Raising pigs with natural farming methods yields better pork quality
As early as the 1940s, a new high-tech agricultural technology - enzyme bacteria technology - was pioneered and researched by Japanese microbiology expert Mr. Kakuya Shimamoto, and entered the application stage in the late 1980s. Starting in 1992, experts and professors at Kagoshima University in Japan began systematic research on deep-litter pig farming technology, forming a relatively complete technical standard. In 1999, a demonstration meeting on the application and promotion of deep-litter pig farming technology was held at the farm affiliated with the Faculty of Agriculture of Kagoshima University, with more than 1,000 experts, scholars and farmers from more than 10 countries attending the meeting.Since then, deep-litter pig farming technology has been applied more widely, and today it is being vigorously promoted and applied all over the world.
I. Principles of deep-litter pig farming
Natural pig farming is also called deep-litter pig farming technology, and some also call it biological environmentally friendly pig farming.
Deep-litter pig farming technology uses the principle of microbial fermentation, mixing indigenous microorganisms with straw, sawdust, rice husks and soil in a certain proportion for fermentation, so that the organic matter in pig manure and urine is fully decomposed and transformed under the action of microorganisms. This is a farming method that achieves zero discharge, no pollution and no odor in pig farming, and thoroughly solves the environmental pollution problem of large-scale pig farms.
II. Advantages of deep-litter pig farming
Zero discharge, no odor, no pollution;Optimizes the environment, lowers the incidence of disease, and reduces medication;Saves labor and effort, and improves efficiency;Saves water, electricity, coal and feed, and lowers feeding costs;Reduces the use of additives and improves the quality of livestock products.
III. Pig house design for deep-litter pig farming
1. Pig house: A newly built single-row pig house is generally 4-6 m wide, 8-20 m long, with an eave height of 2-2.5 m and a ridge height of about 3.5 m. It faces south with its back to the north, and the roof is covered with materials with good heat insulation and preservation performance, to facilitate warmth retention in winter and heat insulation in summer. The windows of the pig house should be larger, so that sunlight can reach more than one third of the entire pig bed area. This can make the interior of the pig house well lit, which is conducive to the growth and reproduction of microorganisms in the bedding.
2. Pig pen: The net area of a single pen is about 25 sq m, and about 20 meat pigs can be raised in it. Generally, each pig occupies 0.8-1.2 sq m. The above-ground type requires no digging down, while the underground type requires digging down 50-90 cm. In addition, the bottom of the fermentation bed cannot be poured with cement, so that it can breathe and drain water.
3. Precautions for building a deep-litter pig house
(1) Ventilation: Windows must be designed for each pig pen (here, when building the pig house, the windows should be designed larger). In summer, open them, and the front and rear windows should be opened opposite each other to facilitate air circulation. When the weather is too cold in winter, the windows should be covered with something. When the weather is better, open them for ventilation.
(2) Sunlight: The interior of the pig house should be well lit. Transparent bright tiles need to be installed on the roof to let sunlight into the pig house as much as possible. This is very important for enhancing the activity of the fermentation bed bacteria. In addition, it can also prevent the fermentation bed from being too damp, which would affect the service life of the fermentation bed.
(3) Railings: Steel pipes plus rebar must be used, otherwise they will be easily damaged.
(4) Feed trough: A semi-automatic feed trough can be used.
(5) Stocking density: It should be determined according to actual conditions. If the density is too low, the nutrients provided to the microorganisms are insufficient, the bedding cannot be fully fermented, and the fermentation effect is lost. If the density is too high, the impact on the fermentation bed is greater, the microorganisms cannot decompose so much pig manure, and the fermentation bed becomes damp.
IV. Preparation of deep-litter bedding
1. Selection of bedding raw materials
An important part of deep-litter pig farming technology is the preparation of bedding. The bedding is generally selected from: sawdust, straw powder and rice husk powder. A fermentation bed made from sawdust has the best effect, and sawdust has the best air permeability and water retention. If straw powder or rice husk powder is used instead, it must be sun-dried and must not be too fine (0.5-1 cm). Another key raw material for preparing the bedding is - deep-litter bacteria. Adding a small amount of corn flour, rice bran, distillers grains and other lees feed to the bedding gives a better fermentation effect.
