The Right Way to Pig Keeping and Breeding

By Alan Morley

This volume contains a classic handbook on keeping pigs, with chapters on selection and breeding, housing, edit, common ailments and problems, exercise, and much more. This timeless guide will appeal to those with a practical interest in keeping pigs on the farm or a home, and it would make for a fantastic addition to collections of allied literature. Contents include: “What Is Wanted”, “Choice Of Breed”, “Form Of Activity”, “Housing”, “Management Of Pigs”, “The Foods”, “Pig Feeding Standards”, “The Feeding Of Pigs”, “Pig Keeping In Times Of Emergency”, “Health And Disease”, “Backyard Pig Keeping”, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on pig farming.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473387102

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CHAPTER I

WHAT IS WANTED

THE pig as we know it to-day has travelled far and changed much since its wild ancestors ranged over Europe and Asia centuries ago. From these early animals the domestic pig was gradually evolved, native types were interchanged between the countries and blended with the local stocks, and separate breeds became established.

In the initial days of the breeds, however, there was no real uniformity—specimens of the same breed varied widely in character—and it was not until the foundation of the National Pig Breeders’ Association sixty years ago that definite breed standards were fixed and adhered to. Unfortunately the breeders were more concerned with points likely to bring showyard successes than to the requirements of the market and wrong types were produced. The type of bacon and pork wanted by the housewife was not fully considered and the way was left open to whatever competitor cared to study the public taste and supply its needs.

In this the Danes were successful and, aided by an internal economy which indirectly subsidised the export of bacon, they virtually captured the British market.

Prior to the Second World War, efforts were being made to help the home farmer to regain his own market. The Pigs Marketing Board was set up, and this body graded pigs according to consumer standards. The grades were fixed on deadweight and the thickness of the back and belly, and carcases were paid for according to the grade attained. Producers naturally strove to submit the correct carcase for the highest grading and in so doing, they were at last meeting the demands of the market. Further aided by a restriction of imports, their pigs met increasing favour.

There is still a very long way to go, however, before the industry is large enough to supply home needs. In 1939, with 3,515,000 pigs of all classes in the country, we were able to produce little over a quarter of the national requirements, and by 1945, through war conditions, the stocks had dwindled to 1,732,000 pigs. A huge leeway has to be made up and the position to-day offers every encouragement to those engaged in pig-farming and to those contemplating entry.

Grading has been suspended since the outbreak of war, but when it is resumed with the return to more normal times, it is essential that the producer shall familiarise himself with the market he means to supply. He must see that he breeds a type of pig that, when properly fed, will conform to the grading standards and, in particular, he must deliver his pigs to the bacon factory at the correct weight. It may seem unnecessary to stress the latter point, but actually it was in part failure to observe this simple ruling that lost for the home producers so much ground before the advent of the marketing scheme.

The type of carcase in demand varies throughout the country and the preference in Scotland and the North of England is for heavier and rather fatter pigs than those wanted in the South.

THE BACON PIG

Bacon pigs are required for three main types of cure—the Ayrshire, Wiltshire and Midland. For the first of these the carcase is split down the backbone, skinned, boned and rolled, while for the Wiltshire trade, the carcase is again split and the complete side cured, the skin and bones being retained. For the Midland cut, it is largely the belly which is used for bacon, the loins being set aside for fresh pork and the hind legs cured separately as hams.

The weights required under the grading scheme were:—

and as a specimen of the standards used, the following were the measurements which would qualify a Class 1 baconer (140-167 lbs. deadweight) for Grade A:—

The preference for Ayrshire bacon is very strong in Scotland, although over the country at large, the Wiltshire side is in greatest demand. For both of these trades, Class 1 baconers are wanted, and this weight (195-220 lbs.) should be reached at about seven months of age. To secure Grade A standard for this class, the back fat as shown above must be shallow and the belly fairly thick. In other words, a small, lean carcase is demanded. The fat, moreover, must be firm and white and free of any taint.

To the novice, the production of an animal to such detailed specifications may seem an impossible task, more suited to the engineer than the stockbreeder. In practice, however, it is not so difficult and if the suggestions on breeding and feeding which are given later in this book are followed, a good percentage of the pigs should gain the highest marks.

