What challenges does the integrated sow-piglet technology in the livestock industry face?

??? On March 23, Challenges Animal Husbandry held a press conference on its "four modernizations" pig nutrition feed. What kind of feed are these "four modernizations" feeds? It turns out that they are a full series of bio-functional feed supporting the "integrated sow-piglet" breeding technology. Thanks to the innovative nature of this feed technology, in just two months, the "integrated sow-piglet" full-course nutrition technology quickly swept through the pig farming world. On May 19, at the "2015-2016 China Animal Husbandry and Feed Top Ten Technological Innovation Products Selection Results Press Conference" held during the 14th China Animal Husbandry Expo, the "'Integrated Sow-Piglet' Full Series Bio-Functional Feed" recently launched by the Challenges Animal Husbandry research team won the honor of "2015-2016 China Animal Husbandry and Feed Top Ten Technological Innovation Product."

According to Lu Hongwei, general manager of Challenges Animal Husbandry, the key point of the R&D innovation for the "four modernizations" series of bio-functional feed is to base itself on de-homogenization and bring biotechnology to the industrial foundation. Using "four modernizations" nutrition technology fundamentally solves the quality and safety problems of the pig farming industry, and promotes industrial transformation and upgrading. Challenges Animal Husbandry's product R&D seized on two pain points of the industry: first, high-quality sow feed; second, "integrated sow-piglet" full-course nutrition technology. And the four "Yikang" feeds of the "four modernizations" turn the pain points into "through points": Yizaikang - gestation stage, balanced nutrition; Yirukang - lactation stage, more suckling and more milk; Yimeikang - weaning and nursery, healthier piglets; Yifukang - growth and fattening, more efficient output. By incorporating elements such as immune regulation technology, low-antibiotic technology, and bio-feed technology, the pigs achieve intrinsic health.

This series of products is based on the fundamentals of the relationship between animals' full suckling instinct and maternal health. Obtaining comprehensive nutrition starting from the fetus is the foundation of lifelong health and good growth performance. By adopting a systematic nutrition model, it significantly increases piglet weaning weight, which can reach 10 kg at 28 days, making a "no-creep-feed mode" possible. This not only powerfully frees up the labor and feed costs of creep feeding, but also improves piglet health, survival rate, and growth performance. With good management at the weaning stage, they reach 20 kg at 45 days and 30 kg at 60 days. The nursery stage alone is reduced by 10 days. At the Challenges Animal Husbandry trial pig farm, using the "integrated sow-piglet" pig nutrition series bio-feed products, from weaning to 125 kg slaughter, the overall average feed-to-meat ratio was 2:1, and the cost of producing meat was 3.5 yuan/jin, placing it at the industry-leading level.

On April 21, at the Feed Industry (Hefei) Exhibition, Challenges Animal Husbandry held the "China 'Integrated Sow-Piglet' Pig Nutrition Key Technology Seminar," and its new "integrated sow-piglet" concept received unanimous praise from the industry. Dr. Jesus Matas from Spain highly affirmed the scientific, refined, and systematic nature of the "integrated sow-piglet" technology. At the scene of Challenges Animal Husbandry's 2016 large-scale pig farm investment promotion meeting, sales of "Yikang" products were booming, and 50 pig farm owners from across the country placed orders. Outside the venue was lively too: the "Palm Bright Pig" WeChat public account received 1,336 clicks in 2 hours, and many industry media outlets forwarded it, with reads exceeding 20,000. Big data analysis concluded that 50 pig farms serve more than 10,000 foundation sows. Based on the current situation of each sow contributing 16 live piglets per year, the piglets would reach 160,000. And according to Challenges Animal Husbandry's "integrated sow-piglet no-creep-feed plan," based on just the single indicator of 10 days earlier marketing, the annual cost savings would be about 12.8 million yuan.

The proposal of the "integrated sow-piglet" nutrition model was summarized by Challenges Animal Husbandry after long-term and extensive empirical work, and its idea is to fully unleash the maximum growth potential of piglets themselves. Such innovation is needed for the sustainable development of China's livestock industry, and is also the company's concrete practice of the concepts of "innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing." This year's China Animal Husbandry Expo, themed "Building a Healthy, Safe, and Efficient Livestock Industry," gave the honor of "Technological Innovation Product" to Challenges Animal Husbandry, which is precisely the greatest affirmation by the entire industry of the "integrated sow-piglet" R&D achievement.