Detailed Explanation of Scientific Management Methods for Growing-Finishing Pigs
Many years of pig production practice have shown that the following problems exist in the management of growing-finishing pigs, namely slow growth rate, failure to realize growth genetic potential, high mortality rate, and unsatisfactory breeding benefits. Analysis of the causes of these problems shows they are related to improper fattening methods, high stocking density, and so on. Now, in response to these problems, some scientific feeding and management methods are proposed.
1 Scientific Fattening Methods
Lean-type finishing pigs usually adopt the "all-in-one" fattening method, also called straight-line fattening. With this fattening method, the fattening period can be divided into 2 stages, namely the early stage of 20-60 kg and the late stage of 60-90 kg; or divided into 3 stages, namely the early stage of 20-35 kg, the middle stage of 35-60 kg, and the late stage of 60-90 kg. According to the different age stages divided, feeding techniques with different nutritional levels can be adopted. Under normal circumstances, lean-type finishing pigs use a relatively high nutritional level from beginning to end. In the late stage, the energy level of the fed diet can be appropriately controlled to reduce fat deposition and increase carcass lean meat percentage.
2 Breeding Scale and Stocking Density
Meat pig breeding is mainly group rearing, and both stocking density and scale size affect the growth rate and feed conversion rate of pigs. If the stocking density is too high, the space occupied by meat pigs is limited, which will increase the number of biting and fighting incidents among pigs and affect feed intake and rest. Especially in summer, excessive stocking density will lead to increased temperature and humidity inside the barn, affecting the weight gain and feed conversion rate of pigs and inducing disease. Under normal circumstances, restricted feeding is required. When the trough space and area per pig are similar, it is recommended that small-group rearing be used regardless of the season, with 10-15 pigs per group being suitable, and no more than 30 pigs at most. Under ad libitum feeding conditions, the number can be increased to around 50 pigs. The stocking density of finishing pigs varies according to the body weight of the pigs and the floor structure of the pig barn. Usually, as the body weight of finishing pigs increases, the number of pigs raised per pen decreases, and the area occupied per pig increases accordingly. For pig barns with a small exercise yard structure, the minimum exercise yard area per pig can be the same as the inner pen; at a body weight of 35 kg, the required small exercise yard area is 0.2-0.3 sq m per pig; at a body weight of 75 kg, 0.25-0.35 sq m per pig is required; at a body weight of 100 kg, 0.30-0.40 sq m per pig is required. However, in southern China, because summer temperatures are relatively high and humidity is relatively high, the stocking density should be appropriately reduced so that pigs can grow and develop normally. For large-group rearing of finishing pigs, movable boards or movable fences should be installed inside the pig barn, and the size of the pig barn area can be adjusted according to the individual size of the pigs. At the same time, pigs with poor growth and development should be promptly transferred to other pens for concentrated enhanced feeding.
?3 Feeding Frequency
Research has confirmed that under the same nutritional and management conditions, different feeding frequencies do not have a great effect on the daily weight gain of finishing pigs. For example, feeding 2 times/d and feeding 3 times/d are currently commonly used, and there is no significant difference in the daily feed conversion rate of finishing pigs. However, when feeding 2 times/d is adopted, it is best to arrange it in the early morning and evening. This is because during these two time periods, finishing pigs have a good appetite and large feed intake, which is more conducive to weight gain.
4 Supply Sufficient and Clean Drinking Water
As an important component of the pig body, water plays an important role in various metabolic links such as body temperature regulation, nutrient absorption, and waste excretion. At the same time, water is also an important nutrient for the pig body. Therefore, clean and sufficient drinking water must be supplied. The water requirement of meat pigs varies with differences in surrounding temperature and humidity and feed composition. Under normal circumstances, the water requirement in winter is 2-3 times that of air-dried feed, or about 10% of body weight; the water requirement in spring and autumn is 4 times that of air-dried feed, or 16% of body weight; the water requirement in summer is greater, at 5 times that of air-dried feed, or 23% of body weight.
5 Related Work
Deworming, castration, and immunization are 3 important technical measures in the feeding process. However, for finishing pigs, these 3 technical measures can all produce relatively strong stress effects, so they cannot be carried out at the same time and should be carried out separately.
5.1 Deworming
Common and frequently occurring parasitic diseases in finishing pigs include ascariasis, lungworm disease, fasciolopsiasis, sarcoptic mange, and so on. For scientific deworming, it is recommended to carry out the first deworming at 90 days of age, and if necessary, a second deworming at 135 days of age to strengthen the epidemic prevention effect.
5.2 Castration
According to relevant experimental data, castration and non-castration have a great impact on the daily weight gain and carcass lean meat percentage of pigs. Under normal circumstances, foreign lean-type pigs mature late sexually, so sows may not be castrated, and boars are castrated before fattening. However, most pig breeds in domestic regions mature relatively early sexually. If they are not castrated, sex hormones are strongly secreted in the carcass, the odor is strong, and meat quality is affected. Therefore, both males and females are all castrated, and the castration time is generally arranged at around 30 days of age, with a body weight of 5-7 kg. At this time, the pigs are smaller in size, and the surgery is easy to arrange.
5.3 Epidemic Prevention
At present, there is no unified protocol for epidemic prevention and vaccination procedures. Here, the immunization procedures for 1-2 major epidemic diseases are introduced for reference and learning only. First, preventive vaccination with triple freeze-dried vaccine (swine fever, swine erysipelas, swine pasteurellosis): weaned piglets can be vaccinated once after weaning, and after an interval of 2 months, a booster injection is given once, with a relatively good epidemic prevention effect. Second, the immunization procedure at 20 days of age, 55 days of age, and 70 days of age, namely injecting swine fever vaccine at 20 days of age after piglets are born, repeatedly injecting swine fever vaccine and swine erysipelas, swine pasteurellosis, and piglet paratyphoid bacterin at 55 days of age, and repeatedly injecting piglet paratyphoid bacterin at 70 days of age, can obtain good immune effects.
6. Health Care
In recent years, feed raw material prices have risen sharply, feed prices are expensive, and in order to save costs, the quality of feed and raw materials has been lowered, nutrition cannot be satisfied, and pig growth is restricted; there are many pig diseases, and both morbidity and mortality have risen substantially. In addition, pig prices fluctuate greatly, and enthusiasm for pig farming has been dampened. The health care product "Dazhuangsu" produced by Lüye Biotechnology Co., Ltd. can advance the time to market by 10-15 days; feed intake is increased, feed digestion and absorption are good, feces are reduced, utilization rate is significantly improved, pigs have a good body shape, firm muscle, red skin and shiny hair, and a high lean meat percentage.