UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 
 
 BERKELEY 4, CALIFORNIA 
 
 CALIFORNIA PORK- PRODUCTION DATA 
 
 E. H. HUGHES,' WALLACE SULLIVAN, 2 and V. M. SHEPARD 3 
 
 California is a deficient area as far as pork 
 products are concerned. The state produces not 
 more than 40 per cent of the pork that it con- 
 sumes. Live hogs are shipped in from western 
 states like Idaho, midwestern states like Ne- 
 braska and Kansas. Processed pork products are 
 also shipped in from markets east of the Rocky- 
 Mountains. Being in an import area, the pro- 
 ducer here receives the benefit of a price dif- 
 ferential over such markets as Omaha — gene rally- 
 about $1.00 per hundred on a live-weight basis. 
 California is not considered a great hog-produc- 
 ing state in the same sense as Iowa, because the 
 production of grain concentrates is much less. 
 Pork production depends on the available supplies 
 of barley and grain sorghums; of protein concen- 
 trates such as tankage, fish meal, linseed meal, 
 and cottonseed meal; and of pasture, waste prod- 
 ucts, stubble, and garbage. None of these are 
 considered human foods. 
 
 Hogs are produced in many ways within the 
 state; the following are typical examples: 
 
 A. Those fed entirely on grain, pasture, hay, 
 and some protein feeds. In such systems the pigs 
 are fed so that they attain a market weight in 
 the least possible time. 
 
 B. Those fed the same as under A until they 
 weigh about 75 pounds, then turned into grain- 
 stubble fields, and finally brought in and fin- 
 ished. Under such a system much of the growth 
 and gains can be secured with products that would 
 otherwise go to waste. Both schemes are common 
 in the grain-producing sections. 
 
 C. In Shasta County, pigs are grown largely as 
 feeders, to be sold and finished on rice stubble, 
 grain, or garbage. Since the war began, the de- 
 sired weight for a feeder pig is no longer 50 to 
 60 pounds; it is 75 to 80 pounds for pigs utiliz- 
 ing stubble fields and crops, about 100 pounds 
 for pigs consuming the rich garbage from military 
 camps. 
 
 D. Where garbage is fed (near cities and mili- 
 tary camps) , sometimes little if any^grain is 
 used. In other cases grain and garbage are given 
 to lactating sows and fattening pigs. 
 
 There is a definite place for pork production 
 in California. Hogs are efficient in synthesizing 
 
 Professor of Animal Husbandry and Animal Hus- 
 bandman in the Experiment Station. 
 
 p 
 
 Specialist in Agricultural Extension (Farm 
 Management) and Associate on the Giannini Founda- 
 tion. 
 
 3 Specialist in Agricultural Extension (Animal 
 Husbandry) . 
 
 fats from carbohydrates. They multiply fast and 
 may be readily disposed of. They are able to 
 convert grains, by-products, waste material, and 
 garbage into meat. Though limited in capacity, 
 they are good foragers and consumers of grass; 
 and they are proficient in harvesting (hogging 
 down) corn, the grain sorghums (figs. 1 and 2), 
 cowpeas, and other crops (for example, pumpkins 
 and melons). Because green feed is available 
 all year and because the climate is mild, sows 
 can regularly produce two litters annually. 
 
 Production Data 
 
 The following production data are based upon 
 cost studies conducted by the California Agricul- 
 tural Extension Service, checked with producer 
 opinion: 
 
 Average number of litters farrowed per sow 
 
 per year 1.6 
 
 Average number of pigs weaned per litter . 6.1 
 
 Average number of pigs marketed per litter 5-7 
 
 Average number of pigs weaned per sow 
 
 per year 9.8 
 
 Average number of pigs marketed per sow 
 
 per year 9.1 
 
 Even though it is theoretically possible to 
 product two litters annually, in practice there 
 may be difficulties. On some farms, because of 
 local conditions, there is only one litter a year; 
 and in some garb age -fee ding establishments the 
 common practice is to produce three litters in 
 two years, thus allowing the pigs to remain with 
 their mothers as long as 12 weeks before weaning. 
 The average number weaned and marketed is low be- 
 cause of some losses in grain-feeding establish- 
 ments and larger losses among young pigs in gar- 
 bage plants. These facts are also reflected in 
 the number weaned and marketed annually from the 
 average sow, the sow being regarded by many as the 
 unit of production. 
 
 Feed Necessary 
 
 For each 100 pounds of live hog produced in 
 California, 4 500 pounds of concentrates or their 
 equivalent will be required; this includes the 
 feed required for maintenance of the breeding 
 stock. 
 
 In California this average figure is reduced to 
 400 pounds where pasture, farm wastes, and stubble 
 
 Cost studies conducted by the California Agri- 
 cultural Extension Service; and Experiment Sta- 
 tion data. 
 
 [1] 
 
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 Fig. 1. --Double dwarf milo and cowpeas. Reading from the top: 
 before, during, and after harvest. The harvesters were young 
 pigs weighing 85 pounds when harvest began. 
 
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 Fig. 2. --Double dwarf milo. Reading from the top: before 
 during, and after harvesting by pigs. 
 
are utilized to the extent of substituting for 
 100 pounds of concentrates. Because 35 per cent 
 of California hogs receive garbage either as the 
 total ration or as a part of it, the average 
 amount of concentrates used in pork production 
 is further reduced. According to estimates, the 
 amount of garbage fed replaces 80 pounds of con- 
 centrates necessary to produce 100 pounds of 
 pork. Only 320 pounds, therefore, of threshed or 
 processed concentrates are consumed on the aver- 
 age by California hogs for each 100 pounds of 
 live hog produced (500 pounds minus 100 pounds 
 for farm wastes and pastures minus 80 pounds for 
 garbage utilized equals 320 pounds concentrates 
 actually used in producing 100 pounds of pork) . 
 
