When choosing a green crop, you should choose juicy, green, young plants with a high content of easily digestible nutrients, a lot of proteins. Let's figure out what kind of grass can be given to piglets, and which one will be dangerous to their health.
Useful herbs for piglets
- are not afraid of trampling;
- grow back several times over the summer;
- give juicy and tender food.
Legumes (alfalfa, clover, sweet clover, seradella)
These crops are important in the process of raising animals, especially if they are perennial. When a pig eats it, the following components are obtained:
- vitamins;
- proteins;
- minerals (calcium, etc.).
Cultivated sowing herbs are represented by alfalfa - juicy, young and tender. In comparison with other legumes, it is considered the best, as it is capable of producing large yields. Alfalfa can be consumed by animals without limitation in quantity. It can be used as feed long before flowering, at a height of no more than 10-15 cm. The younger the grass, the more protein it contains. In addition, it is more readily eaten by animals. During flowering, it becomes very coarse, it becomes less in demand by animals.
Clover is also used in a young state, since its beneficial properties disappear during the growth process. In the beginning it contains:
- protein;
- fiber.
There are more of these components during the flowering period, but at this time it is not so readily consumed by pigs. Melilot is a very good fodder plant. It contains coumarin, which makes the herb taste bitter, so pigs get used to it over time. It is necessary to offer the plant to animals at a young age, when the length reaches 7-15 cm (young sweet clover contains less coumarin). The grass quickly coarsens, which is especially noticeable during the flowering process. During this period, pigs refuse to eat it. It becomes more than a meter in height, its ends remain fresh and tender, but they are inaccessible to animals.
Seradella is not widespread in Russia. It produces very valuable and nutritious hay and is used as pasture. In this case, animals are driven to its fields before flowering begins. The grass is also suitable for silage.
Cereals (winter rye, corn, Sudanese grass)
In another way, it is called winter wheat. It is used as the earliest green fodder crop. Two to three weeks in the spring after the snow melts, rye provides a rich and very juicy green food, which pigs love so much.
Corn can be classified as a carbonaceous feed. The plant is trampled down, so it is often fed cut or cut in a mixture with concentrated nutrition. During the dry season, it is used as a pasture. In dry and warm climates, Sudanese grass produces significant yields of greens and hay. In drylands, it is of great interest.
Cruciferous (turnip, rapeseed, cabbage)
Of the annual crops, rape is the best option for green forage. Animals at any age eat this culture well. Thanks to the plant, their digestion improves (due to the high content of sulfur). Rapeseed is especially useful for lactating queens and young animals, but not all varieties are recommended to be used. Only sweet dwarf Japanese grass (Essex) is suitable for animals. Rape is valuable because of rapid growth... It is sown in early spring and provides animal feed in a month and a half. Pigs should be offered it when it grows 15-20 cm. It is not recommended to keep animals on rapeseed pastures for a long time: complete grazing of the grass significantly delays its regrowth.
After grazing the pigs, at least three to five leaves should remain. In this case, the plant will grow back quickly and can be used 3-4 more times per season. Cabbage is used little by little for feeding pigs. It is necessary to train in minimum quantities - 300-500 g per animal. Gradually, the intake is brought to 1-3 kg. If it is necessary to slaughter an animal, then a month before that it is recommended to refuse such complementary foods: otherwise the meat will have a sour taste. The use of the product is not recommended for pregnant uterus: they may have an upset stomach. Turnip is used in autumn and early winter, and its roots are recommended as feeding livestock in late August and early September.
Poisonous herbs
The farmer must monitor the condition of the animals and take timely measures to normalize their condition. He needs to know about herbs that can harm pigs.
Milestone poisonous
This plant is especially dangerous. It can be found in damp areas. The milestone has poisonous stems, leaves and rhizomes. Animals can eat it in early spring. Signs of poisoning can be noticed 1.5-2 hours after eating.
Dope
It is found in neglected vegetable gardens, wastelands. All parts of the plant are considered poisonous, the most dangerous are the fruits. Most often, young animals are poisoned, and adult animals do not touch the dope, as it exudes an unpleasant odor.
Hellebore
It can be found in sparse forests, wet meadows. At a young age, it is especially poisonous, and at a mature age, the rhizome is dangerous. Most often, poisoning occurs when taking hay, hay, clogged with a plant. In the process of ensiling and drying, its poisonous properties remain.
Buttercup
It grows along the banks of rivers and ponds. In early spring animals strive to try it: it is during this period that it is especially dangerous. If the plant is dried, then the poisonous properties will disappear.
Nightshade
This plant grows on wastelands, roadsides, landfills, abandoned gardens. All its ground parts are poisonous, especially unripe fruits.
Mustard
It is dangerous when blooming. The plant provokes inflammation gastrointestinal tract.
Signs of poisoning
Most often, the problem covers a large number of pigs, passes violently, accompanied by rapid death. In case of poisoning in an animal, you can notice:
- agitated or depressed state;
- convulsions;
- muscle tremors;
- sometimes paralysis;
- stomach problems;
- shortness of breath;
- rapid pulse and breathing;
- sometimes blood in the urine.
The symptoms may differ, which makes it difficult to establish the reasons that provoked the problem. In this regard, feed, intestinal and stomach contents in veterinary laboratories are being investigated.
The most beneficial for animals are legumes. They are rich in useful ingredients that contribute to the proper development of pigs. The farmer should not forget about dangerous plants, because of which the animal can die quickly. The owner must be aware of the signs, he must take timely measures when confirming poisoning.
Kira Stoletova
Some aspiring livestock breeders believe that the pig is able to eat any food that is offered to it. Indeed, these animals are omnivorous and capable of absorbing a lot different food... There were cases when adult boars or queens ate small animals in the courtyard (although these cases are rare). However, this does not mean that pigs can be fed with whatever food is available: weight gain depends on how well the pigs are fed.
Before deciding what and how to feed pigs, you need to figure out what basic rules are used to compose their diet. On large farms, feed is purchased in bulk, which makes the diet less varied. You also need to find out that the pig is easy to digest, and what kind of food is hard for her body to digest. For novice livestock breeders, it is recommended to clarify what breed of pig: meat, meat-lassing and greasy varieties are fattened different ways, so you need to decide what you need more: meat, lard, or both equally.
When fattening, it is better to clarify in advance which direction of production the breed belongs to. For example, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs (or, as they are sometimes called, Lop-eared pigs) belong to the bacon variety. Only after the breed has been clarified, it is necessary to start feeding so that the pig gains weight the fastest.
Not all animals are fed a diet with a view to speed dial live weight. There are several special cases in which the diet has to be compiled separately:
- The ration of the breeding stock. These queens and boars are not sent for slaughter: they are needed for further breeding and increasing the herd - the diet for them is compiled with an eye to improving health. In no case should you save on these animals, because the farmer's profit depends on them.
- The diet of young animals. You need to be very careful about what to feed the little pigs. Immediately after weaning from their mother, they are very vulnerable, they need quality food. Moreover, the food must be chosen correctly so that the babies do not get worse after such a meal.
- Feeding sows. The feed for the pigs from which the offspring will be obtained is carefully selected. A special table is compiled by month, according to which the sow's diet changes. All this is necessary in order for her to give birth to healthy offspring, and then she could give a sufficient amount of milk.
But this is not all that is worth remembering. Feeding should be done according to a specific schedule, while taking into account how much food the pig consumes per day. Sometimes too much food can harm, not benefit. And the quality of food should be closely monitored. In no case should you feed your pig with rotten, frozen potatoes or drunken cherries. There is no guarantee that after such food the pig will survive, therefore it is so important to be able to correctly and thoughtfully formulate the diet for these animals.
