How to raise lean-type pigs? Master these feeding techniques
????Early weaning
In large-scale pig farming, to improve sow reproductive capacity, early weaning to increase the number of piglets born is one of the most effective management methods. Reports say that weaning piglets at 35 to 42 days is feasible. Traditional pig farming usually weans piglets at 56 to 60 days of age, and the sow produces fewer than two litters per year, while one sow consumes about 1000 kg of feed per year, which is very uneconomical. Only by shortening the sow's production cycle and producing more piglets can a high production level be achieved. Experiments confirm that early weaning of piglets has no adverse effects on the sow's next litter size, piglet growth and development, or piglet rearing and fattening performance.
Timely weaning. Timely early weaning of piglets is practically feasible for raising the production level. Research data shows that moving the weaning time earlier to 35 days of age has no adverse effects on the sow's service life, piglet production, or reproductive capacity.
Sow management. The main purpose of early weaning is to improve sow utilization and increase the number of piglets per litter. However, if sow management is neglected, it will cause some sows to have a delayed estrus and breeding period, and will also reduce the number of litters per sow per year. Therefore, herd management must be strengthened. First, production sows should be bred according to the breeding plan, a detailed pregnancy feeding and management plan should be formulated, the estrus period should be accurately identified, and breeding should be carried out at the right time; second, boar management should be strengthened to ensure high breeding capacity and provide excellent semen for breeding needs; finally, when a sow fails to conceive after repeated mating, remedial measures should be taken in time so that she comes into estrus and is bred, and if the condition remains uncured for a long time, culling may be considered.
Pay attention to piglet feeding. Early-weaned piglets must be managed intensively to ensure they successfully enter the next feeding stage. The diet used must be complete in nutrition, and the feed ingredients must be balanced so as to meet the growth and development needs of piglets after weaning. It is generally recommended that the proportions in the feed formula be: protein content 18%, fat content 3%, cellulose content 4%, calcium content 0.7%-0.9%, phosphorus content 0.6%-0.8%, and moisture maintained at about 13%.
????All-in all-out
The all-in all-out feeding management system has extremely important practical significance. To implement this system, pig house design, pig pen usable area, and bed arrangement must all follow a certain production process. Once a problem occurs in one link, the entire process will operate improperly and fail to meet the basic requirements it should. Therefore, to implement this system well, it should be carried out according to a standardized process, and the following measures should be effectively taken:
Select superior breeding pigs. Breeding quality occupies an important position in the feeding system. Choosing a batch of uneven and highly segregated crossbred pigs in breeding management will lead to some being large and some being small during the raising process, making it somewhat difficult to achieve all-in all-out. Therefore, in standardized lean-type pig farming, the selection of pig breeds must reach a standardized level.
Complete-price compound diet. In standardized feeding, a complete-price compound diet should be used as much as possible to maximize the production potential of breeding pigs and achieve breeding standards. If the ideal fattening standard still cannot be reached even with a complete-price compound diet, the pig breed itself may be the problem, and in serious cases it may be discarded and not used.
Control of temperature and humidity. Suitable temperature and humidity are the prerequisite guarantees for healthy pig growth. Normally, the suitable temperature control for newborn piglets is: at 3 days of age, set the temperature at 32°C-30°C; at 4 to 7 days of age, set the temperature at 28°C-30°C. It should be strictly controlled within this temperature range; too high or too low will be detrimental to piglet growth. Research confirms that poor ventilation and inadequate temperature control are important causes of poor piglet growth and development and the appearance of runt pigs.
High-bed farrowing and net-based rearing
High-bed farrowing. Traditional sow farrowing mostly uses closed ground-level pig beds, without the necessary heat preservation and cold protection measures, and without guardrails to restrict sow movement. Therefore, after birth, most piglets die due to the harsh environment, or are stepped on or crushed to death because the sow moves slowly. Using high-bed farrowing can greatly reduce the occurrence of this problem. A piglet protection frame is set on the net bed; the bottom of the protection frame is the sow lying area, and on both sides of the protection pen are piglet net beds, one side for piglets to lie down and rest. The net bed is also equipped with a sow trough, an automatic piglet creep feeder, and a drinker, and the room is also installed with infrared lamps, a traditional heating system, and an exhaust fan to ensure that sows and piglets have a good living environment.
Net-based piglet rearing. Net-based piglet rearing has been promoted and applied in recent years, various materials have appeared one after another, and the rearing results are quite different. Comparatively speaking, welded steel bar mesh and woven steel bar mesh have better results. Each rearing pen is equipped with one metal automatic feeder and one automatic drinker. The weaned piglet house is a windowed closed pig house, with a full-width manure trench, 2 m long and 0.8 m deep, cleaned regularly, and equipped with an exhaust fan. When it is cold, plastic film is added outside the windows for insulation, and a traditional heating system is installed for heat supply.