Detailed Explanation of Key Management Techniques for Growing-Finishing Pigs

Rational Grouping

Grouping techniques should be based on the pig's breed, sex, body weight and feeding situation to ensure uniform growth and development. When grouping, the principles of "keep the weak, not the strong" and "combine at night, not during the day" are generally observed. After grouping and a period of feeding, adjustments to the groups should be made at any time.

Finishing pigs are generally kept in group housing, which can fully utilize the pig house building area and equipment, improve labor productivity, and reduce pig-raising costs, while also using the pigs' competition for feed at the same trough to increase appetite and improve weight gain. When grouping, pens must be merged; merging should be based on the pigs' living habits, applying the methods of keeping the weak and not the strong, splitting large groups rather than small ones, and merging at night rather than during the day. Generally, they are raised in fixed pens, with 10-20 pigs per group being appropriate. Under intensive housing conditions where pigs are kept indoors and excrete feces and urine outdoors, 40-50 pigs per group is appropriate.

Feed

Finishing pigs grow relatively fast, so nutritionally complete feed must be provided to meet the requirements of rapid growth.

Diversified diet formulation: Pigs require various nutrients for growth, and a single feed is often nutritionally incomplete and cannot meet the requirements of pig growth and development. The combined use of multiple feeds can bring into play the complementary effects of protein and other nutrients, thereby improving the digestibility and utilization rate of protein and other nutrients. Research has proven that when corn alone is fed to pigs, the protein utilization rate is 51%, and when meat-and-bone meal alone is fed, it is 41%. If two parts corn plus one part meat-and-bone meal are mixed and fed to pigs, the protein utilization rate can be increased to 61%.

Feed quality: Feed quality not only affects pig weight gain and feed utilization rate, but also affects carcass quality. Pigs are monogastric omnivores, and unsaturated fatty acids in feed are directly deposited in body fat, making pig body fat softer and unfavorable for long-term storage. Therefore, in the two months before finishing pigs are marketed, feed containing less unsaturated fatty acids should be used to prevent soft fat.

Mastering the thickness of the diet: Mixing the diet too thin not only affects saliva secretion, but also dilutes gastric juice and affects feed digestion. Feeding thin feed reduces the pig's dry matter intake, while increasing urination and consuming body heat. Therefore, the diet should preferably be mixed thicker, generally with a feed-to-water ratio of 1:2-4. In winter it should be appropriately thicker, and in summer appropriately thinner.

Feeding at fixed times, in fixed amounts, and of fixed quality

Fixed time means the time and frequency of daily feeding should be fixed, which not only makes the pig's life regular, but also helps the secretion of digestive juices, improving the pig's appetite and feed utilization rate. The number of feedings should be determined according to the specific feed. When concentrated feed is the main component, feeding 2-3 times a day is sufficient; pig farms with more green and roughage should increase by 1-2 times per day. In summer, when days are long and nights are short, one additional feeding can be given during the day; in winter, when days are short and nights are long, an extra night feeding should be added. Feeding should be in fixed amounts, not suddenly more or less, to avoid affecting appetite and reducing feed digestibility. The feeding amount should be adjusted at any time according to the pig's appetite and growth stage, with each feeding controlled at about 80-90% satiety, so that the pig can maintain a strong appetite at each feeding. The types of feed and the proportions of concentrate, roughage and green feed should remain relatively stable and should not be changed too much. When changing feed, it should be done gradually, giving the pig a process of adaptation and habituation, which helps improve the pig's appetite and feed digestibility and utilization.

Feeding Methods

Feeding methods can be divided into free feeding and restricted feeding. Free feeding is beneficial for daily weight gain, but the pig's body fat content is higher and carcass quality is poorer. Restricted feeding can improve feed utilization rate and lean meat percentage, but weight gain is not as fast as free feeding. Generally speaking, free feeding gives high daily weight gain, more fat deposition, and low feed utilization rate. Restricted feeding gives high feed utilization rate and thinner carcass backfat, but lower daily weight gain. We can adopt the method of promoting first and controlling later, that is, in the early stage (below 60KG), taking advantage of the growth and development stage when pigs mainly grow lean meat, using the free feeding method and supplying Hanzhu brand 5612 or Xiwang brand 5012 piglet feed; in the later stage (above 60KG), taking advantage of the stage when pigs grow fat quickly, implementing restricted feeding.

Feeding Management

To achieve faster weight gain in a short time with less feed, in addition to selecting good piglets and compound feed and additives, scientific feeding management is also required.

① Raw feeding: Because raw feed has not been heated, its nutrients have not been destroyed, so feeding raw feed to pigs has better results than feeding cooked feed, saves fuel for cooking feed, reduces feeding equipment, saves labor, increases weight gain rate, and saves feed.

② Dry, wet and dry-wet feeding: Feed can be given in several ways: dry feeding, thin feeding and dry-wet feeding. Different feeding methods have different effects on pig digestion and absorption. The characteristic of dry feeding is that it saves labor, makes it easy to control the feeding amount, and promotes saliva secretion; the disadvantage is that more feed is lost. The advantage of thin feeding is that it is easy for the pig to eat and less feed is lost; the disadvantage is that it easily causes the pig to become full of water, affecting digestion and absorption, with low feed utilization rate, which is not conducive to pig growth. The dry-wet feeding method lies between dry feeding and thin feeding; the pig eats relatively more feed, gastric juice can interact well with the feed, digestion and absorption are good, feed utilization rate is improved, and pigs grow quickly.

