Improper management of piglets born in winter can easily lead to death; how to keep them alive

    Winter weather is cold, and after piglets are born, improper management can easily cause death. So how can the survival rate of piglets be improved in winter?

Piglets

    1. Eat colostrum early:Eating colostrum early allows piglets to acquire immunity sooner, obtain rich nutrition, produce body heat as quickly as possible, and increase cold resistance and disease resistance. At the same time, weak and small piglets should be fixed to the front and middle teats of the sow to make up for their congenital deficiencies.

    2. Cold prevention and warmth preservation:Piglets have thin skin and sparse hair, little subcutaneous fat, and poor warmth retention capacity. When piglets are just born, their skin is wet and they lose more heat. It is best to set up an infrared warming box in the farrowing pen, spread dry, warm and soft bedding straw on the ground, and change it frequently.

    3. Supplement concentrated feed early:Piglets begin to be induced to supplement feed 6~7 days after birth, and after 10 days they should gradually be given high-quality complete mixed feed. The fineness of feed for suckling piglets is preferably 1.2~1.8 mm in diameter.

    4. Supplement iron in time:Generally, piglets around 10 days of age will suffer from anemia due to iron deficiency. Therefore, within 2 days after birth, piglets should be supplemented with iron preparations to meet the needs of normal growth.

    5. Supplement drinking water:After 3~5 days after birth, an appropriate amount of warm water should be provided, with a small amount of salt and wheat bran added.

    6. Prevent piglet white scour:One week after birth and around 20 days of age are the peak periods for piglet disease. Keep the piglet pen sanitary and do not let piglets drink dirty water; feed piglets complete feed scientifically, and when necessary, add compound vitamin additives, growth stimulants, and antibacterial drugs.

    7. Do a good job of preventive injection:Usually around one month of age, preventive injections are given for swine fever, swine pasteurellosis, swine erysipelas, and piglet typhoid.

    8. Wean smoothly:Most piglets are weaned at 30~35 days of age, staggered from the times of preventive injection and castration to reduce stress stimulation.