to these findings. as well as other fundamental work, in advocating a national pig improvement plan based on the use of a first-cross sow produced from tested parents on som t a S re ed plan ’ de + tail ? °. f which would be decided on the basis of resuits of experiments with breeds used in New Zealand . To provide stock worthy of the good p jg husbandman, if was postulated, the pig improvement work should be an integral part of the extension service to producers.

Considerable discussion took place over the ensuing year among scientists interested in the problem. Owing to

high losses in purebred Berkshire pigs at Ruakura, crossbreeding with the Large White had been introduced purely as a means of producing pigs suitable for feeding experiments. This was now carried a stage further and some first-cross gilts were selected for breeding. When litter results from these gilts back-crossed to the Large White boar were available, showing that the first-cross gilts reared 9.6 pigs per litter as against 6.7 for Berkshire and 7.5 for Large White parent strains, the interest of industry leaders in this approach to improvement of pig production efficiency was aroused. The New Zealand Pig Producers’ Council and the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association both approved a report on pig improvement policy put forward from the Waikato District Pig

Council. The first-mentioned body agreed to assist in the establishment of a breeding centre at Ruakura at which the experimental and early testing work on the production of . Large White x Berkshire hybrid sows could be undertaken. This breeding centre was established in 1953 and the basis of the scheme as then envisaged was described in the article “Breeding Pigs with Better Performance” in the May 1953 issue of the “Journal”. The scheme has been administered by the Pig Producers’ Council with the advice of a joint committee and may be regarded as a good example of Government-industry enterprise. Hybrid Sows Tested at Massey College As the scheme has developed,- adjustments have had to be made to the original plans. Advantage was taken of the opportunity afforded by Massey Agricultural College to co-operate in the scheme. Financial assistance provided by the Pig Producers’ Council enabled the College to remodel its whole pig husbandry department and to undertake the testing of the hybrid sows bred in the original breeding centre at Ruakura. ' Some 83 sows were tested at Massey before a decision was made as to their suitability for release to farmers. Of these 19 have for various reasons failed to meet all requirements and have had to be culled; the remaining 64 have been distributed to farmers. Already, despite the inevitable proportion of failures, reports of outstanding performances from some of these sows where they are well managed have confirmed expectations of superior productive capacity.

Development of New Breeding Centre Though the original agreement between the Pig Producers’ Council and the Department of Agriculture provided for the breeding work to be carried on at Ruakura for 5 years, the council realised that this time would soon slip past and in 1954 it began to look about for possible sites for its own breeding centre. It was fortunate to be able to arrange for a site so conveniently situated to the main pigproducing districts as that at Korakonui Road, Te Awamutu. By arrangement with the Justice Department an area of about 70 acres on the edge of the National Prison Centre Farm and fronting Korakonui Road was taken over. Development of the centre began with surveying and pegging of the central access road on 25 June 1955. The layout of the centre was planned as a whole and separate contracts let for various units. In this way, and with the stationing of the council’s own staff at the centre as soon as housing was available for them, the whole development has proceeded quickly. At the opening date the buildings completed and in use on the station were: — (a) Residential and administrative: 3 staff houses, office, 2 garages. (b) Piggery: 55 round farrowing houses with control yards; 24 units of junior gilt houses with 12 units for boars; 15 units of dry sow houses; 70unit (double' range) progeny-test house; boiler house for cooking swill; meal house; implement shed; tanks and pump house. Feed supply is skimmed milk from 600 dairy cows. This will be supple-

mented by other supplies of milk, swill, slaughterhouse offal, and purchased concentrates. Cost The total cost of development of the breeding centre will exceed £60,000. Is this large expenditure on one station warranted? The council is not regarding this enterprise on any short-term, profit-earning basis, but is confident that the investment will pay dividends through improved standards of efficiency in the industry to which the proven stock will contribute their share. Producers’ money is being handled prudently and an asset has been created which will almost certainly increase in value. The Role of the Breeding Centre The role of the centre will be seen more clearly if the immediate function and possible future developments of the centre are considered. In the immediate future the main function will be the production of hybrid Large White x Berkshire gilts for distribution through district pig . council supervisors to farmers at a fixed price, depending on age of the gilt when taken over by the farmer and the time of year when she is transferred. These National Hybrids will be bred from Large White sows and Berkshire boars from litters tested at Ruakura and passing the following minimum performance standards: — 1. Litter production of dam: 7 pigs reared with a total litter weight of 751 b. at 21 days in maiden litter or 8 and 951 b. in subsequent litters. 2. Efficient conversion of food to meat of litter mates: Not more than 2.75 food units per pound live-