Choosing a breed for fattening
Before a farmer can figure out how to feed domestic pigs, he will have to choose suitable breed these animals. If you buy rural pigs that were hatched without a separate plan, they will gain weight slowly, and the cost of buying feed will be very high. Here, even such compound feeds as Purina will not help with weight gain. Although in order for the pets to grow faster, it is necessary to take suitable feed for the pigs. But pedigree Vistula pigs are able to grow faster than ordinary rural pigs.
If we talk about choosing a breed for fattening, then here it is necessary to take into account the requirements of the market and your own preferences. When a farmer decides to raise a pig in order to acquire meat, he should choose the breed and type of feeding to his taste. But when raising pigs for sale, everything is somewhat more complicated. At the moment, lean lean meat is very popular, so you should pay attention to meat varieties and only after that proceed to buying a suitable pork feed for the selected breed.
Pig feeding options
So, the farmer has acquired an adult pig or piglet, and now he needs to choose the appropriate feeding regime, while it is important to avoid such dangers as overfeeding, excessive food consumption or health problems. V individual cases there is a chance to see how the eaten pig stops breathing, and all because of the inappropriate food.
Both in industrial and at home, feeding is carried out in one of 3 main directions. Some breeds are bred for one type of feeding, while others are a kind of generalists:
- Fattening piglets for meat. Piglets are used here, which, depending on the variety, are sent to slaughter at the age of 6-8 months. They quickly gain weight and clog when they reach 110 kg. This is a classic figure that experienced miners are always guided by. It is unprofitable to slaughter smaller piglets, so people with experience do not try to do this.
- Bacon feeding. Here, the product is already more fatty, and there are always layers of fat in the meat. Growing here takes place under different conditions than when obtaining lean meat. Piglets selected for bacon fattening should weigh 25-27 kg at the age of 85-95 days. There are special breeds that are best suited for this type of cultivation.
- The last type is the so-called fattening. In Ukraine, such a fattening is called easier and more understandable - lard. They use meat-sucking pigs or adult animals that have been rejected for one reason or another. Fattening is also carried out according to certain rules, when violated, both meat and lard (or lard) are of poor quality and are not suitable for consumption.
It should be borne in mind that meat and bacon are more in demand on the market than lard, therefore it is on them that pigs are usually fed. And in terms of costs, bacon and meat methods are cheaper than fattening. But the cultivation of pigs for lard also should not be discounted, because tasty and high-quality lard is also selling well. Ultimately, it all depends on the available feed, breed and other individual factors. To a large extent, the preferences of the farmer himself also influence.
Feeding adult pigs for slaughter
To obtain meat or bacon, you can use animals of any breed, but it is important not only the feeding of the pigs, but also the characteristics of the young animals used. We need piglets whose weight at the age of 90-120 days is at least 25 kg, and ideally 30-35 kg. The diet and principles of feeding piglets at home are somewhat different from those used on large farms. More precisely, the principles remain the same, but there are certain differences in the composition of food.
There are ready-made combined or concentrated feeds that are used specifically for pork production. And they can be used at home, not only on farms, where a herd of 25 heads is kept on a site of 20 square meters. For example, products of the K-55 brand are often used for pigs, which provide a fairly intensive increase in live weight. It should be understood that dry food, as well as too liquid, slow down the rate of weight gain.
To prevent the compound feed from being too liquid, it must be diluted with clean lukewarm water. The norms are as follows: 1 kg of feed accounts for 1.3 liters of water. All this is thoroughly mixed and given to the animals. These liquid mash are great for daily feedings. But it should be borne in mind that when calculating how much feed should be given per day, the mass of dry feed not diluted with water is taken. When calculating daily allowance it should be borne in mind that all of them are made not in kg, but in feed units.
Stages of feeding adult pigs
This division applies to all types of feeding. Feeding domestic pigs in the first step requires a balanced diet with a full complement of vitamins and beneficial nutrients. The food that the pig eats should be moderately nutritious, since a lack of protein slows down its growth rate. For example, at the beginning of feeding, meat pigs should receive 190-210 g of protein every day. At the same time, for those piglets that have reached a weight of 60 kg, the daily norms are 270-320 g.
Upon reaching a mass equal to 60-70 kg, it is time to move on to the second stage of fattening. Here, the amount of protein (those same proteins) can be reduced somewhat. For example, feeding pigs that have reached a mass of 100 kg or more implies the presence of proteins in the food. But their number does not exceed 360-380 g per day. That is, the ratio of feed and protein in it decreases with increasing weight of animals. At the same time, the ratio of liquid to dry feed remains unchanged throughout the entire feeding period.
Feeding adult pigs with low calorie feed
Before feeding pigs with such feeds, one must take into account that the rate of weight gain will ultimately be low, which is a serious disadvantage in the eyes of livestock breeders. In such conditions, pigs feed mainly on grass, food waste and other similar foods. The quality of the meat is not high enough, although it is quite suitable for home use. Such feeding is suitable if there is access to a large amount of quality meadow grass.
The main problem in this case is this: in the meadow grass there may be a lack of protein, which slows down the growth of animals, so you have to add high-calorie juicy feed to the diet. Feeding with some concentrates is also used. All this is needed in order to balance the diet of the pigs. But this must be done so that feeding does not increase the amount of protein food above the necessary rate... In winter, hay is used instead of meadow grass: it is more nutritious. Hay from alfalfa or clover equals 0.6-0.75 feed units.
Intensive feeding of adult pigs
In total, there are 3 main options for feeding domestic pigs. All of them are used by farmers to obtain high-quality pork that meets GOST. It is always important here not only how much feed the pig eats, but also what exactly it eats. The quality of the food received plays an important role, because it depends on what vitamins and nutrients the animal receives. Here is a table that shows the composition of the diet for fast growth and weight gain with meat pigs:
Even in the summer, food for pigs should be varied with grass for the vitamins that it contains. Root feeding is usually divided into 2 main types: feeding with fodder beets, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke and feeding with potatoes. At the same time, a mixture with potatoes contains up to 30-35% of this root crop, while food is diluted with beets or carrots in smaller quantities. It should also be remembered that you can feed the pigs with sugar beets, but it will be too expensive.
Formulation of a ration for fattening adult pigs
Ready-made compound feed can be replaced with hand-made mixtures, and these mixtures can be used for any type of feeding. Feeding types differ only in the percentage of different foods. When composing a mixture for fattening, one must take into account the influence of various feeds on the future quality of pork. The technology for making up the diet is very simple. Conventionally, all the food that the pig receives can be divided into 3 groups, according to the level of quality. Here they are:
- The first food group. With its help, high quality pork is obtained, but these feeds are distinguished by a higher price. This includes most grains such as wheat, millet and other types of grain. In addition to grain, it is also worth mentioning carrots, sugar and fodder beets, legumes. This is why pigs are often fed peas, wheat and fodder beets. They are also fed with pumpkin or barley.
- The second group is medium quality feed. If you use only these, the meat will be of poor quality with a lot of fat. But it is worth combining them correctly with food from the first group - and it turns out complete diet... This group includes corn, potatoes and bran. That is why bran is fed only together with wheat or other similar types of grain.
- The third group is cheap, poor quality feed. This includes soybeans, oats and various food waste, as well as various cakes and pulps. Pulp, oats or soy cannot be fed to pigs, but you can dilute the diet with them. If what the pig eats is 20-25% of the feed of this group, it will benefit her. Ideally, you should combine foods from all three groups.
