History of Agricultural Education in Wiltshire - Lackham Countryside ...

crosses would grade well, but the Wessex breed put paid to any hopes of achieving
any reasonable grading targets.
The sole reason for the use of the Wessex breed at Lackham was on the strength
of their reputation for prolificacy and fecundity, and the herd register shows they
frequently averaged figures such as 9.8 reared per litter and 1.9 to 2.0 litters per
year. They were also marvellous for the outdoor system [i]
THE INDOOR HERD
A radical change took place in 1968 however. A figure of only thirty per cent grade
'A 1 pigs could not be tolerated, and particularly as the system was being changed
from a typical Wessex or Cotswold outdoor basis to all indoors.
All the breeding stock were sold and a nucleus of Large White maiden gilts
purchased from elite herds, as they were then designated. (They are currently
referred to as "nucleus herds"). Some came from Sway in Hampshire (Harlaw Field
Marshall and King David), others from Southam in Gloucestershire (Southam King
David line). These were crossed with Landrace boars of Wychross breeding to
produce first-cross breeding gilts, which is still the herd policy.
Since 1968 some F.M.C. blood has been introduced, but although these are minimal
disease stock, no attempt has been made to adopt a similar policy at Lackham. It
seems quite out of the question in view of the many visitors which continuously
descend upon the pig unit.
By the adoption of this breeding policy the grading results for the unit were
converted, at a stroke, from a mediocre 30 per cent to a regular achievement of 90
- 95 per cent Al carcasses. Food conversion has never risen above 3.3 or 3.4 and has
frequently been 3.2 or less. An occasional worry has been the comparatively slow
growth rate of over 180 in a few of the six monthly figures in M.L.C. reports. The
herd has been a member of the recording scheme since 1968. [i]
BUILDINGS FOR THE NEW PIG HERD
Much of the farrowing for the Wessex sows took place in outdoor huts, especially in
the summer and these were situated in fields around Cuckoo Bush Farm, Cuckoo
Bush meadow, Aden ground in particular. Eventually the huts were moved to much
more suitable land in Wall Field, where drainage was superior and the problems of
mud much reduced. Mr Stepney, who had been pig herdsman since 1950, had to
provide himself with a moped, and there were regular to—ings and fro—ings,
carrying piglets or weaners to Cuckoo Bush Farm, this being the major difficulty for
the scheme.
The most urgent need in any change therefore was for farrowing accommodation,
and Solari type buildings were decided upon owing to their possible service as