What are the feeding and management methods for raising pigs in spring?

Spring has arrived again. In this season it is warm at first and then cold, and the temperature changes frequently, so for pig management you also need to "keep warm in spring." In addition, a series of tasks such as ventilation, insulation and disinfection must also be done well. 

I. Ventilation and insulation
1. When there is a temperature drop or cloudy, rainy and windy weather, quickly raise the temperature of the pig house and add bedding straw.
2. Achieve "keeping warm in spring"; insulation facilities such as straw curtains, plastic film and stoves must not be removed too early. Hang door curtains at all times, check and plug leaks in the pig house, and prevent drafts from invading.
3. Pay attention to the insulation of piglets in the farrowing house and nursery pigs, especially the effective temperature of the abdomen.
4. In northern regions, the temperature difference between day and night is large, so the night pen inspection system must be maintained, and the pen temperature must be adjusted at any time according to the condition of the pig herd.
5. Enclosed pig houses should have ventilation openings set 1 m above the ground, and manure should be cleaned and air exchanged daily from 1 pm to 3 pm when the temperature is relatively high; straw curtains should be added on the roof ventilation openings of greenhouse pig houses at night.
II. Disinfection inside and outside the pig house
1. Thoroughly remove weeds and silt from the ditches and manure drainage ditches around the pig house to prevent the breeding of pathogenic bacteria and mosquitoes and flies.
2. Set up a disinfection pool at the entrance of the pig farm, and place disinfection basins at the entrance of each pig house, adding 2%-3% caustic soda solution or 3%-5% Lysol solution; people entering and leaving must be disinfected, and disinfectant solution must be added once every 2-3 days.
3. After thoroughly cleaning sanitary blind spots such as doors, windows, ceilings, walls and pig pens inside and outside the pig house, spray with 2%-3% caustic soda solution.
4. After thoroughly cleaning utensils such as pig feed troughs, feed trays and insulation boxes, disinfect them with 3%-5% Lysol solution, rinse with clean water, dry in the sun and keep for later use.
5. Outsiders and vehicles are prohibited from entering the pig farm, especially live pigs and dead pigs as well as purchasers and their vehicles.
6. Keepers should wear special shoes and clothing and may enter the pig house only after strict disinfection.
7. For pig houses and pig herds, fumigation disinfection with peracetic acid at a concentration of 1:500-1:1000 is recommended, as this can reduce the concentration of harmful gases.
III. Deworming the pig herd
1. Choose a broad-spectrum, highly effective deworming drug of ivermectin plus fenbendazole.
2. While deworming pigs internally, promptly remove manure and spray insecticide on the ground to avoid secondary parasitic infection.
3. Carry out a separate deworming treatment for mange.
IV. Strengthen nutrition and improve the resistance of the pig herd
1. Do not use low-quality, low-price feed just to save money; otherwise it will cause malnutrition in pigs, poor growth and susceptibility to disease.
2. Pig farmers who use self-mixed feed must strictly control the quality of raw materials, especially avoiding corn with excessive moisture and mold. It is recommended to sieve corn before use to remove impurities.
3. Do not arbitrarily switch to low-quality raw materials or mix feed without following the formula just because the pig price is low.
4. As the temperature gradually warms in spring, pay attention to the "three preventions" for feed, namely preventing rain, preventing moisture and preventing mold, so as to control the harm of mycotoxins from the source.
5. In early spring, green feed is lacking, so it is recommended to appropriately include green, juicy feed for sows, such as green vegetable leaves and carrots.
6. Appropriately add Chinese herbal medicines and household seasonings to the feed to support healthy qi and dispel pathogenic factors; this is not only beneficial to pig growth but can also prevent and treat diseases. Examples include honeysuckle, ginger, scallion, garlic and vinegar.
7. Regularly add microecological products to the feed, such as probiotics and yeast polysaccharides, to regulate the gastrointestinal tract, improve the gastrointestinal function of pigs, and prevent and treat various diarrheal diseases.