FEEDING OF PIGS 267 



XXXVI. FATTENING PIGS. 



Where accommodation permits, it is a good plan to 

 breed own pigs so as to obtain them at cost price. 

 Piglings should not be allowed to lose their pigling 

 flesh, but fattened off as quickly as possible. 



During recent years the demand for heavy scaling 

 pigs has largely declined, and, generally speaking, only 

 those pigs which do not exceed 150 Ibs. dressed weight 

 are keenly sought after. Above this weight the price 

 per stone diminishes in proportion to the amount by 

 which the above weight is exceeded. 



Early Maturity. The smaller carcasses generally 

 contain a larger proportion of lean meat, which is at 

 the same time more juicy, and commands the top price 

 when sold. Further, the increase obtained from a 

 given weight of food is greater in the earlier stages of 

 a pig's life than is the case when it is mature. The 

 advantages consequently lie on the side of early 

 maturity. 



The following table gives the results obtained in 

 Denmark (Copenhagen) from pigs which were fattened 

 off at different ages : 



* The "meal equivalent" is obtained by taking 6 Ibs. separated milk, 12 Ibs. 

 whey, or 4 Ibs. boiled potatoes as being equal to 1 Ib. meal. 



These figures show that pigs over 200 Ibs. live 



weight required double the amount of food to give the 



same unit increase in live weight as those which are 

 under 35 Ibs. live weight. 