y weight gain between 401 b. and 1001 b. liveweight. 3. Carcass quality of sample litter mates slaughtered and submitted to carcass appraisal: 70 per cent, of possible carcass points. The hybrid gilts themselves cannot any longer be farrowed for a test maiden litter before going out to farmers, but the results given by the hybrid sows to date indicate that their chances of performing better than their dams are very good. The replacement policy of the council in cases of failure for which the farmer’s . own management cannot be held responsible is in line with established breeders’ practice and this should smooth out the difficulties which undoubtedly will arise occasionally. The results of 52 farrowings at the breeding centre, including 24 litters which were still on the mothers but past the 3 weeks’ stage at the opening day (all Large White sows in pig to Berkshire boar) were as follows: — LITTER NUMBERS BORN AND REARED Age of No. of Loss sow litters Born Reared per cent 3rd litter or older 9 18.2 11.0 16.7 2nd litter .. 6 13.1 11.6 11.4 Gilts .. ..37 11.05 9.5 14.0 The over-all losses to weaning at present average 13.4 per cent. The

causes of these losses, with national survey figures in parentheses, expressed as percentage of total pigs born in each case, are: Born dead 4.4 (9.9), overlain 2.1 (7.0), destroyed and died after birth 6.9 (8.3). In addition to the production of National Hybrid sows the centre will soon take over from Ruakura the nucleus pedigree national herd of Large Whites. The standards of performance used in the selection of breeding animals in the stud will be maintained and possibly raised as time goes on. Proven stock from 'this nucleus will be available for sale to private studs where performance recording is being done. Others, surplus to the requirements of maintaining the stud, will be used in crossbreeding for the production of the future generations of hybrid sows. Future Developments With a potential output of a little over 1000 pigs per year, half of which would be barrows sold for pork or bacon, the influence of the centre in supplying the markets for commercial sows would be very limited. The centre will, however, provide a necessary further stage in the main scheme by initiating the multiplying phase of the scheme. The logical developments are twofold: (a) Continued progeny testing of purebred parent stock and progressive extension of facilities for progeny testing, under testing station conditions, of pedigree breeders’ stock. (b) The establishment of a chain of multiplying units throughout the

country which would be kept supplied with tested parent stock from the breeding centre or other testing breeders. The first of these developments is fundamental to any long-term pig improvement and will demand the setting up of testing station facilities as soon as is practicable. A scheme of on-farm performance recording of pedigree breeders’ stock was launched in June 1956, as described in the July 1956 issue of the “Journal”. This scheme will enable breeders to identify their best breeding animals, but will have the weakness from the point of view of national pig improvement that comparisons between performances of pigs on different farms and under different conditions of management would not be valid. A testing station where controlled progeny tests can be carried out is therefore necessary. As such a station will be costly to build and run, some preliminary sorting of the pedigree stock of the country is desirable to ensure that those with a reasonable chance of succeeding are first given pen room in the testing station. The Pig Producers’ Council has indicated to breeders that it is prepared to work with them toward

PIG BREEDING CENTRE . . . the establishment of testing facilities for their stock, and the Pig Breeders’ Association will doubtless follow up the offer with all the energy at its command.

Multiplying Units

Roughly 30,000 sows are required annually as herd replacements in New Zealand. If the National Hybrid Sow Scheme is to have a wide influence, the majority of these sows should eventually be hybrids and an extensive chain of approved multiplying units will be needed. Massey College is to be the first outstation multiplying unit and is now ' stocking up with breeding stock from . strains which have performed well at Ruakura. Litters from which hybrid sows are selected must have performed at least up to the minimum standards set out on pages 121 and 123.. The breeding stock used for production of the hybrid sows must, as soon as possible, be all proven breeding animals. For this purpose the proving of boars

for use in multiplying units as well as for stud ZSm most haw hiS lor siua purposes must nave nign. priority at the breeding centre, as establishment of multiplying units could well be limited by the supply of proven sires.

Structure of Pig Breeding in N.Z. The chart above shows how the writer envisages the breeding scheme will work. It emphasises that there is ample scope within the scheme for the private pedigree breeder and multiplier. The main practical limitations are that the co-operating pedigree breeder must record all his litters on the farm and make use of testing

station facilities when they become available and the multiplier must ensure that litter recording, at least to the 3 weeks’ stage, is carried out for all litters. In both cases feeding systems should be standardised as far as practicable. Warning There is some tendency among a few pedigree breeders to blame the hybrid

sow scheme for a falling off in demand for pedigree or purebred sows. From what has been said it will be clear that the whole scheme depends on pedigree stock of high productive quality. Breeders of stock of this quality, provided they have the test records to prove it, will be the breeders with a future. What the commercial farmer must

What the commercial farmer must guard against is the acceptance of any first-cross sow as the equivalent of a National Hybrid sow. Such sows may have been produced from untested parents and their potential will be no better than the ordinary run of crossbred sows available in the industry today. Many breeders have been catering for the demand for first-cross or crossbred sows for some years, and the tendency for this trade to increase is testimony to the practical application of the principle of hybrid vigour. Unless hybrids have proven production backing, however, results are likely to be disappointing compared with those from a carefully bred animal such as

National Hybrid sow.

Carcass quality will become more and more important. Continued progress in improvement in this respect, as an example, is impossible without consistent application of a selection technique based on testing station methods. The stage is set for cooperation to this end.