So how is the diet composed? 50-60% of feed from the first group is taken. With root feeding, they make up 70-80% of the entire portion. Of the grains, it is worth using primarily barley and wheat, which make up 50-60% of the total mass of grain. About 10% of corn, oats are also taken, do not forget about the bran. Even when composing portions, they use raw buckwheat and peas, the proportion of which should also not exceed 10%. But there is no need to feed animals with bread.
/ Breed "Crimean hu # vaya")))
Feeding pigs at home
Feeding pigs with what and how to feed
Feeding pigs at home
Fattening pigs at home. Part 2.120 kg in 6 months! Feeding with homogeneous liquid food!
Pigs People's Growth Boosters
This is not all about how to feed your pigs properly when feeding meat. It is imperative to add juicy feed to the portions. In summer, it is better to feed with pumpkin, cucumbers, fresh peas, and herbs, for example, nettles. Potatoes, as well as red beets, can be fed in both winter and summer. In addition to potatoes, in winter, it is worth using harvested silage, which can replace fresh grass and tops of plants. At the same time, it is better to make porridge from dry feed: it is easier for animals to eat such porridge.
Feeding piglets up to six months of age
The best food for growing piglets up to one month of age is mother's milk. But even newly born babies need not only milk, but also vitamins, as well as premixes for accelerated growth. Usually, in order to feed the suckers, the uterus is enough, the person only needs to add vitamins. The starter complex of premixes and vitamins is usually supplied in granules. Difficulties begin when the uterus refuses to breastfeed the piglets and no longer gives milk.
Even if the sow has not refused to feed the babies, milk alone will not be enough for them. Here you need to know how piglets are fed at home. Newborn pigs are fed with premixes for suckling pigs from the third day. It is necessary to accustom every little sucker to them as early as possible, so that they independently take these feedings. On the fifth day, you can feed them with cow's milk, and after a week you can feed the kids with various cereals.
Some farmers feed little pigs with jelly made from oatmeal. It is also given one week after giving birth. It is needed so that babies quickly gain weight, although they need liquid food most of all, already on day 10 they can be fed with soft hay, for example, tops of peas or beans. Correct feeding growing piglets also includes a certain amount of succulent feed. But extruded feed will suit them only of the highest quality and only from one month of age.
First, it is important to know what is the best way to feed small pigs. Moreover, the recommendations are the same for breastfed gilts, and for those who are transferred to artificial feeding... Weaners are usually fed with milk replacer - whole milk substitutes. In order to artificially raise piglets, it is necessary to accustom them to the fact that feeding is carried out by people, so the farmer will have to feed them with milk every day with his own hands. Such care will accustom kids to the owner from an early age.
What should not feed the pigs in the first month of life? Sunflower seeds, onions, fish, bread, pumpkin and other similar foods. Nothing other than milk should be given from animal feed. By the way, adult pigs are fed with fish, bone meal and other similar products in small quantities, therefore, in order to avoid problems with nutrition, it is better for novice livestock breeders to use ready-made feed from reliable manufacturers. But you need to make sure that the cost of food does not become high.
You should always make sure that little ones do not eat from the same trough with adult pigs. As already mentioned, those types of feed that will go for adult boars are not suitable for piglets. For example, acorns are good food for fattening meat, but babies are not always able to digest them. Some animals are able to eat almost any food, while others turn out to be very capricious and demanding on food, so this issue needs to be approached individually.
It is important not only what the guinea pigs eat, but also the feeding schedule.
If we talk about the regime, then a healthy pig eats 6-7 times a day, because it has a small stomach. It is not at all difficult to teach an animal to eat right. It often happens that the baby lies sluggish or, on the contrary, shakes, as in a fever. The problem may be illness, worms, or poisoning.
Often, the problem can be prevented simply by using the correct feeding regime, because common reason feeling unwell- banal overfeeding.
Everyone wants to quickly fatten piglets so that they can be sent to slaughter early. But if you give them large amounts of food at a time, it will only get worse. It happens, of course, that some piglets calmly overpower portions, while others immediately feel bad. But it is better to give portions based on weaker babies. It is also worth feeding the babies with salty food or giving salt separately to improve digestion.
Feeding a pregnant sow
It is worth talking about how a pregnant pig is raised. Its correct content will be the start of economic development. And it doesn't matter if the piglets will then be kept separately with her. In any case, the health of its future offspring depends on the quality of nutrition that a pregnant pig receives. It turns out that the better the pregnant sow is fed, the higher the farmer's profit. Without this, there is no chance of getting healthy piglets.
Some farmers recommend (it is even on the video) to give the uterus a lot of food. Moreover, everything that is recommended for adult pigs is used: corn, wheat, barley, oats, juicy feed and protein foods. In fact, it all depends on the quality of the food, and the portions should even be somewhat smaller. They are reduced by 1/5 of the usual mass. You can do your own food preparation or buy ready-made feed for sows, although ready-made feed alone is not always suitable.
Complementary foods with vitamins are a great choice. Granulated vitamin feed for sows is a must.
So that the pig does not stop bearing offspring, it is necessary to feed it twice a day. There should be a quarter less animal feed than in a standard fattening diet, and portions should be prepared taking into account the fact that a pregnant pig only needs the highest quality feed. Here is what livestock breeders write on the forums about the maintenance of a pregnant sow:
“The quantity and quality of the feed received is very important when a pig is pregnant. Moreover, the recommendations are the same for both ordinary pigs and black Vietnamese animals. You can use both ready-made feeds (their production has been established for a long time), and you can choose your own diet. You just need to choose the best option: high-quality grain, juicy and fresh roots, fragrant hay or grass. Before farrowing, the portions should be halved (2-4 days before delivery). "
From proper care the health and productivity of an adult pig largely depends on the piglet. Although these animals are considered unpretentious, babies need special care. Let's take a look at how to properly feed and care for piglets.
.First, let's look at what to feed the pigs with.
The feed should be selected so that the piglet gains weight quickly while remaining healthy. Please note that fattening can be meat and bacon. The second method is more complicated and is only suitable for certain breeds... When fed bacon, young animals should receive a large amount of protein.
Feeding can be natural or dry.
For natural feeding of pigs, cereals (barley, peas, millet), root crops (carrots, beets and boiled potatoes), melons (pumpkin is especially useful), dairy products, meat waste are used. Greens should also be present in the diet, but due to the fact that pigs have a single chamber stomach, such food is less digestible, so it should be a small part.
The basis of dry feeding is made up of crushed grain mixtures. Many farmers choose this method as it is less labor intensive and provides quick weight gain. In this case, additives from oilcake, pea flour, vitamin and mineral complexes... When dry feeding, it is especially important that the piglets have access to water at all times.
Mineral dressings are important: chalk, salt, charcoal.
Diet and regime for different ages
Newborn piglet feeds on mother's milk. It is important that for the first time the pig can feed the litter no later than one hour after birth.
If the pig cannot feed the babies, substitutes are used. note that powdered milk for piglets it should be special - the usual product is not suitable for the human table. It should be diluted according to the instructions. Artificial feeding is also necessary for purchased piglets.
Already on the fifth day of life, small piglets can be given mineral supplements, as well as fried grains of corn, barley, wheat and peas - these products not only saturate, but also stimulate development salivary glands and teeth. To avoid diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, acidophilic yogurt is added to the diet. Suckling pigs are fed 8-10 times a day in small portions.
Gradually, compound feeds and premixes are introduced into complementary foods. Premix "Piggy" is recommended for up to 2 months.
