The health and full development of piglets entirely depend on the quality of their feeding. Modern breeds of pigs are characterized by high vitality and strong immunity, their young are resistant to diseases and growing rapidly. As a rule, piglets are well developed in the body and all organs and systems function well, but the stomach is poorly developed. Therefore, their feeding has a number of features.
What we consider in detail in this publication.
- Short description
- Diet
- Vitamins
- Stern
- Water
- Daily rate
Short description
Viability and optimal growth of piglets primarily depend on the proper organization of their nutrition in the first months of life. As a rule, they are born strong, all organs are well developed and internal life support systems function well. But at the same time, experts note that the piglets' stomach is small and weak, therefore, despite the fact that they have a perfectly developed intestine, it is necessary to competently and carefully approach the organization of their food. How to do this, we consider in detail in this article.
The optimal growth and successful development of piglets depend mainly on the quality of food consumed,and the decisive factor is maternal milk. 60 days of quality suction allow newborns to reach 18 kg, and sometimes more. The minimum weight of such pigs is about 15 kg.
At this time, the leak should be frequent with an interval from 30 min. up to 1 hour because the baby’s ventricle is very small. After 10 days, its size, as the volume of small intestines, increases three times.
The physiological immaturity of the stomach is that its environment is not acidic enough to fight pathogenic flora. Up to 3 weeks of age, it does not produce enough pepsin and free hydrochloric acid. This is the main cause of milking, which is accompanied by a proteolytic effect. Such a stomach does not possess bactericidal properties, but at the same time it notes the high activity of trypsin produced by the pancreas.
A full-fledged, physiologically mature stomach becomes in 2 or 2.5 months, it contains at least 0.2% hydrochloric acid and pepsin already has a proteolytic effect. Along with this, pancreatic acid produces juice, the proteolytic effect of which is 1.5 or 2 times lower.
Diet
The first feeding of piglets occurs 2-3 hours after their birth. The first three days of newborns are fed only with colostrum and mother's milk, it is digested at 98% or 100%. From them the kids get everything they need for growth and good health.
12 or 15 day old babies are not enough maternal milk, especially in cases where the nest is large. Therefore, they are gradually fed 1-2 ml of feroglucin or ferodex (they are administered intramuscularly). They are offered a mixture of 2.5 g of iron sulphate, 1 g of copper sulphate and 1 l of boiled water. This solution is used to treat the udder (if the piglet babies suck well), it is also added to drinking water or feed. The solution can be given with water from the first days of life. This supplement is a good prevention of anemia, it prevents the reduction of hemoglobin and partially prevents the reduction of red blood cells. All these diseases occur in babies as a result of iron deficiency while consuming only breast milk.
For the prevention of 3 or 5 day old piglets give solutions of iron sulfate and copper sulfate, as well as pre-harvested red clay or turf (it is distributed to young animals in small private farms).Since, at 2-week-old piglets, 0.3–1 g of calcium and 0.2–0.6 g of phosphorus start to be deposited daily for 1 kg of live weight, there is a need to supplement the diet with red fine, bone meal and charcoal. All this is not mixed and given separately.
Experts note that the feeders kids should always be clean.
6 and 8 day old piglets gradually begin to teach to eat feed. The first to enter roasted barley, corn or oat grain, as well as peas. It is necessary to fry until the redness and rupture of the surface shell. By eating it, they learn to chew, develop teeth, train the chewing muscle system, and also stimulate salivation.
Later, babies are offered gruel from a mixture of concentrated feed. 12 and 15 day old cubs are fed red carrots, and later (on the 20th or 22nd day) other root vegetables and melons and gourds are offered.
Good results can be achieved by combining proper nutrition of pigs with competent care for them. In the summer, they are taken out in the sun and they have enough sun exposure, and in the winter in the pigsty piglets are irradiated with ultraviolet light in acceptable doses.
