The effect of barley, millet (a Yati-Pennisetum sp.) and lucerne meal in bacon production

Abstract

Three rations were compared with the standard maize-meat meal ration when fed to baconers. Excellent gains were made on all the rations, the pigs on the millet and barley rations, however, making the best gains, but these lots also consumed the largest amounts of food daily. The difference in rate of growth slightly influenced the degree of fatness of the pigs, otherwise there were no significant differences in the carcase measurements of the pigs in the four lots. The fat appeared to be firmer than that of pigs of previous trials which had similar rations. Type of pig may have caused this difference. The grading was good and the rate of gain had no adverse influence, so that it appears that different types of pigs have different optimum growth rates for the production of first grade bacon. The standard maize-meat meal ration again proved to be the most economical in bacon production.