380 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PIGS 



from one food-time to another, has given good results in 

 winter time. Important experiments conducted in the 

 United States and Canada have produced results decidedly 

 in favour of uncooked food. Uncooked meal, if wetted, 

 should be given in a much drier condition than boiled meal, 

 else it is liable to be swilled through the stomach too rapidly. 

 Fattening pigs are usually fed at least three times a day, 

 but it is better to feed four times, and when they are newly 

 weaned, five or six times daily. As much food as is eaten at 

 once, and no more, should be supplied. A few coal ashes or 

 earth thrown now and then into the outer yard for the pigs 

 to eat, improves their powers of digestion. Sometimes pigs 

 are washed or brushed once a week. When kept perfectly 

 clean, they will not roll in the mire, unless for the sake of cool- 

 ness in hot weather. They seem to go into mud for the purpose 

 of cleaning themselves. The mud adheres to the skin, cakes 

 as it dries, and in falling off carries scales and dirt with it. 



Warington says that "83 per cent, of the fasted live- 

 weight of a pig (fattened for pork) should be butchers' 

 carcase"; and also that "91 per cent, of the increase from 

 100 Ibs. to 200 Ibs. will be carcase." About 5 or 6 Ibs. of 

 meal consumed by a pig should produce i Ib. of increase of 

 live-weight. Pigs are the most economical meat-producers 

 on the farm. They consume more food per 100 Ibs. live- 

 weight than either sheep or oxen, and have much greater 

 capacity in the intestines for assimilation, although their 

 stomachs are small. They consequently require a good 

 proportion of concentrated and digestible food. 



Berkshire Crosses with Scotch and other common pigs 

 will, if properly fed and skilfully managed in summer when 

 the weather is mild, weigh 6 stones dead-weight each at four 

 months old; and at six months, 12 stones. The average 

 age at which pigs are killed is probably about seven months. 

 They are usually disposed of for small bacon when they 

 dress to 12 or 14 imperial stones, and sell at from 6s. to, at 

 times, 75. 6d. per stone. A good twelve months' pig should 

 weigh 24 stones, about i6J score, or 14 Ibs. less than i Ib. 

 of increase per day, for the last six months (182 days : _i68 

 Ibs.) ; while for the sixty-one days, between four months 

 and six months, it lays on 1-377 Ibs., or roughly, ij Ib. per 

 day, of dead-weight (61 days : 84 Ibs.). 



