A Detailed Guide to Scientific Feeding Methods for Newborn Piglets
Scientific Methods for Feeding Newborn Piglets
In the process of pig farming, raising piglets is a key stage in the entire production process, especially for newborn piglets. If active protective measures are not taken, the mortality rate can be as high as 50% or more. If this dangerous period can be survived, the survival rate of piglets can be greatly increased, thereby improving pig farming production efficiency.
Strengthen feeding management to improve piglet resistance
(1) Environmental hygiene must be well maintained in the farrowing house, with attention to disinfection. Before sows due to give birth enter the farrowing room, the farrowing room should be cleaned thoroughly, and the floor, walls and pens should be disinfected with the relevant disinfectant solution. Damaged walls, doors and windows should be repaired to prevent drafts and maintain good temperature and humidity. The floor should be smooth, and at the same time check whether the farrowing crate, heat lamp, water nipples and feeding troughs are functioning normally.
(2) "Detoxification" of sows before farrowing. From day 85 of late gestation to 5-7 days before farrowing, use relevant sensitive drugs to carry out "sow detoxification" work, mainly to "handle in advance" pathogens that are transmitted from mother to offspring or occur concurrently, such as blue ear disease (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome), porcine circovirus infection, reproductive disorder-related classical swine fever, pseudorabies and mycoplasma infection, so as to reduce the incidence rate, and to do a good job of anti-stress work in late gestation to prevent miscarriage. Recommended protocol: 30 days before farrowing, use compound tilmicosin + antiviral No. I powder + water-soluble amoxicillin 300ppm, mixed into feed continuously for 15 days; at the same time, inject Fu Hong Chang Xiao (long-acting oxytetracycline 0.2 ml/kg w) one week before and after farrowing to prevent and treat the sow triad (metritis-mastitis-agalactia syndrome).
40 days before farrowing, sows should be immunized with relevant vaccines such as Escherichia coli vaccine, piglet red dysentery, atrophic rhinitis and pseudorabies. It is recommended to inject Qingkailing injection 1-2 times before and after immunization, so as to improve immunity and relieve immune stress.
(3) Piglets must have adequate drinking water. At 3-5 days of age, piglets should be given clean drinking water, for example adding 20 kg of glucose, 2 g of sodium bicarbonate and 0.06 g of vitamins to every 1 kg of water.
(4) Pay attention to delivery assistance work. After piglets are born, promptly keep them warm and prevent crushing, cut the umbilical cord, clip teeth and dock tails, let them suck colostrum, fix them to teats, and number them. Before newborn piglets are fed milk, the teats should be cleaned with 0.1% potassium permanganate or physiological saline, and the milk should be squeezed through before letting the piglets suckle, so that the piglets quickly obtain maternal antibodies.
(5) At 1 day, 7 days and 21 days after birth, piglets can be given three-injection health care with long-acting oxytetracycline: inject 0.5 ml of long-acting oxytetracycline at 1 day of age, 0.6 ml at 7 days of age, and 2 ml at 21 days of age. This can effectively prevent piglet diarrhea and early respiratory syndrome, and significantly improve the piglet survival rate.
(6) Iron and selenium supplementation for piglets. At 3 days after birth, inject 1 ml of iron dextran intramuscularly; at 3-5 days, supplement selenium by intramuscular injection of 0.5 ml of 0.1% sodium selenite vitamin E, and supplement once more before weaning. This can prevent piglet diarrhea, white muscle disease and nutritional anemia.
Strengthen warmth preservation and crushing prevention work
Deaths of newborn piglets caused by sows lying down and crushing them account for about 20% of non-infectious deaths. Increasing temperature and supplementing energy can reduce this phenomenon.
Let piglets suckle colostrum as early as possible.
Increase sow nutrition
In addition to normal feeding, nutrition supply for sows in late gestation should be strengthened through short-term better feeding. For example, increase each sow's daily feed by more than 1 kg of mixed concentrate, or add animal fat or vegetable oil (5%-6% of the daily ration) on top of the original diet, to help increase piglet birth weight and survival rate; supplementing fat is also beneficial for increasing the fat content of colostrum and regular milk. Adding vitamin C to the diet one week before farrowing can greatly reduce umbilical cord bleeding in piglets and mortality during farrowing.
