What are the common behaviors that cause feed waste on pig farms?
Pig farming is very common in China, and although China has a long history of raising pigs. However, if management is improper when raising pigs, it will not only increase breeding costs, but may also lead to losses. In particular, various behaviors that waste feed will increase the cost of pig feed. So when raising pigs, what behaviors on a pig farm lead to feed waste? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look!
1. Not changing feed with the seasons
Throughout the four seasons, the seasons differ, and climate and temperature also vary greatly. Therefore, the nutritional needs of pigs will also change accordingly. Many pig farmers do not pay attention to seasonal changes when raising pigs, and feed roughly the same feed throughout the whole year. The feed formulas on the market today basically do not allow pigs to be suitable for all four seasons of the year. For example, if high-protein feed is used for pigs in winter, it will lead to protein waste, while if high-energy feed is fed in summer, it will lead to energy waste. Therefore, we should pay attention to properly adjusting the feed according to seasonal changes, which can not only reduce feed waste, but also effectively lower breeding costs.
2. Using high-moisture corn feed
In autumn, many pig farmers encounter the same problem, which is that the pigs only eat but do not grow. The main reason is feeding too much high-moisture corn and other feed in autumn. Because in autumn and winter, when the temperature drops, pigs need a large amount of energy to maintain their own body temperature. Compared with the energy demand in spring and summer, it will certainly be much higher. Fresh corn harvested in autumn contains a large amount of moisture. If corn is fed excessively, it will lead to insufficient energy in pigs and hinder their growth. Therefore, when feeding wet corn, we should pay attention to combining it with high-energy feed to meet the energy needs of pigs in autumn and winter.
3. Unreasonable processing formula
Some farmers often encounter the same types of situations during the feeding process. The first is that when preparing processed feed, the proportions are not strictly followed, resulting in an imbalanced nutritional ratio. The second is that when preparing feed, if a certain nutrient is lacking, other nutrients are casually used as substitutes. The last is not paying attention to feed quality, passing off inferior goods as good ones, and so on, resulting in an unreasonable feed nutritional ratio. This will not only reduce the utilization and conversion rate of feed, but also have a great impact on pig growth.
4. Others
When feeding feed, many pig farms experience uneven feed mixing. Even when using machines to mix feed, it is easy for feed to be discharged while grinding, resulting in insufficient grinding time. There is also neglect of mixing after adding drugs and trace elements to the feed. Finally, there is the phenomenon of large pigs eating piglet feed, which causes serious feed waste. Moreover, if gilts are fed finishing pig feed, it will also affect the mating time, causing a serious impact on breeding benefits.
The above is a brief introduction to what behaviors on a pig farm lead to feed waste. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!