Key points for raising pigs in winter: cold protection and warmth must be done well

Pig farming

    Cold-resistant pig-raising techniques are mainly used to reduce the adverse effects of disastrous weather such as heavy rain and freezing and to support recovery after disasters.

    1. Strengthen cold protection and warmth. The sow farrowing room and piglet nursery are the key areas for cold protection and warmth. For enclosed pig houses, use plastic film, foam boards, old packaging bags and other materials to seal the north-side windows to prevent cold wind from entering the pig house; the south-side windows should also be sealed, but some ventilation holes should be left; for open-style pig houses, plastic film can be used to seal the open parts, especially the north side of the pig house, which must be sealed. When the sun is out during the day, the south-side windows should be opened appropriately for ventilation.

    2. Provide additional heat sources for suckling piglets. Provide additional heat sources for newborn suckling piglets and newly weaned piglets by lighting coal stoves for warmth (but there must be a chimney), hanging far-infrared lamps, and other methods.

    3. Appropriately increase feed energy. Under heavy snow and severe cold conditions, the energy and feed required by pigs increase substantially. In severe cold weather, increase feed by 1 kg per pregnant sow per day; other pigs (piglets, fattening pigs, lactating sows) should not have their intake restricted and should be fed freely. Corn, wheat, brown rice and other energy feeds can also be increased by 10-15% on the original basis.

    4. Strengthen feeding management. In particular, strengthen the management of suckling piglets, with the focus on preventing suckling piglets from becoming frozen stiff or freezing to death, ensuring suckling piglets get good colostrum, and strengthening supplementary feeding for suckling piglets; strengthen the removal of manure and urine from pig houses, do not allow pig manure and urine to remain in the pig house, and control the concentration of harmful gases so that they do not exceed standards.

    5. Do a good job of epidemic prevention. In severe cold seasons, the possibility of outbreaks of certain viral diseases increases. Pig farms should strengthen immunization and vaccination work. Prevention and control of diseases such as transmissible gastroenteritis, epidemic diarrhea, and foot-and-mouth disease must be strengthened. At the same time, strengthen disinfection and isolation work, and strictly prevent infectious diseases from entering pig farms.