What are some practical ways for pig farmers to reduce breeding costs?
How pig farmers can reduce breeding costs
Raising crossbred pigs: To achieve ideal rearing benefits, professional pig farmers must choose crossbred pigs that tolerate coarse feed, mature early, fatten easily, reach market weight early, and have a high lean meat rate. To meet market demand, it is best to choose Duroc x Landrace or Duroc x Large White two-way crossbreds, or Duroc x Large White x Landrace or Duroc x Landrace x Large White three-way crossbred commercial lean-type pigs.
Feeding mixed feed: According to the growth characteristics that "piglets grow bones, growing pigs grow skin, finishing pigs grow meat, and fat pigs put on fat," when pigs begin to accumulate fat at 5 to 6 months of age, the mixed feed should be based mainly on energy concentrates, such as corn, barley, sorghum or bran-type feed; when fat begins to accumulate under the skin, switch to a mixed feed made from beans, wheat, cakes, blood meal, fish meal, bone meal, as well as vitamins, minerals and compound feed additives. Use the dry raw feed method to improve feed utilization and increase the nutrients for lean meat growth.
Improving the pig house environment: The quality of the pig house environment is also one of the factors determining how quickly meat pigs grow. The suitable temperature for pig growth is 15°C to 25°C, and the relative humidity is 55% to 60%. If temperature and humidity are too high, heat dissipation from the pig's body is hindered, which can easily lead to heatstroke and metabolic disorders; if the temperature is too low, the pig body dissipates more heat and consumes more feed, increasing rearing costs. For this reason, when the summer temperature exceeds 28°C, spray the pens with cool water at noon, or set up a shade canopy for sun protection; in winter, do a good job of cold protection and heat preservation, and spread 10 to 15 cm of dry grass in the pens. Using warm-shed pig-raising technology can effectively improve feed utilization.
Providing sufficient drinking water: Water makes up 1/3 to 1/2 of the pig's body, and it plays an important role in a series of metabolic processes such as regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients, digestion and absorption, and excreting waste. Therefore, sufficient clean drinking water must be provided to ensure healthy growth of the pig and to maximize its growth potential.
Changing the hanging-frame fattening method to linear fattening: The traditional hanging-frame fattening method controls the nutritional level in the early stage and then increases energy feed in the later stage for fattening. This method uses a single feed and incomplete nutrition, cannot meet the pig's growth needs, and results in slow pig growth, a long rearing cycle, and a low market rate. If full-price mixed feed is used from piglet weaning to market for linear fattening, the fattening period can be effectively shortened and the market rate increased.
Marketing at the right time: The growth and development pattern of meat pigs is slow weight gain in the early stage, fast weight gain in the middle stage, and slower weight gain again in the later stage. When a pig's body weight exceeds 100 kg, daily weight gain begins to decline, and the greater the body weight, the less the daily weight gain and the more feed consumed. If the market weight of pigs is too small, although feed is saved, the slaughter rate is low and the meat quality is poor. In our country, except for early-maturing breed pigs that are marketed at about 75 kg body weight, crossbred improved pigs are mostly weaned at 35 to 45 days of age and 10 to 15 kg body weight and then given linear fattening, with concentrated use of full-price mixed feed, extensive use of green and coarse feed, an appropriate amount of additives, and good deworming, stomach strengthening and epidemic prevention. In summer and autumn, pay attention to heat protection; in winter and spring, use warm-shed housing. It is most economical to market pigs at 7 to 8 months of age when they reach 110 kg body weight.
Feeding mixed feed: According to the growth characteristics that "piglets grow bones, growing pigs grow skin, finishing pigs grow meat, and fat pigs put on fat," when pigs begin to accumulate fat at 5 to 6 months of age, the mixed feed should be based mainly on energy concentrates, such as corn, barley, sorghum or bran-type feed; when fat begins to accumulate under the skin, switch to a mixed feed made from beans, wheat, cakes, blood meal, fish meal, bone meal, as well as vitamins, minerals and compound feed additives. Use the dry raw feed method to improve feed utilization and increase the nutrients for lean meat growth.
Improving the pig house environment: The quality of the pig house environment is also one of the factors determining how quickly meat pigs grow. The suitable temperature for pig growth is 15°C to 25°C, and the relative humidity is 55% to 60%. If temperature and humidity are too high, heat dissipation from the pig's body is hindered, which can easily lead to heatstroke and metabolic disorders; if the temperature is too low, the pig body dissipates more heat and consumes more feed, increasing rearing costs. For this reason, when the summer temperature exceeds 28°C, spray the pens with cool water at noon, or set up a shade canopy for sun protection; in winter, do a good job of cold protection and heat preservation, and spread 10 to 15 cm of dry grass in the pens. Using warm-shed pig-raising technology can effectively improve feed utilization.
Providing sufficient drinking water: Water makes up 1/3 to 1/2 of the pig's body, and it plays an important role in a series of metabolic processes such as regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients, digestion and absorption, and excreting waste. Therefore, sufficient clean drinking water must be provided to ensure healthy growth of the pig and to maximize its growth potential.
Changing the hanging-frame fattening method to linear fattening: The traditional hanging-frame fattening method controls the nutritional level in the early stage and then increases energy feed in the later stage for fattening. This method uses a single feed and incomplete nutrition, cannot meet the pig's growth needs, and results in slow pig growth, a long rearing cycle, and a low market rate. If full-price mixed feed is used from piglet weaning to market for linear fattening, the fattening period can be effectively shortened and the market rate increased.
Marketing at the right time: The growth and development pattern of meat pigs is slow weight gain in the early stage, fast weight gain in the middle stage, and slower weight gain again in the later stage. When a pig's body weight exceeds 100 kg, daily weight gain begins to decline, and the greater the body weight, the less the daily weight gain and the more feed consumed. If the market weight of pigs is too small, although feed is saved, the slaughter rate is low and the meat quality is poor. In our country, except for early-maturing breed pigs that are marketed at about 75 kg body weight, crossbred improved pigs are mostly weaned at 35 to 45 days of age and 10 to 15 kg body weight and then given linear fattening, with concentrated use of full-price mixed feed, extensive use of green and coarse feed, an appropriate amount of additives, and good deworming, stomach strengthening and epidemic prevention. In summer and autumn, pay attention to heat protection; in winter and spring, use warm-shed housing. It is most economical to market pigs at 7 to 8 months of age when they reach 110 kg body weight.