How to feed pigs in pens? Practical feeding tips for you

Raw feeding and cooked feeding In rural areas, pig farmers have the habit of feeding cooked feed, believing that cooked feeding can reduce feed volume, soften crude fiber, allow pigs to eat more, and improve digestibility. Depending on the type of feed, raw feeding and cooked feeding differ. For diets of the green and coarse feed type, cooked feeding is better than raw feeding, and the digestibility of dry matter and carbohydrates is also higher with cooked feed, while there is no significant difference between the two in the digestibility of protein and crude fiber. However, for most concentrate-type diets, raw feeding is better than cooked feeding. Generally, cooked concentrate loses 5%-10% of its nutrients. When raw feed is fed to meat pigs, the average daily gain is 10% higher than with cooked feeding, and for each 1 kg of live weight gained, 0.2-0.3 kg of concentrate can be saved. There is no difference between the two in dry matter digestibility, and protein digestibility is higher with raw feeding than with cooked feeding.

Thick feeding and thin feeding Thin feeding, due to its high water content, fills the belly with thin soup, leading to reduced secretion of digestive juices and accelerated gastric emptying, shortening the time feed stays in the stomach, which inevitably reduces the digestibility of feed nutrients. Thick feeding, especially dry raw feeding and wet raw feeding, can strengthen the pig's chewing function, promote the secretion of digestive juices, prolong the time feed stays in the stomach, and improve the digestibility of nutrients. The degree of moisture of dry feed mixed with water or dry feed mixed with green feed slurry should be such that it holds together when squeezed and falls apart easily. Fewer meals and more meals The number of meals must be determined according to the pig's category, age, season and the nature of the feed, and cannot be generalized. Suckling piglets have a small stomach volume and weak digestive power. Starting from 7 days of age, the main focus is enticing them to eat, and the number of meals need not be limited; from 20 days of age until weaning, they can be fed more than 6 times a day; newly weaned piglets are at a stage where their digestive function for feed is gradually strengthening, and they can be fed 4-5 times a day; lactating sows and sows in late gestation need more nutrients and can be fed 4 times a day; growing pigs, heavy meat pigs, open sows and boars can be fed 3 times a day.