DB—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 28,1983
Start
ST. LOUIS, Mo. The place hog
producers should look at first to
improve efficiency of their
operation is the nursery, according
to one swine expert.
“The conventional nursery is a
place where little pigs leam how to
grow slowly and catch diarrhea,”
says Dr. Ray Washam, manager of
swine technical services for
Ralston Purina Company.
“Consequences of an inefficient
conventional nursery are highly
variable growth rates, high feed
conversions and excessive mor
tality rates. These problems
can be reduced or eliminated with
the proper use of facilities and feed
combined with careful
management,” he continued.
“Producers have to turn to
modem nursery designs if they
want to take full advantage of the
growth potential of their pigs,”
said the swine researcher. Dr.
Washam suggests wire flooring
systems in decked or single level
pen systems. “These systems are
the missing link in hog operations
that otherwise are efficient and
productive.”
Washam has tested various cage
nursery systems since the early
19705. “Each test confirmed what
we thought separate a baby pig
from the dampness and disease
found on the floor of a conventional
nursery, and he stands a better
chance of making it to the finishing
floor. Mortality rates from these
experiments were half of those in
HoWiugefi't marking
TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS:
1755 W. M3IH St. 1515 Chocolate Ave.
Ephrata. PA 17522 Hershey, PA 17033
Located on Route 322 pL Allfl /71mo aaca
Phone (717) 738-1131 Phone (717) 5334060
with nursery to improve hog operation
conventional nurseries,” Washam
pointed out.
These tests also showed cage
nurseries eliminated the lag phase
in growth after weaning. “Average
daily gain was 0.62 pounds per day
with a feed conversion of 1.62,” he
continued.
The bottom line, according to the
Purina researcher, was efficient,
quick conversion of feed to pork.
“Facilities using pigs in decks can
take a pig from 12 pounds at three
weeks to 25 pounds at six weeks,
and on up to 50 pounds at nine
weeks. They can also reduce
mortality from the average of 4.0
percent to 1.25 percent or less. All
this means extra dollars to the
producer.” he explained.
“The decks pay off, producing
these results, when combined with
a high energy feeding program and
careful management,” Washam
continued. “A producer creating a
good, warm, clean environment
for his pigs should also use feeding
programs that allow pigs to make
best use of this environment. ”
Starter or nursery feeds, ac
cording to Washam, not only have
to be high in energy content, but
must be palatable. Producers, he
said, must pay careful attention to
the taste of feed and how it is
presented. “A high energy ration is
also a high fat ration like High
Octane Pig Starter Chow. Pigs like
fat they are used to tasting it in a
sow’s milk. So nutrition and
palatability come together in a
high energy starter feed,”
Washam continued.
“To maintain this palatability,
feed should be stored outside the
nursery, avoiding the warmth and
high humidity of confinement,” he
explained. Other suggestions by
Washam include periodic cleaning
of feeders, resupplying them with
fresh rations, and providing one
feeder opening for every two pigs.
Even a sound, high energy
feeding program cannot produce
rapid gaining pigs if a producer
does not spend sufficient time in
the nursery, Washam added. “This
is a very critical time in a pig’s
life, and it requires careful
management to make the most of
this phase in its development.”
Washam has four suggestions for
proper management. “First, a
nursery should be run on an all-in
all-out system. This uncomplicates
control of the environment within
the swine house, minimizes illness,
and eases cleaning of the
building,” he explained.
The second suggestion was to
keep litters together, something
made possible by an all-in, all-out
system. “Classification by uniform
weight reduces fighting and
fighting wastes energy,” said
Washam.
Third, litters need room. “Pigs
should have at least two square
SERVING THE FARMERS
FOR 111 YEARS
felftpnurlis>Mksnu;_ HAMBURG SAVINGS
mm and
■ tdiict PmiPANY
■(oiiw wtotir iKsot*»,ci co>kw*i»o* I | uUlm Hn I
Hamburg, PA Phone: 215-562-3811
A FULL SERVICE BANK
SHa-Prime
The Making
Or Breaking
Of A Forage Crop.
MOISTURE AMOUNT OF
CONTENT SILA-PRIME
50% or above 1 lb per ton
40% to 50%
30% to 40%
20% to 30%
Baled Hay
(Application on round bales and small tight stacks
of hay must be applied from the inside out)
. AARON S. GROFF & SON
FARM & DAIRY STORE
RD 3. Ephrata, PA 17522 (Hinkletown) Phone (717) 354-4631
Mon.. Thurs.. & Fri. 7 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Tues & Wed. 7 A.M. to 5 P.M.. Sat. 7 A.M. to 4 P.M
feet each up to 40 pounds, and
perhaps 2% square feet per pig
above that weight,” he said.
Lastly, Washam recommended
that all producers “observe pigs in
the nursery at least once a day.
There is nothing as good as wat-
ching them a few minutes a day
in the nursery can pay big
dividends in
SCS cites LESA system
CHAMBERSBURG - The U.S.
Soil Conservation Service has
announced the release of a new
Agricultural Land Evaluation and
Site Assessment (LESA) System,
according to John Akers, Con
servationist at the Chambersburg
Office.
The LESA system can be used by
townships and counties to deter
mine which lands should be set
aside for agriculture. In addition,
the local government can rate a
specific site and evaluate whether
it should remain in agriculture or
be converted to an urban use.
LESA is divided into two parts.
In the first, farmland is evaluated
for quality. To do this, each soil in
the county would be rated on its
potential to grow specified in
dicator crops. This information
would be furnished by the Soil
Conservation Service.
Sf or lobs
IVi to 2 lbs per ton
2’/a to 3 lbs per ton
3 lbs. per ton
3 lbs. per ton
management,” he declared.
“Facilities, feed and a
producer’s time and experience
are all needed to make a nursery
efficient,” concluded Washam.
“But producers should not expect
the impossible. The only person
who makes no mistakes at all is the
person who never tries anything
new.”
successful
In the second part, particular
sites are assessed for their
economic and social visability as
farmland. Some factors con
sidered are availability of water,
sewer, transportation, com
patability with surrounding area
and existing land use plans. These,
plus other factors, are developed
by each municipality giving them
a tailor-made land evaluation
system.
Akers stresses that this is notV
federal land use program but is a
system that each local unit of
government can use to evaluate
proposed agricultural land use
changes.
Any municipality or planning
commission may get additional
information from the Soil Con
servation Service at 550 Cleveland
Avenue, Chambersburg, or by
phoning 264-7013.
«D.M. ff
STOLTZFUS
& SON, Inc.
TALMAGE. PA 17580
CRUSHED STONE
ASPHALT PAVING
POZ—O—PAC
717/656-2411 Sf
What Is Sila-Prime?
A Probiotic Fermentation
Aid For All Types Of
Silage, Hay, Haylage and
High Moisture Ground Corn.
Use 3 lb. Sila Prime per ton on baled hay. Apply
while stacking in barn between each layer, or use
with an applicator on baler.
3
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GREEN
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