Strengthen feeding management to improve piglet resistance
(1) Environmental hygiene must be well maintained in the farrowing house, with attention to disinfection. Before sows due to give birth enter the farrowing room, the farrowing room should be cleaned thoroughly, and the floor, walls and pens should be disinfected with the relevant disinfectant solution. Damaged walls, doors and windows should be repaired to prevent drafts and maintain good temperature and humidity. The floor should be smooth, and at the same time check whether the farrowing crate, heat lamp, water nipples and feeding troughs are functioning normally.
(2) "Detoxification" of sows before farrowing. From day 85 of late gestation to 5-7 days before farrowing, use relevant sensitive drugs to carry out "sow detoxification" work, mainly to "handle in advance" pathogens that are transmitted from mother to offspring or occur concurrently, such as blue ear disease (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome), porcine circovirus infection, reproductive disorder-related classical swine fever, pseudorabies and mycoplasma infection, so as to reduce the incidence rate, and to do a good job of anti-stress work in late gestation to prevent miscarriage. Recommended protocol: 30 days before farrowing, use compound tilmicosin + antiviral No. I powder + water-soluble amoxicillin 300ppm, mixed into feed continuously for 15 days; at the same time, inject Fu Hong Chang Xiao (long-acting oxytetracycline 0.2 ml/kg w) one week before and after farrowing to prevent and treat the sow triad (metritis-mastitis-agalactia syndrome).
40 days before farrowing, sows should be immunized with relevant vaccines such as Escherichia coli vaccine, piglet red dysentery, atrophic rhinitis and pseudorabies. It is recommended to inject Qingkailing injection 1-2 times before and after immunization, so as to improve immunity and relieve immune stress.
(3) Piglets must have adequate drinking water. At 3-5 days of age, piglets should be given clean drinking water, for example adding 20 kg of glucose, 2 g of sodium bicarbonate and 0.06 g of vitamins to every 1 kg of water.
(4) Pay attention to delivery assistance work. After piglets are born, promptly keep them warm and prevent crushing, cut the umbilical cord, clip teeth and dock tails, let them suck colostrum, fix them to teats, and number them. Before newborn piglets are fed milk, the teats should be cleaned with 0.1% potassium permanganate or physiological saline, and the milk should be squeezed through before letting the piglets suckle, so that the piglets quickly obtain maternal antibodies.
(5) At 1 day, 7 days and 21 days after birth, piglets can be given three-injection health care with long-acting oxytetracycline: inject 0.5 ml of long-acting oxytetracycline at 1 day of age, 0.6 ml at 7 days of age, and 2 ml at 21 days of age. This can effectively prevent piglet diarrhea and early respiratory syndrome, and significantly improve the piglet survival rate.
(6) Iron and selenium supplementation for piglets. At 3 days after birth, inject 1 ml of iron dextran intramuscularly; at 3-5 days, supplement selenium by intramuscular injection of 0.5 ml of 0.1% sodium selenite vitamin E, and supplement once more before weaning. This can prevent piglet diarrhea, white muscle disease and nutritional anemia.
Strengthen warmth preservation and crushing prevention work
Deaths of newborn piglets caused by sows lying down and crushing them account for about 20% of non-infectious deaths. Increasing temperature and supplementing energy can reduce this phenomenon.
Let piglets suckle colostrum as early as possible.
Increase sow nutrition
In addition to normal feeding, nutrition supply for sows in late gestation should be strengthened through short-term better feeding. For example, increase each sow's daily feed by more than 1 kg of mixed concentrate, or add animal fat or vegetable oil (5%-6% of the daily ration) on top of the original diet, to help increase piglet birth weight and survival rate; supplementing fat is also beneficial for increasing the fat content of colostrum and regular milk. Adding vitamin C to the diet one week before farrowing can greatly reduce umbilical cord bleeding in piglets and mortality during farrowing.