196 GUIDE TO DAIRYING IN SOUTH AFRICA 



when about six weeks old, or about ten days before 

 they are to be weaned. Castration in pigs does 

 not have much risk attached to it, but it is advisable 

 to fast them for about twelve hours previous to the 

 operation, and to only let them have milk food for 

 the next day or two. Young pigs will be well fed 

 on a diet of separator milk and meal such as mealie 

 meal, barley meal, and pollard. It will be found 

 that they will use from 5 to 6 Ibs. of meal per 

 100 Ibs. live weight per day, mixed in the propor- 

 tion of i part of meal to 3 parts of separator milk 

 and well soaked. As the pigs increase in size the 

 weight of meal given will be increased, but found 

 to decrease in proportion to live weight, when 4 to 

 5 Ibs. will be found to be all they will eat per 

 100 Ibs. live weight per day. Pigs fed in this 

 manner on mealie meal and separator milk in the 

 proportion of i to 3 should weigh from 100 to 

 1 20 Ibs. live weight, or from 70 to 90 Ibs. dressed 

 dead weight when they are 4 to 5 months old. 

 Another month or six weeks of this feeding will 

 give a carcase suitable for the bacon factory, which 

 will secure a higher price per Ib. than the carcase 

 of a pig which has been allowed to grow anyhow 

 for a year and then fattened for six months. The 

 most profitable way is to breed only from those 

 animals which have the points mentioned, viz. quick 

 growth, early maturity, fine quality of bone and 

 offal, and to feed the animal as described so as to 

 secure full advantage of these points. 



