What are the eight non-grain feeds for pigs?

With the rapid development of China's livestock industry, the demand for feed grain is increasing day by day. To ease the conflict between humans and livestock competing for grain, developing non-grain feeds is imperative. Moreover, developing non-grain feeds can effectively reduce production costs and improve the economic benefits of farms and households. Below are several non-grain feeds suitable for feeding pigs.

1. Chicken manure

Chicken manure is a high-quality, low-cost protein supplement. Dry manure contains up to 15%-30% crude protein, 10%-16% crude fiber, and 8%-10% various amino acids. The crude protein content of 1 kg of chicken manure is equivalent to 600 g of concentrate feed. However, 50% of the crude protein in chicken manure is non-protein nitrogen, which exists in the form of uric acid, and its energy is relatively low, with an ash content as high as 25%-35%. Therefore, attention should be paid to processing methods to improve its utilization rate by pigs.

1. Processing of chicken manure

① Drying: Spread chicken manure evenly on a cement floor and let it air-dry naturally until the moisture content is below 13%. If conditions permit, a dryer can be used for drying.

② Fermentation: Add rice bran, wheat bran, grass meal, crop straw meal, etc. to the chicken manure, add an appropriate amount of water, place it in a vat, pit, or plastic bag, press firmly and seal tightly, and ferment for 3-5 days before feeding to pigs.

③ Silage: Mix 60% chicken manure, 30% straw meal, and 10% wheat bran evenly, maintain a moisture content of 60%, and ensile in a pit for 30-50 days.

2. Addition amount of chicken manure

For piglets, 5%-10% can be added; for finishing pigs, 15%-30% can be added. However, when using chicken manure as feed, first, fresh chicken manure from non-epidemic areas without pollution should be collected; second, more grain-based feed should be added to increase palatability and mineral balance; third, since chicken manure has a high ash content, care should be taken that the total ash content in the diet does not exceed the critical level; fourth, feeding of chicken manure should be stopped 15 days before the finishing pigs are sent to market.

2. Rabbit manure

Rabbit manure has relatively high nutritional value. According to the American publication "Practical Research on Domestic Rabbits" (1984), air-dried rabbit manure contains 7.9% moisture and 92.1% dry matter. Anhydrous rabbit manure contains 20.3% crude protein, of which 5.7% is digestible crude protein, 2.6% ether extract, 16.6% crude fiber, 40.7% nitrogen-free extract, and 10.7% minerals. The crude protein content of 2 kg of rabbit manure is equivalent to 1 kg of alfalfa hay. Therefore, developing and utilizing rabbit manure as a new feed resource has important practical significance.

1. Processing of rabbit manure

To use rabbit manure as feed, first it should be freed of mud and impurities, not moldy, and free of contamination. The following methods are generally used for processing:

① Drying method: Collect clean rabbit manure, sun-dry and crush it, spread it in a very thin layer on a cement floor, expose it to the sun for more than 3 hours, then mix it into the feed in proportion to feed pigs. This method is mostly used in summer.

② Boiling method: Collect fresh rabbit manure, then add feed such as wheat bran, boil for 10-15 minutes, and mix into the feed to feed pigs. This method is mostly used in winter.

③ Soaking method: Crush sun-dried rabbit manure and put it into containers such as vats or basins, add boiling water and stir, adjust to a paste consistency and feed.

④ Direct feeding method: Collect fresh rabbit manure of the same day, mix it into the feed and feed directly to pigs.

⑤ Chemical treatment method: Crush sun-dried rabbit manure, add 200 ml of formaldehyde solution per kg and mix well, then sun-dry and feed. This method can kill pathogenic microorganisms in rabbit manure without destroying nutrients.

⑥ Alkali solution treatment method: Put sun-dried and crushed rabbit manure into a vat, add 100 kg of 40% caustic soda aqueous solution per 50 kg of rabbit manure, soak for 24 hours, remove and place in clean water, drain, and then use for feeding pigs.

⑦ Lactic acid fermentation method: Expose rabbit manure to sunlight for 2-3 days, crush it and spray with boiling water. The amount of water added should be such that the rabbit manure forms a ball when squeezed by hand and scatter when dropped. Then put it into a water vat or plastic bag, press firmly and seal tightly for anaerobic fermentation. When the fermentation temperature reaches 40°C, it is ready to use. In summer, it generally takes 1-2 days, and slightly longer in winter. This method can both sterilize and improve the palatability of rabbit manure.

⑧ Silage fermentation method: Rub the collected fresh rabbit manure into pieces, mix with green grass and green vegetables, add an appropriate amount of water, with the principle that no water drips when picked up. Then put it into a vat or pit and press firmly, sprinkle wheat bran, grass bran, rice bran, etc. on top for insulation, seal for 1-2 days before use. The fermented rabbit manure is sour, fragrant, and tasty. This method is mostly used in summer and autumn.

2. Addition amount of rabbit manure

When feeding pigs with processed rabbit manure, generally 10%-15% is added for piglets and 15%-25% for finishing pigs. However, the amount added to livestock diets should be determined by the amount of wheat bran, rice bran, etc. added to the rabbit manure. Adding more wheat bran allows for an appropriate increase in feeding amount. Fermented rabbit manure is loose and soft, with a wine-like aroma and good palatability, and pigs are quite willing to eat it. However, feeding should be stopped 20 days before the finishing pigs are sent to market.