③ Fixed-time and fixed-amount method: Feeding pigs requires a certain number of times, a certain time and a certain amount, fed within the specified time. How many times a day is appropriate depends on each household's specific circumstances. Generally, piglets are fed 6 times a day, growing pigs 4-5 times, and finishing pigs in the later stage 3 times a day; large pigs should have enough time to sleep to reduce activity, especially in summer, avoiding feeding during the hottest noon, which is beneficial for weight gain. The interval between meals in a day should be equal. The amount fed at each meal should be moderate and balanced; the pig should neither feel hungry nor be overfed, generally feeding to about 90% satiety. Feeding at 7-9 o'clock in the morning and evening is best.

④ Free feeding method: Using this method can make the pig's daily weight gain fast, the carcass fatter, and more fat deposited, saving feeding time and labor. If daily weight gain is to be as high as possible, the free feeding method is best; if a carcass with a high lean meat percentage is to be obtained, the fixed-time and fixed-amount feeding method is better. In the early stage of growing-finishing, let the pigs feed freely, and in the later stage use fixed-time and fixed-amount feeding. This can achieve high daily weight gain throughout the period without making the carcass too fatty, and at the same time can improve feed conversion rate and save feed.

⑤ Concentrate first, then green feed, put in little and add frequently: Feed concentrate first and then green feed, and put in little and add frequently.

Feeding Frequency

Generally, feeding 2-3 times a day is appropriate. During the 20-90KG finishing period, comparing the results of feeding 2 times and 3 times daily, feeding 3 times does not improve daily weight gain and feed utilization rate. For 3 feedings, the appropriate feed proportions are 35% in the morning, 25% at noon, and 40% in the evening.

Drinking Water

Ensure that pigs can drink clean water at any time; preferably give warm water in winter and spring, and cool water in summer. During feeding, the water trough should be kept filled. For every 1KG of feed a pig eats, 2.5-3.0KG of water is needed to ensure normal digestion and metabolism of the feed. In addition, the water supply should be increased in summer.

Supply sufficient clean drinking water: Water is an indispensable substance for regulating body temperature, digesting and absorbing feed nutrients, and excreting waste products. Poor water quality will introduce many pathogens, so both sufficient quantity and good quality must be ensured. In actual production, never replace drinking water with thin feed, otherwise it will cause unnecessary feed waste.

Pig House Environment

Pig house hygiene: Pig house hygiene is closely related to disease prevention, and cleaning and sanitation work in the pig house must be done well. The pig house must be cleaned every day and feces, urine and leftover feed removed promptly; starting from the piglet stage, train pigs to defecate and urinate at fixed locations. Pigs like to look for damp places to defecate and urinate. When pigs enter the pen, clean the other places and put some water at the predetermined defecation and urination spot, and the pigs will excrete at the watered spot. If a pig does not excrete at the predetermined spot, its feces can be shoveled to the predetermined spot, and the next time the pig excretes, it will excrete at the predetermined spot. After guiding them this way for two or three days, they will excrete at fixed locations. Pigs develop the habit of "three-point positioning", that is, fixed locations for eating, sleeping and excreting, which not only keeps the pig pen clean and hygienic, but also helps with bedding soil and manure accumulation, reducing the labor intensity of the keeper. The pig pen should be cleaned every day, and the pig's body should be brushed frequently, which not only helps reduce pig diseases, but also helps improve the pig's daily weight gain and feed utilization rate.

Temperature: Pig growth requires suitable temperature; the suitable temperature for finishing pigs is 15-23°C. When the temperature is too high, finishing pigs become restless, pant, and are unwilling to eat. When the temperature is too low, finishing pigs huddle together and increase feed intake, which not only wastes feed but also causes the pig's body weight to drop. Cold protection and heat protection: When the temperature is too low, the heat energy used by pigs to maintain body temperature increases, causing daily weight gain to decline; when the temperature is too high, the pig's appetite declines, metabolism increases, and feed utilization rate also decreases. Therefore, heat protection work should be done well in summer and water intake increased; in winter, warm feed should be given, and warm pens built when necessary.

Light: Lighting in finishing pig houses should be dim so that pigs can get adequate rest.

Ventilation: Maintain good ventilation and sufficient ventilation volume. Keep the air fresh to reduce the concentration of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide and avoid the occurrence of respiratory diseases such as fibrinous pneumonia.

Stocking Density

Reasonable stocking density can not only increase the returns on initial building investment, but also avoid the occurrence of tail-biting among pigs and improve weight gain rate. Pig stocking density can be adjusted with seasonal changes. For example, in the cold winter season, one to two more pigs can be placed in each pen, and in the hot summer, one to two fewer can be placed, which can produce better results. Landrace pigs are aggressive, so density should not be too high.

Deworming, Lice Control, Castration, Epidemic Prevention

Before finishing, young pigs should generally undergo internal deworming and external control of lice and mange. For internal parasites, drugs such as piperazine and thiabendazole can be used; for external parasites, drugs such as 2% trichlorfon solution can be used. After castration, the sexual organs stop developing, sexual function stops, pigs appear calm, appetite increases, assimilation is strengthened, fat deposition capacity increases, daily weight gain can be increased by 7%-10%, feed utilization rate is also improved, and the meat is tender, tasty and free of off-flavors. Deworm once before the fattening period; after deworming, weight gain and feed utilization rate can be improved. Carry out disease prevention work regularly according to a certain immunization program, pay attention to epidemic monitoring, and detect disease in time.

Prevent Excessive Exercise and Fright in Finishing Pigs

During the finishing process, growing pigs should be prevented from excessive movement, especially fierce fighting or chasing. Excessive movement not only consumes body energy, but more seriously, it easily causes pigs to suffer from a stress syndrome, suddenly developing spasms and stiff limbs, and in severe cases can cause pig death.