On the tenth day, mashed carrots are introduced into the pig's diet (later they are given finely chopped), later pumpkin, beets and combined silage are gradually added. Boiled potatoes can be fed to piglets no earlier than three weeks of age.
Now we will find out how to feed monthly piglets.
Proper nutrition includes carrots, boiled potatoes, concentrates and premixes, hay dust, milk. A month old pig should eat 2-3 times a day.
From 1.5 months, natural feeding with milk is stopped, weaning the babies from the sow.
A two-month-old piglet should receive root crops, grain, reverse, poultry, grass flour and mineral supplements. Under normal household conditions, the average weight at the end of this period is 25 kg.
To ensure rapid growth muscle mass, young animals from 2.5 to 4 months with natural feeding are given thick cereals (pea, barley and oat) and meat waste. The diet should also include vegetable tops and grass. Daily dose chalk and salt - 15-20 g. Feeding with milk, whey and other dairy products not only helps the young grow faster, but also gives the meat a pleasant aroma.
Meat pigs are fed, as they say, to the dump. Portions should not be limited, but any leftover food should be thrown away.
What can not be fed
Proportions are important, as an excess of vegetables in the diet will make the lard flabby. Large amounts of fish waste will give meat and lard an unpleasant odor.
Buckwheat, corn, wheat bran and potatoes should be given a little, otherwise the bacon and meat will be loose, with an unpleasant aftertaste.
When grazing in the pasture, you need to check that there are no poisonous herbs: black nightshade, horse dill, milkweed, etc.
Necessary conditions for keeping
For a pigsty, high ceilings are important (at least 2.5 m). An important condition is good ventilation, but at the same time the absence of drafts. The room must have windows, including opening ones.
The best floor is wood, with a slight slope and grooves along which waste will flow.
The ceiling and walls must be covered with lime whitewash, and it must be periodically renewed.
Piglets must not be reared in cold rooms. Normally, the temperature should be + 18 ... + 20 ° C. In the room where the newborn pigs will be, it should be + 25 ... + 28 ° C; some experts recommend temperatures up to + 35 ° C.
Small pigs care
So that the piglets do not fight over the nipples, and the stronger ones do not push the weak ones away, forcing them to starve and weaken even more, it is advisable to manually plant them to certain nipples. In order not to get confused, write the letters "L" or "P" (left or right) on their backs with oil paint. The front nipples are marked with one or two points near the neck, the rear ones near the tail. It is advisable that the smallest piglets feed from the front teats.
In the first week, you need to make sure that the pig does not crush the offspring. To do this, you can make barriers from poles at a distance of 15-20 cm from the wall.
Caring for small pigs involves the mandatory maintenance of cleanliness in the pigsty. Many people recommend changing the bedding daily.
Prevention and treatment of diseases
Check the condition of the umbilical cord periodically. If it dries slowly or starts to rot, see your veterinarian.
Examine the head as well: the eyes should be clear and shiny, and the mucous membranes around the eyes and in the mouth should be pink.
Up to a month, piglets need to be vaccinated against salmonellosis, enterococcosis and pasteurellosis. At 40-45 days they are vaccinated against the plague, at 60-70 days - against erysipelas.
In case of poisoning in home first aid kit must be Activated carbon and vodka. The latter is given to provoke vomiting: about 200-300 ml, depending on age.
Erysipelas manifests itself as red spots on the skin. Sick young animals are constantly itching. In this case, you must contact your veterinarian.
Diarrhea, cramps, fever, vomiting, and purple spots behind the ears indicate plague. A cure is possible only at the very beginning of the disease. The infection is highly contagious, so the sick individual must be isolated immediately. We need to call the vet.
It is believed that pigs are omnivores, so raising them is not particularly difficult. This is partly true, feeding pigs is really simplified by their varied diet, which can include vegetables, grains, animal products, waste from meat and fish industries, and other food waste. But will it be possible to get tasty and nutritious meat and lard without following a certain technology of feeding pigs? Unlikely. Without knowledge of feed, diet and feeding norms, the animal can grow painful and slowly gain weight, and the quality of meat and lard will be far from expected.
Feed classification
Feeding pigs at home involves choosing an optimal diet and appropriate nutritional norms for them. It should be borne in mind that these animals have a unicameral stomach, so they better absorb concentrated feed, and coarse and juicy (with a high fiber content) digest poorly.
One of the main criteria for fattening pigs is the quality of meat and lard. Therefore, all feeds, depending on their effect on this indicator, are conventionally divided into several groups.
- cereals: peas, barley, millet;
- juicy roots and vegetables: sugar beets, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin;
- greens: nettle, clover, sainfoin, alfalfa;
- roughage: hay dust from leguminous herbs (sainfoin, clover, alfalfa);
- dairy products and waste from meat production.
All of these feeds increase the density and graininess of the bacon, improve the flavor of the meat and promote rapid growth.
The second group includes less suitable feed: wheat, rye bran, corn, buckwheat. It is desirable that these feeds do not exceed half of the total feed mass. For example, feeding a pig with corn provides the animal with a lot of energy, although corn contains very little protein.
The third group includes feeds that have a bad effect on the quality of meat and lard - oats, soybeans and cake. To prevent negative impact such feeds, they can be fed until the pig reaches 60 kilograms.
The ration of pigs should be optimized two months before slaughter: feed from the third group is completely excluded, while increasing the amount of feed from the first group.
Diet and feeding rates
A novice pig breeder is faced with two main questions on the topic of feed: What and how to feed the pigs properly?