2、Bedding ratio and dosage
Bedding ratio: sawdust 50%, rice husk powder 40%, wheat bran 10%, Yijiayi deep-litter bacterial liquid (fermentation agent) 0.2%, water 60-70%.
3、Bedding preparation method
(1) Centralized and unified preparation: This method can use larger machinery and has higher efficiency. It is suitable for larger pig farms, and is usually adopted when preparing bedding for the first time.
(2) Direct preparation inside the pig house: In the pig house, straw, leaves and weeds are spread on the bottom layer pen by pen, and then sawdust, rice husk powder, rice bran, distillers grains and other lees feed are mixed evenly before use. This method has lower efficiency and is suitable for pig farms of no great scale.
4、Bedding fermentation operation
(1) Mix the deep-litter bedding, bacterial liquid + corn flour well and set aside, and bag them for later use.
(2) Pour 20-30 cm of sawdust into the built bed, evenly sprinkle the mixed powder of bacterial liquid and corn flour on the surface, and turn and rake it with a rake. Then pour in another 20-20 cm of sawdust, sprinkle another layer of the mixed powder of bacteria and corn flour on the surface, and turn and rake it evenly again with a rake. Then use a water pipe to evenly sprinkle water on the surface, and finally pour in about 15 cm of sawdust and sprinkle a small amount of diluted liquid of bacterial liquid and water.
(3) Precautions:
*The dosage of bacterial liquid should refer to the manufacturer's instructions.
*When the temperature is higher, appropriately reduce the amount of corn flour.
*The water sprinkled should be well water or clean river water. Try not to use tap water. If tap water is used, it should be left to stand for 24 hours before use.
*For the amount of water, it is best that the bedding forms a ball when held in the hand and does not drip between the fingers. The general ratio of material to water is 1:0.7.
V. Management of deep-litter pig farming
1. Deep-litter management
(1) When the sawdust in the pig house decreases, appropriately replenish the missing part. To help pigs root and turn over the ground, the feed amount for pigs should be controlled at 90% of the normal amount. When pig manure is found piled up, use a rake to spread it around, so that it can be fully decomposed. The ground cannot be too dry; it must remain very loose, but dust must not fly up, otherwise pigs are prone to respiratory diseases. In particularly damp places, add an appropriate amount of new sawdust and rice husk powder, 50% each of sawdust and rice husk powder. Use a rake to loosen the relatively compacted bedding and smooth out the uneven places on the surface.
(2) After all pigs are sold, it is best to let the bedding dry for 2-3 days; turn the bedding repeatedly from the bottom, appropriately supplement the deep-litter bacteria mixture, and after an interval of 24 hours, pigs can be introduced again for raising. Stocking density: If the number of pigs is too large, the fermentation state of the bed will decline and cannot rapidly degrade manure and urine. Generally, each pig occupies 1.2-1.5 sq m.
2、Feeding management
The feeding management of deep-litter pig farming has no special differences from traditional pig farming models.
(1) Vaccinate properly to prevent the occurrence of disease.
(2) Deworming must be done well before entering the fermentation house.
(3) The pigs entering the fermentation house must be relatively uniform in size and healthy.
(4) Maintain appropriate density: If the number is too large, the fermentation effect of the deep-litter bed will decline. Generally, pigs of 7-30 kg need 0.8-1.2 sq m per pig, and pigs of 30-100 kg need 1.2-1.5 sq m per pig.
(5) Pay attention to ventilation: When the weather is hot and stuffy, strengthen ventilation inside the house to achieve the purpose of preventing heatstroke and lowering the temperature.
(6) Check the growth of the pig herd daily, pick out pigs that are too small, and raise them separately.