THE NECESSITY FOR INCREASING OUR HERDS AND FLOCKS 



JAMES AUDLEY, Statistician, Meat and Canned Food Division, 

 Health of Animals Branch, Ottawa. 



That production of live-stock in Canada is not keeping up with the great demands 

 made on our meat supply for English and foreign requirements is quite evident from 

 the following: 



Swine — The number of swine slaughtered at inspected establishments in Canada 

 during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1915, was 2,598,338, an increase of more than 

 40 percent, over the. previous year, the total for 1914 being 1,799,060. (Table I.) 



The high killings of 1915 were altogether due to increased production in our Western 

 provinces. Up to the end of December, 1915, the number of hogs killed is in excess of 

 the same period of the previous year by 20,000. Still, with this increase following a 

 record slaughter, we have had to import from the United States during the past eight 

 months 103,164 "singed" and "scalded" hogs as well as several millions of pounds of 

 pork in the form of backs, bellies, hams, shoulders, etc. (See table III.) 



During the past twelve months, the prices of hogs were much higher in Canada 

 than in the United States. This should have been an inducement to Canadian farmers 

 to produce larger numbers of swine, more especially in Ontario and the Eastern provinces 

 where the production does not seem to make much headway. 



The Western provinces excelled themselves during 1914 in their output of hogs, 

 Winnipeg handling through her stockyards over 460,000. 



Owing to feed shortage and lower prices in the fall of 1914, large numbers of female 

 stock were marketed, with the result, unfortunately, of a decrease in the numbers 

 marketed through Winnipeg from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the year 1915, the 

 decrease of the two provinces being 37,000 head. 



Alberta, on the contrary, almost doubled her output in 1915, sending 123,000 to 

 Winnipeg; the total number marketed there being 485,000 head. (Table II.) 



Out of this total, 299,000 were shipped to eastern packing plants for slaughter, and 

 21,000 went to the U.S.A., the balance being used in the local establishments inWinnipeg. 



Cattle — Our cattle slaughterings tell the same tale as that of swine — the necessity 

 of importing to meet demands. 



During the year ended December 31, 1915, 530,525 cattle were killed in inspected 

 houses against 531,994 in 1914; while April to December 1915 killings show an increase 

 of about 8,000 head over the same period of the previous year. (Table I.) 



It is interesting to note that of 138,000 cattle marketed in Winnipeg from January 

 to December 1915, 63,783 went to United States points, of these 70H% were stockers 

 and feeders and 29 Vi% butcher cattle. 



The Winnipeg receipts were 28,000 over those of 1914, the three Western provinces 

 showing increases. 



Our exports of beef during 1915 were greatly in excess of 1914, large shipments being 

 made to France and Italy as well as to England, and it is likely that these European 

 countries will need a further supply for some years after the war is over owing to the 

 depletion of their live-stock. 



That after peace is made there will be a demand for pure-bred cattle in Europe to 

 fill up the losses from confiscation and slaughter for food purposes, goes without saying, 

 also that Canada can supply a goodly portion of same provided our farmers raise the 

 increase of their herds. Immigration also will be largely increased at the same time, 

 and we must have the increase of live-stock to meet these demands without buying 

 outside. 



Sheep — The sheep stock of Canada does not seem to be making any headway 

 whatever, the last figures published by the Census Department showing that we had 

 only 2,038,000 head in June of 1915, while the census of 1910 gave 2,200,000. 



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