The fattening diet is associated with several factors: breed, age, the ultimate goal of raising pigs (breeding, slaughter). The diet also depends on the employment and financial condition of the pig breeder. Busy pig breeders prefer to use dry feed and premixes. Feeding pigs with compound feed saves time, but is more expensive. The norms for feeding pigs with compound feed can be found in the table:
Pig feeding rates depend on the same factors as the diet. You can study such norms in more detail and compose a diet using the following tables:
| Feed | 1 kg of feed contains | for 1 feed. units feed required, kg | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| feed units, kg | digestion. protein, g | calcium, g | phosphorus, g | carotene, mg | ||
| Green food: | ||||||
| Clover red | 0,21 | 27 | 3,8 | 0,7 | 40 | 4,8 |
| Clover aftermath | 0,21 | 35 | 3 | 0,7 | 65 | 4,8 |
| Alfalfa | 0,17 | 36 | 6,4 | 0,6 | 50 | 5,9 |
| Peas | 0,13 | 25 | 3,1 | 0,5 | 60 | 7,6 |
| Vika | 1,16 | 34 | 2,1 | 0,7 | 45 | 6,3 |
| Vika with oats | 0,16 | 23 | 2,1 | 0,8 | 45 | 6,3 |
| Pelushka | 0,1 | 25 | 4,5 | 0,4 | 65 | 10 |
| Lupine | 0,12 | 24 | 2,8 | 0,4 | 200 | 8,3 |
| Seradella | 0,17 | 26 | 2,7 | 0,5 | 55 | 5,9 |
| Corn | 0,2 | 15 | 1,2 | 0,6 | 35 | 5 |
| Milky-wax ripeness corn | 0,2 | 10 | 0,8 | 0,5 | 30 | 5 |
| Waxy maize | 0,24 | 12 | 0,9 | 0,7 | 30 | 4,1 |
| Sugar beet tops | 0,2 | 22 | 1,16 | 0,4 | 30 | 5 |
| Beet tops fodder | 0,09 | 21 | 2,6 | 0,5 | 40 | 11,1 |
| Fodder cabbage | 0,16 | 18 | 4,1 | 0,6 | 30 | 6,2 |
| Cabbage leaf | 0,12 | 14 | 2,2 | 0,3 | 40 | 8,3 |
| Hay: | ||||||
| Clover | 0,52 | 79 | 9,3 | 2,2 | 25 | 2 |
| Clover early harvest | 0,59 | 135 | 10,3 | 3,7 | 35 | 1,7 |
| Alfalfa | 0,49 | 116 | 17,7 | 2,2 | 45 | 2 |
| Clover hay flour | 0,64 | 120 | 9,6 | 2,1 | 75 | 1,6 |
| Artificially dried clover hay flour | 0,67 | 95 | 9,9 | 2,5 | 150 | 1,5 |
| Alfalfa hay flour | 0,48 | 110 | 9,8 | 1,6 | 90 | 2,1 |
| Lesnoe | 0,46 | 34 | 6,4 | 1,4 | 20 | 2,2 |
| Lugovoye | 0,42 | 48 | 6 | 2,1 | 15 | 2,4 |
| Chaff: | ||||||
| Pea | 0,49 | 36 | 10,4 | 2,2 | 10 | 2 |
| Clover | 0,64 | 83 | 16,1 | 1,9 | 10 | 1,6 |
| Silage: | ||||||
| Corn | 0,2 | 14 | 1,5 | 0,5 | 15 | 5 |
| Corn (leaves and stems) | 0,16 | 13 | 1,4 | 0,5 | 15 | 6,2 |
| Corn cobs of milky-wax ripeness | 0,31 | 20 | 1,5 | 0,7 | 3 | 3,2 |
| Corn cobs of waxy ripeness | 0,44 | 26 | 2,1 | 1 | 2 | 2,3 |
| Clover | 0,16 | 19 | 3,4 | 0,7 | 25 | 6,2 |
| Vico-oatmeal | 0,21 | 32 | 2,3 | 0,9 | 15 | 4,8 |
| Herb | 0,2 | 27 | 3,5 | 0,7 | 10 | 5 |
| Fodder cabbage | 0,12 | 17 | 2,6 | 0,4 | 20 | 8,3 |
| Combined | 0,25 | 20 | 2,9 | 0,5 | 22 | 4 |
| Root crops: | ||||||
| Potato | 0,3 | 16 | 0,2 | 0,7 | - | 3,3 |
| Boiled potatoes | 0,3 | 12 | 0,2 | 0,5 | - | 3,3 |
| Silage potatoes | 0,36 | 12 | 0,8 | 0,5 | - | 2,8 |
| Frozen potatoes | 0,3 | 9 | 0,3 | 0,5 | - | 3,3 |
| Fodder carrots | 0,14 | 7 | 0,6 | 0,5 | 30 | 7,1 |
| Sugar beet | 0,26 | 12 | 0,5 | 0,5 | - | 3,8 |
| Fodder beet | 0,12 | 9 | 0,4 | 0,4 | - | 8,3 |
| Ground pear (Jerusalem artichoke) | 0,23 | 15 | 0,5 | 0,6 | - | 4,3 |
| Fodder pumpkin | 0,1 | 7 | 0,4 | 0,3 | 20 | 10 |
| Hard food: | ||||||
| Wheat | 1,2 | 117 | 0,6 | 4,8 | 1 | 0,8 |
| Rye | 1,18 | 102 | 0,8 | 3,4 | 2 | 0,8 |
| Barley | 1,21 | 81 | 1,2 | 3,3 | 1 | 0,8 |
| Oats | 1 | 85 | 1,4 | 3,3 | - | 1 |
| Dry peas | 1,17 | 195 | 1,7 | 4,2 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Beans | 1,29 | 287 | 1,5 | 4 | 1 | 0,8 |
| Dry corn | 1,34 | 78 | 0,4 | 3,1 | 4 | 0,7 |
| Corn on the cob | 1,12 | 47 | 0,3 | 2,9 | 3 | 0,9 |
| Vika dry | 1,16 | 227 | 1,4 | 4,1 | 2 | 0,9 |
| Lupine stern | 1,16 | 341 | 3,4 | 4,5 | - | 0,9 |
| Acorns | 0,11 | 0,1 | 0,1 | 0,1 | - | 0,1 |
| Flour, shit, bran: | ||||||
| Wheat flour | 1,12 | 92 | 0,9 | 3,6 | - | 0,9 |
| Rye flour | 1,17 | 103 | 0,6 | 4,4 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Coarse oat flour | 0,99 | 84 | 1,6 | 3,8 | 1 | 1 |
| Seeded oat flour | 1,21 | 93 | 1,3 | 4 | 1 | 0,8 |
| Pea flour | 1,16 | 199 | 0,9 | 4,2 | - | 0,9 |
| Bean flour | 1,1 | 216 | 1,5 | 4,6 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Vetch-oat flour | 1,09 | 155 | 1,7 | 4,1 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Feed lupine flour | 1,05 | 219 | 4,3 | 4,9 | - | 0,9 |
| Dash wheat | 1,13 | 144 | 1 | 3,9 | - | 0,9 |
| Rub oatmeal | 99 | 72 | 1,3 | 4,4 | 1 | 1 |
| Gash barley | 1,15 | 94 | 2,9 | 4 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Rub pea | 1,11 | 170 | 0,7 | 6,2 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Wheat grain mill waste | 0,53 | 122 | 3,2 | 4,2 | 1 | 1,9 |
| Wheat bran coarse | 0,71 | 126 | 1,8 | 10,1 | 4 | 1,4 |
| Wheat bran thin | 0,78 | 130 | 1,3 | 9,7 | 4 | 1,3 |
| Rye bran | 0,76 | 110 | 1 | 9,5 | 3 | 1,3 |
| Oat bran | 0,84 | 34 | 1,2 | 4,6 | 1 | 1,2 |
| Sifted barley bran | 1,09 | 127 | 1,2 | 5,2 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Pea bran | 1,08 | 110 | 1,4 | 3,7 | - | 0,9 |
| Oilcakes and meal: | ||||||
| Linseed cake | 1,15 | 285 | 4,3 | 8,5 | 2 | 0,9 |
| Sunflower cake | 1,09 | 396 | 3,3 | 9,9 | 2 | 0,9 |
| Soybean cake | 0,26 | 368 | 3,2 | 6 | 4 | 0,8 |
| Cotton cake | 0,15 | 331 | 2,8 | 9,8 | 1 | 0,9 |
| Linseed meal | 1,03 | 289 | 3,9 | 8,1 | - | 1 |
| Sunflower meal | 1,02 | 368 | 4,3 | 10,6 | - | 1 |
| Cottonseed meal | 0,96 | 325 | 4,4 | 17,4 | - | 1 |
| Soybean meal | 1,19 | 387 | 5,2 | 5,8 | - | 0,8 |
| Corn meal | 1,17 | 127 | 0,4 | 3,3 | - | 0,9 |
| Waste from alcohol and starch production: | ||||||
| Beer fraction, fresh | 0,23 | 52 | 0,6 | 0,7 | 2 | 4,4 |
| Dried beer fraction | 0,8 | 152 | 2,4 | 3,2 | 1 | 1,3 |
| Wheat grain fresh | 0,18 | 14 | 0,5 | 0,7 | 2 | 5,5 |
| Hydrolytic yeast | 1,04 | 396 | 5 | 1,1 | - | 1 |
| Dried hydrolysis yeast | 1,1 | 389 | 5 | 1,1 | - | 0,9 |
| Liquid baking yeast | 0,4 | 110 | 0,4 | 0,6 | 10 | 2,5 |
| Dry beer yeast | 1,12 | 523 | 14,8 | 12,8 | - | 0,9 |
| Fresh beer yeast | 0,3 | 70 | - | 0,2 | - | 3,3 |
| Pressed yeast | 0,34 | 116 | 0,3 | 0,9 | - | 3 |
| Food waste: | ||||||
| Catering waste | 0,24 | 24 | - | - | 5 | 4,1 |
| Individual food waste | 0,33 | 38 | - | - | 5 | 3,3 |
| Waste from canteens and kitchens | 0,27 | 28 | - | - | 3 | 3,7 |
