Analysis of Six Reasons Why Piglets Grow Slowly
Six Reasons Why Piglets Grow Slowly
There are mainly six reasons why piglets grow slowly.
First, improper weaning: Farmers raising pigs mostly adopt the one-time weaning method, and the piglets are marketed immediately after weaning, causing the piglets' original living conditions, which centered on the mother and involved cohabitation with littermates in a stable and comfortable environment, to suddenly change, making it difficult for them to adapt for a time and affecting weight gain. The number of suckling times given to piglets should be gradually reduced 5 to 6 days before weaning until weaning is complete.
Second, delayed supplementary feeding: If piglets are not given supplementary feed in time during the suckling stage, they cannot eat well after weaning, resulting in slow growth and stunted development. Generally, supplementary feeding should begin when piglets are 10 days old, starting mainly with feed that is fragrant, sweet, crisp and easy to digest, and then gradually switching to normal feed.
Third, unreasonable feed and feeding methods: After weaning, piglets not only cannot get sow's milk, but the feed quality is also poorer than during the suckling period, and the daily feeding frequency drops sharply from 6 to 8 times before weaning to 3 times per day. These drastic changes hinder the normal development of piglets. Therefore, when purchasing pigs, it is necessary to ask the seller in detail about the feeding and management conditions of the pigs, so as to achieve a gradual transition in feed quality and a gradual transition in feeding frequency from many to few.
Fourth, environmental conditions change too much: Before weaning, piglets centered on the mother and lived together with littermates. After weaning, they are generally placed one pig per pen, and the piglets cannot adapt to this lonely life in a short time. Especially in winter, due to cold weather, they cannot eat or sleep well and are prone to illness or even death. Therefore, when purchasing pigs, it is necessary to understand their original rearing conditions as much as possible, create a comfortable living environment for the piglets, and make changes in rearing conditions gradually.
Fifth, extensive management: At present, farmers raising pigs generally keep one pig per pen, and some pigs eat, sleep and defecate in the same place. In addition, cleaning and bedding replacement are not done frequently, resulting in a filthy environment and extremely poor sanitary conditions. Especially in winter, this can easily cause a series of diseases such as colds and diarrhea in pigs, which is extremely unfavorable to their growth and development. In actual pig production, pigs can be grouped according to how fast they eat and their temperament, with 3 to 6 pigs per pen, so that the pigs compete for feed and grow quickly. In addition, training should be done well so that they eat at a fixed point, defecate at a fixed point and sleep at a fixed point, maintaining environmental sanitation.
Sixth, incorrect timing of epidemic prevention and castration: Farmers mostly buy pigs at the market and carry out epidemic prevention and castration at the same time as purchase. In this way, the three unfavorable factors of weaning, epidemic prevention and castration are all imposed on the piglet at once, so that the piglet cannot recover its body weight for a long period, seriously affecting the pig's normal growth and development, causing slow growth and the formation of a runt pig. Generally, male piglets not kept for breeding can be castrated at 20 days of age, and female piglets at 30 to 40 days of age. To prevent certain infectious diseases, swine fever vaccine can be injected before pigs are 30 days old, and erysipelas vaccine can be administered at 90 days of age.
First, improper weaning: Farmers raising pigs mostly adopt the one-time weaning method, and the piglets are marketed immediately after weaning, causing the piglets' original living conditions, which centered on the mother and involved cohabitation with littermates in a stable and comfortable environment, to suddenly change, making it difficult for them to adapt for a time and affecting weight gain. The number of suckling times given to piglets should be gradually reduced 5 to 6 days before weaning until weaning is complete.
Second, delayed supplementary feeding: If piglets are not given supplementary feed in time during the suckling stage, they cannot eat well after weaning, resulting in slow growth and stunted development. Generally, supplementary feeding should begin when piglets are 10 days old, starting mainly with feed that is fragrant, sweet, crisp and easy to digest, and then gradually switching to normal feed.
Third, unreasonable feed and feeding methods: After weaning, piglets not only cannot get sow's milk, but the feed quality is also poorer than during the suckling period, and the daily feeding frequency drops sharply from 6 to 8 times before weaning to 3 times per day. These drastic changes hinder the normal development of piglets. Therefore, when purchasing pigs, it is necessary to ask the seller in detail about the feeding and management conditions of the pigs, so as to achieve a gradual transition in feed quality and a gradual transition in feeding frequency from many to few.
Fourth, environmental conditions change too much: Before weaning, piglets centered on the mother and lived together with littermates. After weaning, they are generally placed one pig per pen, and the piglets cannot adapt to this lonely life in a short time. Especially in winter, due to cold weather, they cannot eat or sleep well and are prone to illness or even death. Therefore, when purchasing pigs, it is necessary to understand their original rearing conditions as much as possible, create a comfortable living environment for the piglets, and make changes in rearing conditions gradually.
Fifth, extensive management: At present, farmers raising pigs generally keep one pig per pen, and some pigs eat, sleep and defecate in the same place. In addition, cleaning and bedding replacement are not done frequently, resulting in a filthy environment and extremely poor sanitary conditions. Especially in winter, this can easily cause a series of diseases such as colds and diarrhea in pigs, which is extremely unfavorable to their growth and development. In actual pig production, pigs can be grouped according to how fast they eat and their temperament, with 3 to 6 pigs per pen, so that the pigs compete for feed and grow quickly. In addition, training should be done well so that they eat at a fixed point, defecate at a fixed point and sleep at a fixed point, maintaining environmental sanitation.
Sixth, incorrect timing of epidemic prevention and castration: Farmers mostly buy pigs at the market and carry out epidemic prevention and castration at the same time as purchase. In this way, the three unfavorable factors of weaning, epidemic prevention and castration are all imposed on the piglet at once, so that the piglet cannot recover its body weight for a long period, seriously affecting the pig's normal growth and development, causing slow growth and the formation of a runt pig. Generally, male piglets not kept for breeding can be castrated at 20 days of age, and female piglets at 30 to 40 days of age. To prevent certain infectious diseases, swine fever vaccine can be injected before pigs are 30 days old, and erysipelas vaccine can be administered at 90 days of age.