How to raise purebred Xiang pigs? Practical breeding experience shared
Purebred Xiang pigs are small in size, with black, relatively dense, fine and glossy coat, relatively dark skin, long head and flat forehead, crisscross wrinkles on the neck, relatively small ears with hard ear bases, thin ears extending flat to both sides, obvious hairless areas around the eyes, slightly sunken back and loin, large, round and drooping belly, slender and short limbs, and a thin, long tail like a rat tail. They mostly have 5 pairs of teats.
Breeding boars show mounting behavior at 2 months of age, and sows come into estrus at 3 months of age. The estrous cycle is 18~21 days and lasts about 4 days. Mating is at 4 months of age, and the gestation period is about 11.4 days. First-litter sows average 5.6 piglets per litter, and multiparous sows average 8.3 piglets per litter. During rearing, management of breeding boars should be strengthened, nutrition increased, and exercise increased. To prevent boars from masturbating, the boar pen should be built upwind of the sow pen and at a certain distance away, and boars should be raised in individual pens. The suitable mating time for sows is about 30 hours after the start of estrus. After 2 months of pregnancy, sows should be raised in individual pens to prevent crushing and abortion.
Strengthen the management of suckling piglets by improving warmth, especially in winter, preventing drafts, and spreading dry grass. Start feeding early; piglets can be given supplementary feed 5~7 days after birth (add 10~20 grams of activated charcoal per kilogram of feed to prevent diarrhea). Wean at the appropriate time. Piglets have a birth weight of 0.5 kilograms and a weaning weight of 3~5 kilograms at 2 months of age. Use “super-early immunization” for piglets, that is, inject swine fever vaccine after the piglets are born and before they suck colostrum, and only allow the piglets to suck colostrum half an hour after injection. Frequently observe the piglets' condition, and promptly isolate and treat sick pigs to prevent cross-infection.
Feed and nutrition Feed can be self-mixed using corn, bran, rice bran, soybean cake, bone meal, salt, and so on. The crude protein content of suckling pig feed is 19%, that of weaned piglets is 15%, that of pregnant sows is 16%, and that of boars is 13%~14%. The feeding standard is 200 grams per day at 2 months of age, and an increase of 100 grams of feed per day for each additional month of age. At the same time, green and coarse feed and clean drinking water should be provided to meet their growth needs.
Key points of feeding management The pens should face the sun, be ventilated and dry, and be divided into individual pens and group pens, while maintaining hygiene of the pens, feed, and drinking water. Strictly control the amount of feed to prevent diarrhea caused by feeding too much. After weaning, piglets should be vaccinated with the triple vaccine. Pay attention to training piglets in the three-point positioning of eating, defecating, and sleeping.