Scientific Methods and Precautions for Selecting Piglets
How to Scientifically Select Piglets?
(Agricultural Wealth Network) How to Scientifically Select Piglets?
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Scientifically selecting piglets is the foundation for good results. To select healthy, fast-growing piglets, experienced old farmers have the "twelve looks" and "six don't buys."
First, look at the mouth shape. A short and rounded mouth, large and even, with a deep mouth cleft, especially with a thin lower jaw. Piglets whose lower jaw and upper jaw are level and even eat more, are not picky eaters, are easy to raise, and grow fast.
Second, look at the eyes. Those with short eyelashes and bright, spirited eyes are healthy and lively, grow well, and the vast majority have no issues.
Third, look at the ears and nose. The nostrils should be large and proportionate to the mouth. Ears that are large and thin, with thick and hard ear bases, and a wide distance between the two ears indicate a piglet that can eat and will grow.
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Fourth, look at the neck. Neither too thick nor too thin, and of a certain length; it can be slightly longer, appropriately shorter for males, and for fattening pigs it should not be too thick.
Fifth, look at the torso. The shoulders and back should be wide. Piglets with high front shoulders, broad and well-developed back and chest, a flat, straight and long back, and a broad, flat, slightly drooping belly; a belly shaped like a "cucumber belly" is best, with correspondingly vigorous breathing and blood circulation, and rapid growth.
Sixth, look at the tail. As the saying goes: "A tail like a nail, gains a jin a day." Piglets with a thick tail base, a red tail tip, and thin tail skin, forming a "T shape," not only grow fast but also have a gentle temperament.
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Seventh, look at the teats. The teats should be distinct and spaced apart, but no fewer than 6 pairs. It is best if they are arranged evenly in a crisscross pattern, sparse in front and dense behind. 7+6 opposite or 7+8 opposite, and 8+9 opposite are the most ideal; this kind has the innate characteristic of fast cell division.
Eighth, look at the limbs. The four legs are required to be strong, round, straight, thick and long, with full thigh muscles, round and thick hoof capsules, large and obvious hoof clefts, a moderate ratio of body length to body height, a large skeleton, and fast growth.
Ninth, look at the skin and coat. Thin, red and clean skin, hair on the ribs hanging downward, neat coat, and sparse, smooth, glossy hair indicate good constitution and fast growth. If the skin is coarse, the hair is messy, and the pig is pale and lusterless, it is mostly a sick pig or a runt.
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Tenth, look at body weight. Among piglets from the same litter weaned together, the heavier ones generally gain weight faster during fattening, so it is advisable to select heavier piglets, that is, "grab the heavy, not the light," to facilitate short-term fattening. Piglets over one full month old and weighing more than 20 jin have stronger resistance than those not yet one full month old.
Eleventh, look at the feces. Feces that come out in strips or clumps when dropped, smooth and loose, indicate a healthy piglet; the normal color of urine is pale yellow.
Twelfth, look at the spirit. Healthy piglets are full of energy, stand naturally, and walk steadily. Lift the pig's hind legs; if the pig does not squeal or squeals softly, it shows the temperament is not irritable, it responds slowly to the outside world, and it can adapt to a new environment as quickly as possible.
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First, don't buy if the belly is empty. If a piglet's belly is not large, it indicates poor appetite.
Second, don't buy if it has a high temperature. Feel the base of the piglet's ear with your hand; if it feels hot to the touch, it is mostly a pig with a high fever, indicating it is currently sick.
Third, don't buy if it has diarrhea. This kind of pig has thin feces stuck around the anus and on the upper part of the two hind legs, and if it has a fishy stench, it is generally a sick pig.
Fourth, don't buy if it is dehydrated. A dehydrated piglet is listless, has yellow urine, drooping eyelids, and lies half down without standing; this kind of pig grows slowly and is prone to illness.
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Fifth, don't buy piglets from poor teats. When selecting piglets from the same litter, give priority to those from the first two teats; next, you may choose piglets from the second-to-last teat at the back.
Sixth, don't buy those with indistinct genitalia, poor development, or discharge of foreign matter. If it is a male intended for breeding, when examining the genitalia you should also pay special attention to whether the boar's pair of testicles are distinct, uniform and neat in size, with a distinct preputial sheath, and the sheath should have a few slightly stiff bristles; only such genitalia indicate strong libido, and after mating it will produce more offspring. For a sow, it is enough that the genitalia are not deformed.
