HEAR RESULTS OF 



Breeding Experiments 



According to University of Illinois animal husbandry experts, 



fhl* steer and others in background are in proper flesh to turn 



out to pasture after a winter in dry lot. 



BY LEW REISNER 



lAA RECORD Field Editor 



COLD wet weather was the primary- 

 cause of the serious loss of young 

 pigs this spring. That is the 

 opinion of veterinarians at the 

 College of Veterinary Medicine 

 as expressed during Swine Grow- 

 ers Day held in April at Champaign- 

 Urbana. 



A few farmers in each community 

 suffered serious losses but contrary to 

 many rumors pig losses of epidemic 

 proportions were not due to a new 

 disease, C. C. Morrill, staff veterinarian 

 reported. 



This year the wet weather and the 

 temperature during February and 

 March closely followed the pattern of 

 1943 and 1944, years when pig losses 

 also ran high, Morrell said. 



During Swine and Cattle Feeders 

 Day, it is traditional that the College of 

 Agriculture make public results of its 

 livestock feeding tests and experiments. 

 This year 2500 stockmen crowded 

 the university's auditorium and toured 

 the college farms during the two-day 

 meeting. They picked up a wealth of 

 practical hints. 



In discussing baby pig losses, Morrill 

 said that in a few cases veterinarians 

 have witnessed a disease not seen be- 

 fore. A type of dysentery or scours, it 

 affects both sows and suckling pigs. 



Symptoms have been loss of appe- 

 tite, vomiting and severe diarrhea. 

 Death losses have been heavy in pigs 

 up to two weeks of age but losses were 

 light in sows and pigs more than three 

 or four weeks old. Since sows quit 



lactating in 24-36 hours, some pig 

 losses may be due to starvation. 



Buyers are showing a marked interest 

 in production records of hogs, L. A. 

 Weaver, head of the animal husbandry 

 department at the University of Mis- 

 souri, told the swine growers. 



Producers who supply breeding ani- 

 mals to commercial producers would 

 do well, he said, to observe the hand- 

 writing on the wall. 



Weaver said work in Missouri 

 showed that growthy pigs should reach 

 a weight of 225 pounds at six months. 

 To reach this weight in the time al- 

 lotted, pigs must weigh at least 35 

 pounds when weaned and 3 pounds at 

 birth. Heavy birth weights, he pointed 

 out, are indications of vigor and ability 

 to make rapid growth. 



Rapid and cheap growth in pigs are 

 aims stockmen consider of first im- 



portanoe. Is it possible to breed into 

 a line of pigs a capacity to make rapid 

 gains? 



In 1939 the department of animal 

 husbandry undertook an experiment to 

 find the answer. They have developed 

 a rapid growing line and a slow-grow- 

 ing line of hogs out of common an- 

 cestry. Their results are significant. 

 The slow-growing line weighed 32.6 

 pounds less than the fast line at age 

 6 months last year. 



Their slow growing line has de- 

 veloped longer legs and less depth of 

 body. Rapid-line pigs have deeper, 

 plumper hams, lower flanks, and 

 shorter shanks. 



In selecting breeding animals it 

 would appear that large litters, broodi- 

 ness and weights at weaning and at six 

 months should also be considered in 

 selecting for rapid growth. 



This three sow-and- 

 litters sunshine hog 

 pen is shown on ex- 

 hibit during Swine 

 Growers' day. Mate- 

 rials in pen cost $85. 



8 



I. A. A. RECORD 