For the Ayrshire and Wiltshire trades the pigs are slaughtered at 200-220 lbs. liveweight (the heavier classes are suited to the less important Midland cure) and the producer’s objective is to have his pigs reach these weights at the earliest possible age and with the smallest possible outlay on food. A quick maturing, thrifty strain is therefore required.

In a good type of bacon pig, the head, neck and shoulder must be fine and the legs light but strong and the pasterns almost upright. Care should be taken in assessing the shoulder, as a weakness there points to poor constitution. The sides should be fairly level from the hams forward to the shoulder, with no hollows apparent. The skin must be thin and flexible and the hair soft and silky in appearance.

Coarseness in any of the points mentioned above indicates slow maturity, which means the consumption of an excessive amount of food before bacon weight is reached, while a heavy jowl usually shows a tendency to lay on too much fat.

The pig should be wide in the hams and over the back and the ribs should be well sprung or rounded. As grading is largely determined by the thickness of the back fat, this must be kept to a minimum. Any excess would probably be shown by a roll on the shoulder or at the tail head. The underside should be level as this points to a good streak and the flanks should be fairly deep. Any signs of a pot belly are ruinous to the value of an animal and must be avoided.

To sum up, the ideal bacon pig should be light in the fore-end where the meat is cheap, heavy in the hams, broad and level along the back, long and deep of body and the ribs well sprung. It should stand on fine, strong legs and display no signs of a pot belly. There should also be a total absence of coarseness or of dumpiness.

THE PORK PIG

Practically the same type of carcase is wanted for pork as for bacon, but the pork animal must mature at an earlier age. The conformation of a good porker is rather more blocky—legs closer coupled and a shorter and deeper body. The legs of a typical pork pig are shorter than those of the bacon type.

While no grading has been attempted for pork carcases, slightly more fat is permissible on the back.

The classes and weights for pork carcases are:—

THE BREEDS

Now that the type of pig required for the various trades has been discussed, the several breeds may be considered with advantage. These may be classified separately as bacon, pork and dual-purpose breeds, the last falling somewhere between the other two and often used for crossing.

The breeds may be grouped as follows:—

Bacon Type  —Large White, Tamworth, Welsh.

Pork Type     —Middle White, Berkshire.

Dual Purpose—Essex, Wessex, Large Black, Cumberland, Long White Lop Eared, Gloucester Old Spots, Lincolnshire Curly Coat.

Large White. Of the bacon breeds, the Large White is easily the most important and is in almost universal use in Scotland. Even when crossing for bacon is practised by farmers, the great majority of boars in use are of this breed.

It is essentially of the bacon type and in maturity attains great dimensions. The neck is long and fine and fills out before meeting the shoulder. The skin is white and the hair silky. The head is long and light and slightly dished, ears long, thin and slightly inclined forward. The body is long, of good depth, and the belly line is straight.

The meat produced is lean and accords well with public taste. It compares favourably with that of the Landrace, the Danish breed which produced the bacon that was so successfully exported to this country. The Large White, however, is inclined to put on a little more fat in the later stages of feeding.

Many admirers of the breed feel that the best is not got out of the pigs at the lighter bacon weights and that a better carcase would be produced at about nine score (180 lbs. deadweight), those of seven score being too light in the flank. However, the public prefers the carcase at seven or eight score and the public judgment must be accepted.

Large Whites are rather slow in maturing and earlier and high-grade carcases are obtained by crossing with Middle White or Large Black boars. The sows are prolific and good nurses, but although the young grow well, losses do occur and the average reared in recorded herds throughout the country is about eight per litter. The number is probably lower when unrecorded herds are considered.

Tamworth. This breed, chestnut in colour, is strongly represented in the Midlands and is meeting a growing demand in Scotland. The head is markedly long and fine, with ears held erect; the body long and narrow, refined shoulder, deep sides and wide hams reaching well down to the hocks. The belly line is straight. Tamworths are not such quick feeders as some of the other breeds, but the quality of meat is excellent.

They are hardy, active and good grazers, but not so docile as might be desired. The sows are prolific and the boars are largely used for crossing.

Welsh. This is a white breed. The head is of medium length with lop ears hanging over the face and the body is long and deep and provides a good bacon carcase. The breed is early maturing, hardy and prolific and the sows are good mothers. Welsh pigs are not strongly represented in the country.

The Middle White. The Middle White is a small breed with short head and dished face, ears set well