How to feed finishing pigs so they grow faster

--Environmental conditions cannot be ignored

The role and influence of environmental factors on pigs are increasingly valued by people. Only by creating good living and production conditions for pigs can the effect of obtaining more and better-quality products with the minimum amount of feed input be achieved. Environmental factors include temperature, humidity, density, ventilation, harmful gases in the barn, lighting and noise, etc.

1. Temperature: Pigs have a poor ability to regulate their own body temperature; only very few sweat glands can regulate it in hot weather, and only very few bristles resist the cold of winter. Therefore, pig barns must have good heat insulation and preservation effects; only when the temperature is suitable and the pigs feel comfortable can high production performance be obtained. Under high temperature conditions, the body heat balance is disrupted, body temperature rises, endocrine function weakens, while internal oxidation is strengthened, causing metabolites to accumulate in the body and the liver's detoxification function to weaken; in addition, high temperature can cause overload and failure of the cardiovascular system, and the rise in body temperature denatures proteins in the central nervous system and other important organs, resulting in coma and finally death from failure. Excessive cold will reduce the resistance of the respiratory system and digestive system, causing respiratory organ diseases and diseases such as enteritis and diarrhea; low temperature is also an environmental trigger for diseases such as arthritis. Therefore, whether the temperature is too high or too low, it will cause stress reactions in pigs and lead to adverse consequences. The most suitable air temperature for growing meat pigs is: 16-22°C (minimum 14°C) before body weight 60kg, 14-20°C (minimum 4°C) for body weight 60-90kg, and 12-16°C (minimum 10°C) for body weight above 90 kilograms. Alternatively, a formula can be used to calculate the suitable environmental temperature required for a pig of a certain body weight:

T=-0.06W+26 where T----the most suitable environmental temperature

w----the pig's body weight (kg)

When the external environmental temperature is higher than 30°C, cooling measures should be taken, such as opening the longitudinal exhaust ventilation system, spraying cool water or adding green, juicy feed.

2. Humidity: Humidity mainly affects pigs' productivity and health by affecting the body's heat regulation; it is the result of joint action with temperature, airflow, radiation and other factors. Under suitable humidity, humidity has little effect on pigs' productivity and health. Too high air humidity increases the sedimentation rate of bacteria-carrying particles in the air, thereby reducing the incidence of cough and pneumonia, but high humidity favors the breeding of pathogenic microorganisms and parasites. Pigs are prone to diseases such as mange and eczema; in addition, high humidity often makes feed moldy and bedding moldy, causing losses. If the air humidity in the pig barn is too low, it easily causes dry cracking of the skin and exposed mucous membranes, reducing their defensive capacity and increasing the incidence of respiratory and skin diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that the relative humidity in pig barns be 50--70%.

3. Density: Raising finishing pigs in large groups and eating from the same trough can increase appetite, promote growth, effectively use pen and equipment conditions, and improve labor productivity. But if grouping is unreasonable, fighting and competing for feed will affect the pigs' weight gain. When grouping, pigs of the same source, similar body weight, and basically consistent strength and temperament are generally grouped together for feeding. The number of pigs in each group should not be too many, and should be determined according to pen area and rearing density. Practice has proved that growing-finishing pigs of 15-60kg require 0.6-1.0 sq m per pig, and finishing pigs above 60kg require 1.0-1.2 sq m per pig; every 2 finishing pigs should have a feed trough 20-30 cm long. The number of pigs per pen is preferably 10-20. But the specific number can vary with different environmental conditions. In northern China, because the average temperature is low and the climate is dry, the rearing density can be appropriately increased; in the south, summer temperatures are higher and humidity is high, so the rearing density should be appropriately reduced.

4. Ventilation: Growing-finishing pigs raised intensively at high density need ventilation in all four seasons. Ventilation can remove excess water vapor in the pig barn, reduce humidity inside the barn, prevent condensation on the inner surfaces of the enclosure structure, and at the same time remove dust, microorganisms, toxic and harmful gases in the air (such as NH3, H2S, CO2, etc.), improving the sanitary condition of the air in the pig barn. Therefore, pig barns need ventilation in any season. Especially in winter, doors and windows are often closed to prevent cold, causing dampness inside the barn and deterioration of air sanitation, so attention must be paid to appropriate ventilation. In winter, ventilation and heat preservation are a contradiction. Enterprises with conditions can control the ventilation volume according to the humidity requirements of the pig barn while satisfying temperature supply; in order to reduce costs, ventilation measures should be taken while ensuring that the environmental temperature of the pig barn is basically satisfied, but in winter, the appearance of "draughts" must be prevented. The air flow in the pig barn is preferably 0.1-0.2m/s, and should not exceed 0.25m/s at most.

5. Lighting Suitable sunlight can strengthen the metabolic process of body tissues and improve pigs' disease resistance. However, too strong lighting can excite pigs, reduce rest time, increase thyroid secretion, raise metabolic rate, and affect weight gain and feed conversion rate. Lighting in finishing pig barns can be dimmer, as long as it is convenient for pigs to eat and for feeding management work, so that pigs can get sufficient rest.

6. Noise The noise in pig barns comes from outside, machinery inside the barn, and fighting among pigs. Noise increases pigs' activity and thus affects weight gain, and can also cause fright and reduce appetite. Therefore, sudden noise should be avoided as much as possible, and the noise intensity should preferably not exceed 85dB. Beautiful and pleasant music can excite the nerves, stimulate appetite, and improve metabolic function, just as people feel relaxed and happy when listening to music. Pig farms with conditions can appropriately play some light music, which is beneficial to pig growth.

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