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Scientifically selecting piglets is the foundation for good results. To select healthy, fast-growing piglets, experienced old farmers have the "twelve looks" and "six don't buys."
First, look at the mouth shape. A short and rounded mouth, large and even, with a deep mouth cleft, especially with a thin lower jaw. Piglets whose lower jaw and upper jaw are level and even eat more, are not picky eaters, are easy to raise, and grow fast.
Second, look at the eyes. Those with short eyelashes and bright, spirited eyes are healthy and lively, grow well, and the vast majority have no issues.
Third, look at the ears and nose. The nostrils should be large and proportionate to the mouth. Ears that are large and thin, with thick and hard ear bases, and a wide distance between the two ears indicate a piglet that can eat and will grow.
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Fourth, look at the neck. Neither too thick nor too thin, and of a certain length; it can be slightly longer, appropriately shorter for males, and for fattening pigs it should not be too thick.
Fifth, look at the torso. The shoulders and back should be wide. Piglets with high front shoulders, broad and well-developed back and chest, a flat, straight and long back, and a broad, flat, slightly drooping belly; a belly shaped like a "cucumber belly" is best, with correspondingly vigorous breathing and blood circulation, and rapid growth.
Sixth, look at the tail. As the saying goes: "A tail like a nail, gains a jin a day." Piglets with a thick tail base, a red tail tip, and thin tail skin, forming a "T shape," not only grow fast but also have a gentle temperament.
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Seventh, look at the teats. The teats should be distinct and spaced apart, but no fewer than 6 pairs. It is best if they are arranged evenly in a crisscross pattern, sparse in front and dense behind. 7+6 opposite or 7+8 opposite, and 8+9 opposite are the most ideal; this kind has the innate characteristic of fast cell division.
Eighth, look at the limbs. The four legs are required to be strong, round, straight, thick and long, with full thigh muscles, round and thick hoof capsules, large and obvious hoof clefts, a moderate ratio of body length to body height, a large skeleton, and fast growth.
Ninth, look at the skin and coat. Thin, red and clean skin, hair on the ribs hanging downward, neat coat, and sparse, smooth, glossy hair indicate good constitution and fast growth. If the skin is coarse, the hair is messy, and the pig is pale and lusterless, it is mostly a sick pig or a runt.
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Tenth, look at body weight. Among piglets from the same litter weaned together, the heavier ones generally gain weight faster during fattening, so it is advisable to select heavier piglets, that is, "grab the heavy, not the light," to facilitate short-term fattening. Piglets over one full month old and weighing more than 20 jin have stronger resistance than those not yet one full month old.
Eleventh, look at the feces. Feces that come out in strips or clumps when dropped, smooth and loose, indicate a healthy piglet; the normal color of urine is pale yellow.
Twelfth, look at the spirit. Healthy piglets are full of energy, stand naturally, and walk steadily. Lift the pig's hind legs; if the pig does not squeal or squeals softly, it shows the temperament is not irritable, it responds slowly to the outside world, and it can adapt to a new environment as quickly as possible.
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First, don't buy if the belly is empty. If a piglet's belly is not large, it indicates poor appetite.
Second, don't buy if it has a high temperature. Feel the base of the piglet's ear with your hand; if it feels hot to the touch, it is mostly a pig with a high fever, indicating it is currently sick.
Third, don't buy if it has diarrhea. This kind of pig has thin feces stuck around the anus and on the upper part of the two hind legs, and if it has a fishy stench, it is generally a sick pig.
Fourth, don't buy if it is dehydrated. A dehydrated piglet is listless, has yellow urine, drooping eyelids, and lies half down without standing; this kind of pig grows slowly and is prone to illness.
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Fifth, don't buy piglets from poor teats. When selecting piglets from the same litter, give priority to those from the first two teats; next, you may choose piglets from the second-to-last teat at the back.
Sixth, don't buy those with indistinct genitalia, poor development, or discharge of foreign matter. If it is a male intended for breeding, when examining the genitalia you should also pay special attention to whether the boar's pair of testicles are distinct, uniform and neat in size, with a distinct preputial sheath, and the sheath should have a few slightly stiff bristles; only such genitalia indicate strong libido, and after mating it will produce more offspring. For a sow, it is enough that the genitalia are not deformed.