 For California hogs, the concentrates con- 
 sumed for 100 pounds of gain average somewhat as 
 follows: 
 
 Pounds 
 
 274 
 
 24 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 Barley or equivalent , 
 
 Tankage or equivalent (7-5 per cent) 
 Alfalfa hay or equivalent (5 per cent] 
 Salt and lime (2 per cent) , 
 
 Of the total feed consumed, garbage represented 
 20 per cent and is included in this tabulation. 
 
 During the year 1942, about 197,000,000 pounds 
 of live hog was produced. The feed consumed by 
 these hogs included many thousand tons of garbage; 
 hay and grass from many acres of land; wastes of 
 all kinds; and many acres of barley, wheat, and 
 rice stubble. In addition they were fed 270,000 
 tons of barley or equivalent; 24,000 tons of 60 
 per cent tankage or equivalent; 16,000 tons of 
 alfalfa hay or equivalent; and 6,000 tons of salt 
 and lime. 
 
 Land Used 
 
 In 1942 the feed production for California 
 hogs required 425,000 acres of barley or equiva- 
 lent, 4,000 acres of alfalfa hay, and about 
 20,000 acres of alfalfa pasture or equivalent--a 
 total of nearly 450,000 acres. This does not in- 
 clude the land occupied by garbage plants or by 
 hog houses and other equipment. On the basis of 
 land used for feed production, 438 pounds of live 
 hog was produced per acre. 
 
 Labor Required n, 
 
 The total labor required for the production of 
 barley, hay, and pasture or equivalent was 
 1,485,000 man-hours. According to cost studies 
 made by the California Agricultural Extension 
 Service and by a packing plant, the labor required 
 for producing 100 pounds of live hog is as follows: 
 
 Man-hours 
 For the production of feed, includ- 
 ing barley, tankage, and alfalfa 
 
 hay or equivalents 1.3 
 
 For the care of the breeding herd, 
 
 growing and fattening pigs 3-5 
 
 Total labor necessary to produce 100 
 
 pounds of live hog (fed on grain). . 4.8 
 
 In an average garbage plant the extra cost of 
 handling feed, the cleaning costs, and the greater 
 number of death losses bring the necessary man- 
 hours to about 5.8. 
 
 Carcass Yield and Nutrient Values 
 
 The average California hog yields 75 per cent 
 if slaughtered shipper style with the head on and 
 the leaf fat in. If slaughtered packer style 
 (head off and leaf fat removed) it yields usually 
 about 70 per cent. In 100 pounds of live hog B 
 weighing 225 pounds there are about 49.3 pounds 
 of water, 2.5 pounds of mineral matter (ash), 13.1 
 pounds of protein, 30.6 pounds of fat, and about 
 4.5 pounds of fill. 
 
 In terms of energy this would represent, for 
 protein and fat combined, a total of 163,100 calo- 
 ries for each 100 pounds of live hog. For each 
 crop acre going into pork production the yield 
 would be 714,378 calories. If it takes 4.8 man- 
 hours to produce 100 pounds of pork when grain is 
 fed, then each man-hour spent would result in 
 33,938 calories of energy produced. 
 
 Pork Products 
 
 The produce from slaughter represents edible 
 and inedible parts. Such inedible products as 
 bone, hair, and blood are processed and become, 
 for example, tankage and bone meal for animal 
 feeding, and certain types of fertilizers. The 
 average yield of tankage per hog is 3.6 pounds. 6 
 The edible products are consumed as fresh pork 
 (for example, pork loin) and as cured or processed 
 products (for example, smoked hams and bacon). An 
 important advantage of processed products is that 
 they may be stored for long periods without loss 
 and with a minimum of refrigeration. 
 
 Suggestions for Pork Producers 
 
 In times when protein concentrates are diffi- 
 cult to obtain, it seems wise to feed them when 
 they are most needed; fast-growing pigs weighing 
 20 to 80 pounds need more protein than 150-pound 
 fattening pigs, and sows producing large quanti- 
 ties of milk need more protein than dry sows or 
 even pregnant ones. 
 
 The use of green pastures reduces the concen- 
 trates necessary to produce a unit of gain; lowers 
 production costs; provides sanitary surroundings; 
 and furnishes valuable proteins, salts, energy, 
 and vitamins. 
 
 Such crops as the grain sorghums with cowpeas 
 furnish a well-balanced diet; and the 100-pound 
 pig can harvest the crop himself, thus saving time 
 and labor (figs. 1 and 2). 
 
 When plenty of feeds like barley are available, 
 the producer may want to market heavy hogs. 'When 
 concentrates are scarce and pasture is plentiful, 
 he may sell feeder hogs to those who have rice 
 stubble, garbage, or other feeds rather than at- 
 tempt to finish them himself. 
 
 [4] 
 
 5 Hogan, A. G. , L. A. Weaver, A. T. Edinger, and 
 E. A. Trowbridge. The relation of feed consumed 
 to protein and energy retention. Missouri Agr. 
 Exp. Sta. Research Bui. 73: 18. 1925. 
 
 Aldrich, Paul I. (editor). The packers' ency- 
 clopedia. 529 p. (See specifically p. 135.) Pub- 
 lished by the National Provisioner, Chicago, 111. 
 1922. 
 
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