| Bread leftovers | 0,94 | 73 | 0,2 | 0,8 | - | 1,1 |
| Peeling potatoes | 0,22 | 10 | 0,3 | 0,4 | - | 4,6 |
| Industrial fodder waste: | ||||||
| Mill bites | 0,8 | 100 | 1,9 | 2,8 | - | 1,2 |
| Bakery bills | 0,65 | 73 | 1,9 | 3,2 | - | 1,6 |
| Breakout at the bakery | 1,31 | 83 | 1 | 1,7 | - | 0,8 |
| Soybean husk | 0,54 | 64 | - | - | - | 1,9 |
| Technical potatoes | 0,22 | 14 | 0,1 | 0,3 | - | 4,6 |
| Malt sprouts | 0,67 | 185 | 2,5 | 6,7 | 2 | 1,5 |
| Fish waste | 0,64 | 184 | 1,2 | 0,8 | - | 1,6 |
| Mill dust | 0,62 | 119 | 2,7 | 4,2 | - | 1,6 |
| Fresh potato mash | 0,13 | 3 | 0,1 | 0,3 | - | 7,7 |
| Dried potato pulp | 0,96 | 21 | 0,7 | 2,8 | - | 1 |
| Animal feed: | ||||||
| Meat and bone meal (ash up to 20%) | 1,33 | 299 | 31,8 | 14,5 | - | 0,7 |
| Meat and bone meal (ash up to 30%) | 0,89 | 377 | 51,5 | 32,1 | - | 1,1 |
| Meat and bone meal (ash up to 30-40%) | 0,79 | 292 | 143 | 74 | - | 1,3 |
| Meat and bone meal (ash over 50%) | 0,51 | 146 | 158 | 81 | - | 2 |
| Meat flour (average) | 1,06 | 407 | 35,7 | 19,2 | - | 0,9 |
| Blood meal | 1,06 | 758 | 5,8 | 4,9 | - | 0,9 |
| Fish meal (average) | 0,83 | 535 | 67,2 | 31,8 | - | 1,2 |
| Raw horse meat | 0,9 | 380 | 51 | 32 | - | 1,1 |
| Milk 3.5% fat | 0,34 | 33 | 1,2 | 1 | 2 | 2,8 |
| 4% fat milk | 0,37 | 34 | 1,4 | 1,1 | 2 | 2,7 |
| Fresh return | 0,13 | 31 | 1,2 | 1 | 1 | 7,7 |
| Sweet milk whey | 0,11 | 9 | 0,4 | 0,4 | - | 9 |
| Sour milk whey | 0,08 | 9 | 0,5 | 0,4 | - | 12,5 |
| Churning fresh | 0,17 | 38 | 1,8 | 1 | 1 | 5,9 |
| Egg | 0,62 | 115 | 35,4 | 2,1 | 25 | 1,6 |
| Mineral dressing: | ||||||
| chalk | - | - | 374 | - | - | - |
| Bone flour | - | - | 316 | 146 | - | - |
| Phosphorin | - | - | 330 | 140 | - | - |
| Wood ash | - | - | 263 | 1 | - | - |
| Phosphorites | - | - | 265 | 105 | - | - |
| Feed precipitate | - | - | 260 | 170 | - | - |
| Limestone | - | - | 327 | - | - | - |
| Sapropel wet | - | - | 73 | - | - | - |
| Travertine | - | - | 395 | - | - | - |
| Tricalcium phosphate | - | - | 321 | 144 | - | - |
Feeding modes
One of the keys to rapid growth and weight gain is adherence to a clear feeding regimen, which should occur at the same time. In the table you can see how many times it is customary to feed pigs:
Depending on age, condition and goals, one of three possible feeding regimes is used: ad libitum, rationed or limited feeding.
The first regimen is suitable for young piglets, starting with those who have just weaned from the uterus. The essence of the regime is the constant availability of feed in the trough. At this time, the animal is growing rapidly and gaining weight, so do not limit its appetite to any doses.
The normalized regimen provides for feeding several times a day. A special feature is the observation of the pig's appetite, the amount of feed left from the previous feed and the determination of the subsequent feed volume. This approach requires some experience in animal feeding.
Restricted pig feeding is applied to pregnant sows and when pigs are fattened for meat with a minimum fat content. The regimen assumes insufficient feeding or substitution of coarse and less nutritious forages.
Feeding types
Pig breeders distinguish the following types of pig feeding: dry and liquid, as well as an intermediate type - wet feeding.
Dry feeding involves the use of specially formulated dry food, enriched with all essential vitamins and minerals. Feeding pigs with dry feed saves a lot of time: it is enough to ensure the presence of premixes in the feeder, and in the drinker - pure water... In order to save money, some pig breeders prepare their own feed. In this case, it is advisable to add premixes, at least in a small amount: 10 g per 1 kg of finished feed.
Dry feeding of pigs has several advantages:
- fast weight gain;
- no digestive problems;
- there is no characteristic ammonia odor from manure;
- the remains of feed do not sour and do not deteriorate.
From feeding with extruded feed, pigs grow quickly as they receive the most balanced diet.
Liquid type of feeding involves the preparation of feed by hand. Liquid feeding of pigs involves the use of yogurt, liquid waste from the kitchen (naturally, without household chemicals) in the feed mixture.
For wet feeding, use wet mash of boiled potatoes with herbs, vegetables, food waste, cake, etc. Such feeds are more natural for feeding animals, however, it must be remembered that they quickly sour, so the feeder must be regularly cleaned of residues.
Pig breeders who have their own green and juicy feed, a lot of liquid food waste, of course, it is beneficial to feed pigs precisely according to the liquid (wet) type of feeding. However, everyone must calculate and decide for themselves: what is the best way to feed their pigs?
Feed preparation
Almost all feed before feeding needs a certain treatment in order to increase their nutritional value, digestibility, and disinfection. According to the method of such preliminary preparation, mechanical, physical, chemical and biological methods are distinguished.
- Mechanical processing is crushing, grinding, mixing all feed components in order to better eat them.
- The physical method of preparing feed is aimed at increasing their nutritional value and maximum palatability.
- The chemical method consists of treatment with alkali or acid, for example, to break down difficult-to-digest feed into lighter substances.
- Biological preparation of feed (silage, germination, fermentation, etc.) is intended for partial change chemical composition... Thus processed feed becomes more nutritious and is better over-edible by the animals.
Preparing vegetables
Let's start with potatoes. The pig does not digest raw potatoes well, so it is better to boil them and then crush them. The water in which the potatoes were boiled should not be given to pigs as it contains solanine (a poisonous substance). Usually, potatoes are fed to pigs mixed with cereals and green feed.
Vegetables are washed and grated on a coarse grater. Carrots, beets, melons are given raw. It is not worth rubbing or chopping for several days in advance - in this form, the food quickly deteriorates and becomes inedible. Beets and pumpkins can be boiled and given to animals along with the cooking water.
