Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Scientific Feeding and Management of Nursery Pigs

1. Suckling piglets

After birth, ensure every piglet can consume enough colostrum, which can improve immunity, enhance disease resistance, and reduce the occurrence of diseases.

The temperature of the lying area for newborn piglets is required to be 35-37°C, then decrease by 2-3°C each week, with the activity area temperature at 20-24°C.

On the 2nd day after birth, use high-quality iron supplements to inject 100-150 mg of iron intramuscularly per piglet. According to the actual situation of the farm, 2-3 days before the onset of diarrhea in piglets, inject long-acting oxytetracycline 0.5 mL per piglet, repeat the injection once after an interval of 5-7 days, and inject 1 mL per piglet 1 day before weaning to prevent diarrhea.

The nutritional demand of piglets for sow milk at 3 weeks of age is 97%, and at 4 weeks of age is 37%. Training piglets to start eating early can alleviate the effects of weaning stress. Piglets should be enticed to eat starting at 3-5 days of age. Sprinkle a small amount of high-quality creep feed in the trough, and the trough must be cleaned and disinfected 2 times every day.

2. Feeding in the first 2 weeks after weaning

In the first 2 weeks after weaning, piglets must be given a diet with high energy, high-quality protein, easy digestibility, good palatability, and comprehensive nutrition.

Because weaned piglets suddenly change from drinking sow milk to eating solid feed, this causes great stress. At this time, attention should be paid to the form of the feed. Wet mash can be used (2 parts water, 1 part feed). High-quality milk powder for piglets, glucose, multivitamins, etc. can be added to the feed, and feed small amounts more frequently, feeding 5-6 times per day. This can alleviate weaning stress, increase the feed intake of piglets, and achieve greater weight gain.

3. Nursery house

Newly weaned piglets generally require a local temperature of 30°C, then decrease by 3-4°C each week until it drops to 22-24°C. Keeping weaned piglets warm can reduce cold stress, thereby reducing post-weaning diarrhea and the occurrence of other diseases caused by cold. When keeping warm, try to use heat sources that have no impact on the nursery house environment, such as infrared heat lamps, electric heating plates, water heating, and other warming equipment, and try not to use coal or other heat sources that greatly affect air quality.

Ensure that each nursery pig has 0.3-0.4 sq m of lying space.

Strengthen ventilation and reduce the concentration of harmful gases such as ammonia and carbon dioxide in the house, so as to reduce irritation to the piglets' respiratory tract and thereby reduce the occurrence of respiratory diseases.

Clean manure frequently and minimize the number of times of washing. The air humidity in the house should be controlled at 60%-70%; too high humidity will cause diarrhea and skin diseases in piglets; too low humidity will increase dust in the house and induce respiratory diseases.

4. Promptly cull defective and inferior pigs

Defective and inferior pigs grow slowly. Even if they survive, raising them to slaughter requires a longer time and more feed, and the loss outweighs the gain.

Defective and inferior pigs grow slowly and are mostly diseased pigs. The more defective and inferior pigs there are, the more pathogenic microorganisms there are in the nursery house, and the easier it is for healthy pigs to become infected. The process of raising and treating them also takes up a lot of the keeper's time. Defective and inferior pigs should be culled and disposed of promptly when found.

5. Medication health care and deworming

In the 1st week of nursery care for piglets, add 60 g of tiamulin, 500 g of high-quality multivitamins, and 1 kg of glucose to each ton of water, or add 300 g of "Jiakang" (main ingredient: florfenicol), 500 g of multivitamins, and 1 kg of glucose, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of respiratory diseases.

During vaccination, adding high-quality multivitamins to the diet can alleviate stress to a certain extent.

About 3 weeks after weaning, internal and external parasites should be expelled. Highly effective deworming drugs such as "Kenweimie" (main ingredient: ivermectin) and "Tongmie" (main ingredient: doramectin) can be selected.

6. Standardize the immunization program

Vaccine inoculation stress is not only manifested in the injection itself, but can also significantly reduce the feed intake of piglets and affect the development of their immune system. Excessive vaccine injections may even cause immunosuppression, so vaccine injections should be minimized in the nursery house.

7. Strict disinfection

After the pigs in the pen are transferred out, spray all tools, pens, and equipment surfaces and ensure full soaking, and soak for a period of time; use a high-pressure washer to thoroughly rinse the floor, elevated beds, drinkers, feed troughs, etc.; after all tools are dry, choose a highly effective, broad-spectrum, low-irritation disinfectant and spray the empty pen comprehensively. After 2-3 days, use a flame to disinfect all places 1 more time, leave it vacant for 1 week, and then move weaned piglets in.

8. Divide areas

According to the principle of "all in, all out," a nursery house can be divided into several areas, each area being an independent space. Piglets weaned in the same 1 week are moved into one area. After the piglets in this area are completely moved out, after thorough disinfection and being left vacant for 1 week, another batch of piglets is then brought in.