3. Cattle manure

Cattle are ruminants. The feed they eat is fermented and decomposed by rumen microorganisms. Part of the nutrients is absorbed and utilized, and the other part of the nutrients, including protein nitrogen, microorganisms, and rumen fluid that can be utilized by monogastric animals, is excreted. According to measurements, dry cattle manure contains 10%-20% crude protein, 1%-3% crude fat, 20%-30% nitrogen-free extract, and 15%-30% crude fiber, so it has certain feeding value.

1. Processing of cattle manure

To feed cattle manure to pigs, it is best to subject the cattle manure to silage fermentation. The method is: mix cattle manure with grain bran, wheat bran, and other feed, put it into a pit, vat, or plastic bag, press firmly and seal for fermentation. The fermented cattle manure has good palatability and can replace part of other feed, and pigs gain weight relatively quickly after eating it.

2. Addition amount of cattle manure

Breeding pigs and piglets generally should not be fed cattle manure feed. The appropriate addition amount in finishing pig diets is 10%-15%. Cattle manure contains relatively more crude fiber, so the feeding amount should be increased gradually, and it should not be added in excess.

4. Silkworm manure

Silkworm manure, also known as silkworm excrement, is the feces excreted by silkworm larvae. In production, the feces from the second to third molting of silkworms is mostly used to feed livestock and poultry. According to measurements, silkworm manure contains 29.2% dry matter, 13% crude protein, 10.1% crude fiber, and some carbohydrates and minerals.

1. Processing of silkworm manure

Sun-dry and crush the collected silkworm manure, then add it to clean water and soak for about 3 hours. Remove and mix into the feed to feed pigs.

2. Addition amount of silkworm manure

In piglet diets, generally about 5% can be added, and for finishing pigs, 5%-10% can be added. Silkworm manure is extremely prone to mold, so the moisture content during storage should be below 13%, and sun-drying is best; silkworm manure contains a relatively high amount of lime and has a relatively high pH value, exceeding normal feed by nearly 2 pH units. Therefore, when using silkworm manure to feed pigs, a certain amount of acid (such as acetic acid) should be added to adjust the pH to the normal range (pH=6), which helps improve feed quality, increase pig feed intake, and increase daily weight gain.

5. Peanut vines

Peanut vines contain 12% protein, 45%-50% nitrogen-free extract, a digestible energy content of 8400 kJ/kg, and about 20% crude fiber. Their calcium and phosphorus contents are 0.89% and 0.13% respectively. In terms of trace element content, except that the zinc content (35×10-6) is lower than the nutritional standard, the contents of other elements such as iron, copper, and manganese all exceed the nutritional standards for pigs and chickens, making it a relatively comprehensive feed.

1. Collection and processing of peanut vines

After peanuts mature, dig out the peanuts and remove the peanut pods. The peanut vines can be sun-dried directly in the field (preferably shade-dried), then crushed, and thus added to the diet to feed pigs; the fresh vines can also be removed of impurities and pulped, then mixed into the feed to feed pigs; of course, the fresh vines can also be given to pigs for free feeding, but this often results in more waste.

2. Addition amount of peanut vines

After sun-drying and crushing, peanut vines can be added to piglet diets at 5%-10%, breeding pig diets at 10%-15%, and finishing pig diets at 15%-20%.

6. Soybean leaves

Soybean leaves contain 71.8% moisture, 6.1% crude protein, 14.8% nitrogen-free extract, 1.8% crude fat, and 4.1% crude fiber. Each kg of soybean leaves contains 9.3 g calcium and 0.7 g phosphorus. The crude protein content of 3 kg of soybean leaves is equivalent to 1 kg of soybean cake.

1. Collection and processing of soybean leaves

Soybean leaves are best collected during the maturity period of soybeans, because at this time the leaves are relatively green, nutritious, good in quality, and low in crude fiber. If collected too early, it will damage the plant's photosynthesis, affect the soybean's absorption of nutrients, and reduce yield and quality; if collected too late, the leaves will wither and turn yellow, the nutrient content will decrease, and the feeding effect will be affected. After collection, when feeding livestock and poultry, first, the collected fresh leaves can be freed of impurities and foreign matter, washed, chopped, and mixed into the pig's diet; second, they can be processed into soybean leaf meal. The method is to place the collected leaves in a dry, ventilated place, shade-dry until the moisture content is about 30%, then quickly sun-dry to a moisture content below 10%, and crush to make soybean leaf meal for later use. When feeding, it can account for 20%-30% of various pig diets. Third, they can be made into semi-dry silage. Soybean leaves have a relatively low sugar content and a relatively high protein content, making them suitable for semi-dry silage. The method is to first air-dry the leaves until the moisture content is about 50%, chop them, and put them into plastic bags for silage. This makes them easy to store and transport, with relatively good quality, nutrient content similar to fresh leaves, and a fruity aroma, which can improve the palatability for pigs.

2. Addition amount of soybean leaves

Regardless of the processing method, soybean leaves can be added to pig diets at 20%-30%, and can effectively promote pig growth and development and increase daily weight gain.

7. Corn cob meal (that is, corn tassels)

Corn cobs contain large amounts of protein, carbohydrates, inorganic salts, etc. In production, after the corn silk turns black (at which point the pollination period has passed), the corn cobs can be pulled out, sun-dried and crushed, and mixed into the diet at a ratio of 20%-25% to feed pigs, with good results.

8. Sunflower heads

Sunflower heads contain about 10%-20% crude protein. After collection, sun-drying and crushing, they can be added to pig diets, generally at 10%-15%. Pigs love to eat them, and after eating they grow and develop relatively quickly.