Preparing hay and dust
To improve the digestion process, roughage (hay, hay dust) should be steamed with boiling water for several hours before serving. Hay and grain stalks should be chopped as much as possible.
Preparation of cereals
Most attention should be paid to the preliminary preparation of the grain. It is not worth giving cereals in dry and raw form - there will be no benefit, the grain will simply pass in transit through the digestive tract of the animal.
The minimum processing of cereals is grinding, and the finer it is, the greater the benefit from the grain. Grind corn and oats as needed, since the fat in the grains of these crops is quickly oxidized and bitter.
Grains of legumes (peas, lentils) play an important role in pig feeding, but they must be boiled, otherwise assimilation will be minimal.
You can significantly increase the value of the grain by first germinating it in low boxes so that the grain gets Sun rays... The grain is watered for 9-10 days. When the sprouts reach 8-10 cm, the grain is ready to eat. Sprouted grain is often given to small piglets and sows.
Suckling pigs are taught to eat cereals by roasting them until dark. Brown color.
Preparation of fresh green feed
Particular attention is also paid to green forage. The grass must be chopped as much as possible, avoiding the presence of rough and dry stems. It is not worth harvesting fresh grass for several days in advance - sluggish or rotten grass is not the best food.
Cooking combisilos
Silage, especially combined silage, is well eaten by pigs. For its preparation, crushed sugar and semi-sugar beets, carrots, cabbage, as well as lupine, green mass of legumes, green mass of corn are used.
Cooking good combisilos has a number of important nuances:
- Each type of vegetable or herb has its own optimal period for ensiling. For example, it is better to ensile corn in the phase of milky-wax maturity, peas and lupines - before flowering, carrots, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke and other vegetables - in the period of full maturity;
- The crushed combisilos are carefully compacted to displace the air. To do this, use a lined trench or any convenient container, for example, plastic bags. Its preparation is an excellent way of biological preservation of perishable feed;
- Nettle, tops of root crops and melons are not ensiled;
- Frozen and moldy silage is not suitable for feeding.
Most popular recipes combisilos:
Yeast feed
Yeast is one of the successful ways of enriching the forage mass with vitamins, amino acids and other substances that are extremely necessary for the growth of animals. Any yeast can be used for this procedure, but baker's yeast is most often used. In a yeast form, about 1/3 of the total mass of concentrated feed is fed. As a result, pigs' appetite improves, other feeds are better absorbed, and weight gains faster.
The procedure is carried out in a safe and fermented (leavening) way.
With the safety method, up to 20 liters of warm water (about 40 ° C) is poured into the container and 100 g of diluted yeast is added. Then dry finely ground food (10 kg) is poured into the bowl, stirring. The resulting slurry must be stirred every 20-25 minutes. After 8 hours of fermentation, the feed can be fed to the animals.
The sourdough method differs only in the preliminary preparation of the sourdough (sourdough). 5 liters of the same warm water are poured into a container and no more than 100 g of yeast is diluted in it. Then add a couple of kilograms of compound feed, mix and let it brew for 5-6 hours. After that, add again warm water(15 l) and the rest of the dry concentrate 7-9 kg. After a couple of hours, the feed is ready for feeding.
Harmful feed
Some herbs contain hazardous substances, so their ingestion can lead to animal poisoning: spurge, black nightshade, cicuta, dog parsley, caustic buttercup, horse dill, pickleberry and others.
Particular attention is paid to oilcakes from castor oil plant and cotton plant. They contain a poisonous substance - the alkaloid gossypol, therefore it is impossible to feed them to animals without preliminary thermal or chemical treatment with alkali.
Sprouted potatoes can also be a dangerous food. The sprouts must be removed. Also green tubers should not be given. The water in which the potatoes were boiled is not suitable for feeding.
Boiled beets can also cause poisoning if left in hot water for too long.
Feeding suckling pigs
The natural and most nutritious food for the first days of life of suckling pigs is sow's milk. It lays the foundations for immunity, ensures the rapid development and growth of piglets.
From 2 weeks of age, the body of growing piglets requires much more nutrients. At the same time, the milk production of sows is significantly reduced.
It is possible to accustom suckers to solid feed already from the 5th day of their life. A good option for the development and growth of teeth are fried to brown grains of corn, barley, wheat. At first, the grains are scattered on the floor, and later they are poured into small troughs.
Since the stomach of suckling pigs does not have enough enzymes to digest food, they are given acidophilic yogurt.
After a few more days, you can give a small amount of premixes with bone meal and chalk.
Succulent feed is given no earlier than 10 days of age. You should start with grated carrots. A little later, you can also add grated pumpkin, beets and combisilos.
Boiled potatoes can be fed from 20 days of age.
At the age of 45 days, piglets can already be weaned from the uterus and transferred to wet or dry feeding. To reduce lactation in the sow, succulent feed is replaced with dry one.
After another week, the piglets are transferred to 3 meals a day in a room separate from the sow.
Since the skeleton is growing rapidly at this time, the diet of piglets should contain a lot of proteins of animal origin: bone and fish meal, yogurt, low-fat milk. Recommended feed ratio:
- concentrated feed - 80%;
- vegetables, root crops - 10%;
- legume flour - 5%;
- meat and bone, fish or bone meal - 5%.
Weaner piglets feeding
Feeding of young pigs is changed when they reach a weight of 20-25 kg. From this period, they are already considered gilts. Active development skeletal system and muscle requires a large amount of vitamins and minerals, so concentrated feed is mixed with chopped green mass, root crops and other vegetables.
Part of the freshly cut grass is given raw, the other half is steamed with boiling water and left for several hours. Before serving, the grass is mixed with warm crushed potatoes and dry food. The mixture should resemble a thick slurry.
Fattening pigs
When the pigs reach a weight of 40-50 kg, they begin to feed them vigorously according to a special diet. Typically beef feed is chosen, although fattening can also be done.
The normal daily gain during the fattening period is considered to be 650 g of live weight on average. By about 6 months of age, the pig should weigh 100-120 kg. At the same time, no more than 4 feed should be spent for each kilogram of weight. units
To achieve the maximum results of daily weight gain up to 850 g, it is necessary to provide dry food with the highest nutritional value and a minimum of fiber.
Feeding boars of producers
A feature of feeding male pigs is the control over their condition. They should not be emaciated or obese, as both conditions are detrimental to their sexual activity and performance.
The period of sexual activity speeds up metabolism, so boars need more nutritious feed.
At overexposure, when adult males do not copulate, their feeding rates are reduced by 10 or 20%, depending on their actual weight.
Males should consume small amounts of food: growing - 1.6 kg of dry food, adults - 1.4 kg per 1 quintal of live weight. At the same time, the basis of the diet is cereals, cakes, meal, waste of meat and fish production, peas.
Feeding sows
The diet of sows depends on their weight, age, as well as the current state:
- blank (to be inseminated);
- pregnant (pregnant);
- lactating (lactating).
In the first 84 days of gestation, the uterus has a low need for energy feed. In the last month before childbirth, this need increases by 20%. Young sows under 2 years of age need more nutrients.
During pregnancy, the uterus should be of medium fatness. Depletion or obesity should not be allowed.
Lactating sows need much more nutrients, so feed rates are increased. Lack of feed leads to a reduction in lactation period or starving piglets.
In the first hours after piging, the uterus should not be fed, but only watered clean water... 5 hours after the piglet, no more than 0.7 kg of the concentrate can be given in liquid form. At the next feeding, the rate is increased to 1 kg and so gradually over the course of a week it is increased to the usual rate. If this rule is violated, then a large amount of milk produced will remain in the body and the sow will become sick.
