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Story: Dairying and dairy products

Feeding a pig skim milk

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Feeding a pig skim milk

The separation of whole milk into cream and skim milk led to the development of the pig industry as a means of using the skim milk. Pigs were kept in a sty, or shed and yard, near the milking shed and the skim milk was usually pumped to large containers for the pigs. Pigs usually drank side by side from a trough rather than from a bucket, as shown by this well-trained pig.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, National Publicity Studios Collection

Reference: 1/2-034277; F/A 6158

by K. V. Bigwood

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Hugh Stringleman and Frank Scrimgeour, Dairying and dairy products – Separators and milking machines, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/15698/feeding-a-pig-skim-milk (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Hugh Stringleman and Frank Scrimgeour, published 1 March 2009.