How to treat runt pigs that won't grow? Introduction of practical methods
My pig is three months old, but weighs only about 40 jin, and has had a mild cough since it was young. Is there any way to speed up its growth?
Name: Shen Meiying Unit: self-employed Contact phone: 057582560273
Answer: Comrade Shen Meiying:
Hello. In pig production, it is common to see some "little old pigs," that is, runt pigs, whose growth and development are severely stunted. This occurs in both large-scale pig farms and individual breeding households. So-called runt pigs are pigs that have been raised for a long time without growing, that only eat but do not grow, and that are very small in weight and body size. These pigs not only consume feed and have poor growth performance, but are also prone to disease and become a source of infection, seriously affecting the economic benefits of pig farms. They are a major "worry" for breeders: it is a pity to discard them, yet raising them brings no economic benefit. Many breeders, because they do not understand the causes of runt pigs, cannot take corresponding treatment measures and have no choice but to cull them, thus causing relatively large economic losses to pig production. In order to prevent the occurrence of runt pigs and help runt pigs recover health as quickly as possible, one must first understand the causes of runt pig formation, and only then can appropriate de-stunting technical measures be taken according to the case, minimizing the appearance of runt pigs so as to improve the economic benefits of pig raising.
I. Causes of formation
1. Congenital causes: inbreeding, early mating, old and weak boars and sows, nutritional deficiency in pregnant sows, or severe external stimulation, etc., causing piglets to be born small in individual size, poorly developed, and weak in vitality, among other congenital deficiencies, especially the smallest piglet in a litter, forming "fetal stunting." This disease accounts for 6.3% of runt pigs.
2. Acquired causes: factors such as the lactating sow having no milk or insufficient milk, or different teats producing different amounts of milk (generally the front and middle teats have more sufficient milk), causing piglets to take in insufficient milk, so that the piglets' growth and development during the suckling period is stunted, forming "milk stunting." This milk stunting accounts for 12% of runt pigs.
Piglets suffering from repeated or recurrent diseases, such as severe harm from diarrhea, asthma, white muscle disease, anemia, roundworms, sarcoptic mange, and so on, causes large consumption of the piglets' nutrients and sometimes also affects the piglets' appetite, resulting in weak physique and stunted growth, forming "disease stunting." This type accounts for 38.6% of runt pigs.
Piglets start eating solid feed late in the late suckling period, and the feed after weaning is extremely poor in nutrition, or there is a lack or insufficiency of certain nutritional components; poor management, such as unreasonable grouping after weaning, competition for food between large and small pigs, and weak and small pigs being unable to get food, and other reasons, form "feed stunting." This kind of feed stunting accounts for 44.9% of runt pigs.
This disease can occur in pigs of different regions, different breeds, and different sexes, but is more common in piglets of 10-20 kg.
II. Symptoms. Sick piglets are listless, with rough hair coats and pale mucous membranes. They sway when walking and prefer to lie down. They have arched backs and tucked bellies, big heads, round bellies, and pointed rumps, are thin and small in physique, with dry, wrinkled skin. Constipation alternates with diarrhea, and they only eat without growing. Growth is slow or stagnant. The average daily gain is less than 50 grams; some pigs weigh only 20 kg at 6 months, and some cannot be sent to market even after one year. Therefore, this causes great economic losses to farms (households).