Key Technical Points for the Feeding and Management of Special Breeding Boars

The market for special wild boars is booming, and raising wild boars is highly profitable. Currently, at the wild animal wholesale market in Guangdong, the wholesale price of live weight wild boar reaches 30—40 yuan/kg, equivalent to the price of 5—8 domestic pigs. However, to achieve high yield, fast growth and high efficiency, one must firmly grasp the management of breeding boars. The quality of the boar determines the production
The market for special wild boars is booming, and raising wild boars is highly profitable. Currently, at the wild animal wholesale market in Guangdong, the wholesale price of live weight wild boar reaches 30—40 yuan/kg, equivalent to the price of 5—8 domestic pigs. However, to achieve high yield, fast growth and high efficiency, one must firmly grasp the management of breeding boars. The quality of the boar determines the production level of a pig farm. As the saying goes: “A good female is good for one litter; a good male is good for a whole herd.” This saying reveals the key role of the breeding boar in the quality of the offspring produced by the entire farm. A special wild boar breeding boar must be physically strong, full of energy, quick to react, broad-chested and wide-bodied, with a large frame, all body parts well-proportioned and sturdy, obvious male characteristics, and strong libido, capable of producing large quantities of high-quality semen. The management techniques for breeding boars are introduced as follows:
I. Scientific Feeding
1. Breeding boars require relatively large amounts of crude protein. If the protein in the diet is insufficient, it will result in the boar producing little and thin semen, incomplete sperm development and poor vitality, a decreased conception rate, and even loss of breeding ability. Therefore, animal-based feeds such as fish meal, bone meal, soybean meal, small shrimp and silkworm pupae should be supplied year-round; these have a significant effect on increasing the quantity and quality of breeding boar semen. Zhaobao Ecological Farm in Yongding County, Fujian Province, relying on its own advantages as a rare poultry farm, uses culled rare poultry and game to feed breeding boars and pregnant sows, with excellent results: each sow gives birth to more than 12 piglets per litter, and the piglets are all glossy and very sturdy.
2. Breeding boars have a relatively high demand for vitamins, especially VE, VB1 and VB2. If deficient, it will affect the boar's constitution and semen quality. Because wild boars consume large amounts of green, juicy feed rich in vitamins, they generally do not lack vitamins. In the winter in the north, when green, juicy feed is insufficient, or after the boar has mated, vitamin additives can be supplemented.
3. Mineral deficiency can also affect the health and semen quality of breeding boars, especially calcium, manganese, zinc and selenium. During routine feeding, one can feed more of various calcium-rich green, juicy feeds and dried grass meal, phosphorus-rich bran and middlings, and supplement an appropriate amount of bone meal, stone meal or shell meal, etc.
4. For boars used for seasonal mating, the nutritional level should be gradually raised 45 days before mating. For wild boars used for year-round mating, the nutrients required by the breeding wild boar should be supplied in a balanced way throughout the year. The amount of concentrated feed for breeding boars should be somewhat greater than for other categories of pigs, and the amount of green and coarse feed somewhat less, so as to avoid forming a grass belly that affects mating. The volume of the daily ration should be 2.5%—3% of body weight.
II. Scientific Management
1. Moderate exercise. Exercise is an essential measure for strengthening the boar's constitution, ensuring its strong libido and improving sperm vitality. When the wild boar is young, it should be given appropriate exercise, allowing it to exercise for 1—2 hours per day over a distance of 3—4 li.
2. Good hygiene. The pig pen must be washed every day, and it should be kept clean, ventilated and dry, warm in winter and cool in summer. In winter, straw bedding should be laid down; in summer, measures for heat prevention and cooling should be taken. At the same time, the pig's body should also be kept clean. Zhaobao Ecological Farm in Yongding County, Fujian Province, brushes the wild boar's coat once a day with a stiff-bristled brush, which has proven extremely effective in ensuring the health of the wild boar and preventing various diseases.
3. Regular weighing. Breeding boars should be weighed regularly to understand changes in body weight, so that the nutritional composition of the daily ration can be adjusted at any time. In short, the boar must be kept neither fat nor thin, with a straight back, a belly that does not sag, flexible movement and strong libido.


Estrus and Mating of Wild Boars
The wild boar's coat is coarse and sparse, generally gray or grayish-yellow. Adult sows weigh 90 kg~130 kg and are sensitive to the external environment. Female wild boars generally have 6~7 pairs of teats, produce 2.5 litters per year, and generally have 10~15 piglets per litter. The suitable mating time is from 5~6 months of age, at a body weight of 40 kg~60 kg. When the female wild boar is in estrus, the principle is generally to mate first-litter sows early and multiparous sows late. When the wild boar is in estrus, the external genitalia are obviously red and swollen. When the external genitalia change from red to dark purple, from swollen to slightly wrinkled, or when the sow stands still when her rump is pressed by hand, this is the best time for mating. Mating between male and female wild boars takes slightly longer than with domestic pigs. Based on experience, it is best to use a repeat-mating method, that is, to mate again after an interval of 6 hours~8 hours. This can significantly increase the conception rate of the sow. When the female wild boar is in estrus and mating, one may also use the method of driving the boar into the sow's pen for 1 day~2 days; at this time the male wild boar can mount and mate multiple times at night. After successful mating is confirmed, drive the male wild boar out. After 20 days, observe again whether the female wild boar is still in estrus. The estrous cycle of the female wild boar is generally 18 days. If she does not come into estrus, it proves that the wild boar has mated successfully.