How to reduce feed costs in pig farming? These methods are very practical

Gradually rising feed prices mean increased feed costs, and saving feed has become a new way to make a profit. This is especially true for large-scale farms with high feed consumption, which need to think even more about how to save feed. Below are some methods for saving on feed costs, which we hope will be helpful to everyone.

1. Choose wisely

For large-scale pig farming, you must choose to raise "three-way" crossbred piglets. The best are Landrace and Large Yorkshire pigs with a long body and loin, wide front chest, short snout, full hindquarters, thick and strong legs, and a strong tendency to compete for feed. They need only about 160 days to reach 90-100 kg, which can shorten the fattening period by 20-50 days.

2. Raise in separate pens

After piglets reach 60 days of age, they should be raised in separate pens, with 2-3 pigs per pen, to prevent them from wasting energy playing and chasing each other outdoors.

3. Castrate early

Castrating male piglets at 30 days of age and female piglets at 40 days of age increases weight gain by about 15% compared with the usual castration at 60 days of age, and the wounds heal faster.

4. Keep the stomach healthy

Deworm piglets for the first time at 60 days of age, then once every 2-3 months thereafter. Use 15-20 mg of morantel or tetramisole per kg of body weight, mixed into feed and given orally once, to expel internal parasites. If pig lice are present, mix 10 g of table salt, 10 mL of kerosene, and 20 mL of warm water, and apply it to the pig's body surface to kill the insects. At the same time as deworming, dissolve 1 kg of quicklime in 5 kg of water per pig, take the clear liquid on top and mix it into feed, feeding twice a day for 2-3 consecutive days to wash the stomach and remove various internal pests. One week later, grind 1 tablet of rhubarb and sodium bicarbonate per kg of body weight (no more than 15 tablets), divide it into 3 portions, and mix it into feed to feed the pigs to strengthen the stomach. In this way, each pig can gain 10-15 kg and the fattening period can be shortened by 25-40 days.

5. Feed by stage

During the non-pregnant stage and the first 80 days of pregnancy, sows can be fed mainly green feed, high-quality roughage, and distillers' grains and other residue-type feeds, with only about 1 kg of concentrate added daily. One month before farrowing, feed 2-3 kg of concentrate daily. This not only ensures normal fetal development, but also saves 60-90 kg of concentrate feed per pregnancy for each sow.

6. Breed early

Move weaning of piglets from 60 days of age up to 40-45 days, which can encourage sows to come into estrus earlier and be bred earlier, shorten the non-pregnant period, and relatively save feed.

7. Prevent epidemic diseases

Every year in spring and autumn, inject pigs on time with the "triple vaccine," which can effectively control the three major diseases of swine fever, swine erysipelas, and swine pasteurellosis, reduce mortality, and relatively reduce feed consumption.