Two-month piglets are removed from the mother, and fed as adults. Two main weaning techniques are used:
- immediately after 60 days of birth;
- in several days.
Sow for some time taken from the camp, and then returned. At the same time, it gradually reduces the amount of feed and milk becomes less. The intervals between feedings of suckling piglets are increased, and the frequency of feeding is reduced to 1 time per day. After that, the mother is taken from the stall, and the kids are left alone in it. In the conditions of industrial breeding, a department of 3 or 4 week old piglets is practiced earlier, they must be weighed and sorted into groups.
Vitamins
In the summer, young animals can be fed all kinds of green food - for them it is the main source of vitamin A.They willingly eat alfalfa, beet and carrot tops, and also clover. Concentrates are often mixed in them.
Experts believe that the richest source of vitamins and trace elements is sprouted grain, which is specially prepared. The previously soaked grains of cereal and leguminous crops are spread in an even layer in a warm, well-lit place, they begin to sprout. Grains can be fed when sprouts reach 5 cm. Grains with sprouts no higher than 10 cm have the maximum nutritional value.
Kids are given fish oil as a source of vitamin A and E.
Stern
Top dressing helps newborns to grow quickly and grow stronger. Therefore, in the camp have special tanks and drinkers. In the container they put food crushed chalk (an important mineral additive), as well as turf, the consumption of which saturates with mineral elements contained in the roots and soil particles. It is harvested in the summer in the form of layers. 5-8 cm, and keep in a warm dry place. One offspring is given a formation weighing 1.5 kg. This lure start from the 1st or 2nd day after the birth of a pig.
If the mother’s milk is not enough, the youngsters are given pure cow milk without impurities.The babies of 20 days old are given a reverse before weaning, first 150 grams, then, closer to weaning, the amount is increased to 1000 grams (not less than 700g).
Food, drink, dishes and drinkers must be clean.
As a rule, on one pig for the entire lactation period goes: recoil 15-25 kg;
concentrates 15-20 kg;
juicy feed 5-10 kg (mainly potatoes, beets, pumpkin);
dust of hay 0.5-1, 5 kg.
Piglets are fed charcoal, which is easy to prepare in their own yard, as well as briquettes or grass meal. They boil porridge and dilute them with milk or skimmed. Before serving, the concentrates must be thoroughly ground, and from the barley and oat grains - remove the film. 8-day-old cubs useful to give boiled, mashed potatoes, diluted with milk.
By the time of weaning (at 2 months), newborns should try and get used to all the feeding products, then they easily tolerate weaning from the mother.
Water
Drinking regime is organized based on the calculation of 165-200 g of water per day per 100 kg of live weight. Water should always be fresh (it is changed 3 times a day), clean and not cold (about 12-15 C). It is given from the first days of life, the fat mother's milk (8% of fat) causes so much thirst in babies that they are ready to drink dirty water and even urine.
Daily rate
Before weaning babies from mothers, it is necessary to teach them to eat all kinds of feed. Otherwise, after parting with their mother, they will experience hunger or consume a large amount of food that they are not able to fully process. As a result, against the background of many stress factors with which separation from the mother inevitably leads to digestive disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which can be disastrous for the baby.
The amount of nutrients for a pig is determined on the basis of its weight, age and growth rate. For every 100 kg of live weight piglets from 20 kg and above (not heavier than 40 kg) give 5.5-6 k. Unit. In this case, 1 to. Unit. 120 g of digestible protein should be consumed, and no more dry matter 4-4.5 kg.
Weaned piglets are fed with special mixtures, products of animal and vegetable origin are included, while the nutritional value of dry feed should be from 80% to 90% of the total amount of feed, and the remaining 10% is green and juicy feed.
After weaning, the first 12-15 days of the piglets are fed the same way as with the mother, then they gradually switch to 2 or 3 meals a day with food that is hydrated 1x1, adding new foods, trace elements and vitamins to the diet.
