Pig Keeping

“The pig is an economical animal. During and since the war, many people have discovered this fact for themselves while keeping one or two pigs for their own use. These domestic pig keepers have been able to bring up their ‘charges’ on a spartan diet of the rationed pig foods because in the later stages of his growth the pig can also deal with and thrive on a variety of surplus and waste human foods.

There is no doubt that the number of small pig keepers is growing and the interest taken in this useful animal—as apart from eating it—has developed rapidly in recent years, as is evident from the 7,000 pig clubs in the country. However, when it is remembered that the pig population in this country declined during the war to almost half of what it was in 1939, and even at its pre-war peak was insufficient to supply home requirements of bacon and pork, it will be realised that the newcomer to pig keeping has every opportunity of achieving success.

In assuming that there are still many people whose ambition it is to keep one or two pigs for themselves or who contemplate raising pigs on a commercial basis, I have attempted to explain in the following pages something of what is involved in such a venture. Apart from giving a general account of breeds, housing and management of stock, I considered that the beginner might also wish to know something about the Pig Club Movement.”