The Pig as an Economical Producer of Food. G23 



THE PIG AS AN ECONOMICAL PRODUCER 



OF FOOD. 



By W. A. K. MoRKEL, M.Sc, Lecturer in Animal Hnsbandry, 

 Elsenburg- School of Agriculture. 



In Denmark, Ireland, America, and many other countries the pig 

 has justly earned such popular titles as " The Small Holder's Friend " 

 and " The Mortgage Lifter." Why? Because next to the dairy cow 

 he has proved himself to be the most economical animal machine for 

 converting the common feeding stuffs usually available on the farm 

 into edible animal products of the most desirable kind; and where 

 unmarketable produce, such as kitchen garbage and spoiled feed, 

 is concerned he is easily the most efficient of all our domestic animals 

 for converting it into marketable food. 



It is a well recognized fact to-day that as the population of a 

 country increases so the pig industry is more and more realized. In 

 this respect the United States of America stands out as a typical 

 example, and there is no doubt in the writer's mind that, with closer 

 settlement steadily taking place in South Africa, our farmers, before 

 the close of another decade, will have built up the pig industry of 

 the country to that position to which it is entitled. And with its 

 favourable conditions in respect of water, shade, productive capabili- 

 ties of th» soil, and comparatively small farms, Xatal should become 

 the most prominent of all the Union Provinces in the building up of 

 our pig industry. 



The relative efficiency of pigs as compared with sheep and oxen 

 in converting feeding stuffs into body gains, is clearly brought out in 

 the following figures by Lawes and Gilbert*: — 



Comparative Returns from the Steer, Sheep, and Pig. 



Oxen (Steer). Sheep. Pigf=. 



W). tt). It). 



Average light weight 1200 130 175 



(a) Per head per week — 



Total dry feed eaten 151 21 48 



Increase in live M^eight 13.6 2.3 11.3 



(b) Per 1000 Ih. J.w. per iceek— 



Total dry feed eaten 125 160 ^ 270 



Increase in live weight 11.3 17.6 64.3 



(c) Required for 100 Ih. increase — 



Total dry feed eaten 1109 912 420 



Warrington : " Chemistry of the Farms." 