The feeding of replacement pigs intended for further reproduction of offspring must be strictly balanced so as not to allow either depletion or obesity of such individuals.
It is better to feed pigs according to the recommended norms and diets. Ignoring these tips often leads to unnecessary waste, slow growth of the animal, disproportionate development and the receipt of low-quality meat and lard. Proper feeding of pigs will provide your table with healthy and tasty meat products.
7591 03/18/2019 8 minutes.
Raising pigs for meat or lard requires many conditions at home. First of all, it is necessary to choose the right piglets, since not all of them are capable of rapid growth and weight gain. It is necessary to take care of the appropriate feed and diet, otherwise it will not be possible to gain rapid weight gain. There are principles of how to properly feed piglets, pigs and pigs are very different. Suckling pigs need supplementary feeding. Older young animals, already weaned from the sow, need abundant feeding with the obligatory inclusion of skim milk or skim milk. Gilts are fed according to fattening technologies: for meat, for bacon, for lard.
Choosing a piglet for fattening
Appearance- the exterior of the animal for fattening is given great importance, since both the proportions of the body and the condition of the skin and bristles indicate physical qualities animal. The following parameters are evaluated:
- head- wide, medium in length, eyes set wide apart, ears should not hang over the eyes. Thick ears are a disadvantage as they indicate rough skin. A short or pug-shaped head indicates effeminacy, a straight profile indicates late maturity, which is unprofitable;
- breast- wide and deep. But if a pig is raised for meat, individuals with a narrower breast are preferable;
- neck- wide and short, should blend imperceptibly into the body. Long neck indicates late maturity;
- withers- wide, without depressions between the shoulder blades. The latter indicates the poor health of the animal;
- back- wide, straight and long. The fastest growing pigs are those whose back and withers form one line;
- sacrum- should be wide and straight or slightly sloping. Loose, narrow, or too short indicates soreness;
- legs- straight, strong, set straight. This is especially important for meat breeds of pigs, which require a lot of movement;
- hams- developed and without interceptions. A thick tail indicates a rough body, drooping - on the general lethargy of the pig and poorly developing muscle tissue;
- leather should be firm, soft and not wrinkling, except for special breeds of pigs. The bristles should be soft, shiny and thick, bristling bristles indicate an inability to grow quickly.
Read about feed for fast growth of pigs.
You cannot buy piglets for fattening with sunken sides, with poorly molded ribs, with a sagging belly. All this - clear signs weakness and soreness of the animal.
Diet
The basis for the daily nutrition of piglets are vegetables and grains. The difference between feeding pigs for lard or meat is not so much in the quality of the feed as in the frequency of feeding. Gilts that have reached a mass of 100 kg are fed according to: for meat, for bacon, for lard. If the animal is raised for meat, it is necessary to feed it more often, and if it is on lard - less often, but more abundant and food richer in carbohydrates.
Growing cattle for meat business plan read in.
In fact, this difference becomes noticeable only when the pig reaches 10–12 months. Until this time, fatty and muscle develop in the same way in all animals. At an older age, preferential fat deposition or muscle development can be controlled with feed.
During the milk period
Depending on the age at which the piglet was purchased, the milk period can last from 3 to 4 months. produced often, but little by little. The basis of animal nutrition is milk.
- Until they reach 4 weeks of age, piglets are fed with whole cow's milk 6 times a day.
- From 5-7 days, mixed feed or ground grain and boiled vegetables - carrots, potatoes are added. The portions are very small. The portions increase with age.
- At a slightly older age, whole milk is replaced with skim milk - skim milk with a fat content of 0.2–0.5%.
- After the piglet reaches a weight of 20-25 kg, it is transferred to a standard feed for the breed. As a rule, piglets gain this weight by 2.5–3 months.
Feed is given in small portions, since the size of the stomach of suckling pigs is small and does not allow the animal to gorge. If the frequency of feeding is insufficient, the piglet will starve.
The situation is somewhat different with weaners - 2–3-month-old piglets, which are kept separately from the sow. When weaning, young animals undergo severe stress, which leads to a deterioration in appetite, and sometimes a temporary refusal to feed. During this period, it is better to leave the animal undernourished than overfed. The diet of weaners does not differ from that of regular suckling pigs.
It is useful to add eggshells, charcoal, sunflower meal, peas, and especially fish and meat waste to the feed, since the content of fat-soluble vitamins in cereals and potatoes is low. 
During the growing season
By this time the pigs reach 20-30 kg, and the main requirement for the feeding regime is its sufficiency. In addition, it should be borne in mind that before reaching a weight of 70–80 kg, animals actively develop muscle tissue, so they need a sufficient amount of protein. It can be obtained from the WMC, but you need to know.
- It is preferable to give food 3 times a day.
- The basis of the diet is cereals, potatoes, and succulent green food.
- To satisfy the need for protein, peas, fish meal, bone meal are added - up to 2% of the volume.
- Be sure to add to the diet 10–35 g of salt and 5–25 g of chalk per 1 individual.
Weight gain at this time should reach 600-750 g. In this case, feeding is considered rational only if the average daily weight gain is maintained with a minimum amount of feed.
Complete feeding
At this stage, there is a difference in feeding pigs for lard or meat. This mainly consists in the proportion of carbohydrates and proteins. When fattening meat pigs, more protein products are included in the district, and if for lard, then they include more concentrated feed and potatoes.
The stomach of pigs is single-chamber, therefore, the diet should include not coarse, but concentrated feed. They are served crushed, since whole grains are poorly digested.
There are 3 options for the "menu" for pigs with fattening:
- concentrate potato- 70% concentrate, 20% beets and potatoes, as well as 5% clover and alfalfa flour and 5% animal feed;
- concentrate- they account for 90% of the feed, and supplemented by grass flour and fish and meat waste;
- concentrate root- the ratio of feed as in option 1, but 20% is potatoes.
Grain feeds, necessarily crushed, and processed oil seeds are used as concentrates. They are highly nutritious and high in protein. Fish and meat waste is added for the sake of some essential amino acids and vitamins.
When raising pigs for lard, feed is used more voluminous and less "tasty". A standard diet contains about 5 kg of grain feed, 10 kg of greens, 4 kg of beets or potatoes, 2 kg of food waste. In winter, include up to 1.5 kg of hay flour and increase the proportion of food waste. In the second and third stages, the diet will change in favor of highly concentrated feed.
Feeding rates
Supplementary feeding of suckling pigs begins already after 5 days from the moment of birth. To ensure the rapid growth of the animal, the quantity and quality of the feed must be strictly observed.
| Number of days | Milk or yogurt, g | Skim milk, g | Grain, g | Vegetables, g | Shit, g | Herbal flour, g |
| 6–10 | 55 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11–20 | 150 | 0 | 50 | 30 | 50 | 10 |
| 21–30 | 250 | 150 | 80 | 50 | 100 | 20 |
| 31–40 | 100 | 300 | 100 | 100 | 200 | 50 |
| 41–50 | 50 | 500 | 120 | 150 | 300 | 50 |
| 51–60 | 0 | 600 | 150 | 250 | 550 | 100 |
At the age of 1.5–2 months, the piglets are taken away from the sow and transferred to complete feed. Subject to the rules, a sufficient daily weight gain of the piglet is guaranteed. Below is a table of piglets feeding at 2-3 months and 3-4 months:
| Feed, kg | Winter | Summer | Winter | Summer | ||
| Concentrated feed | 0,85 | 1 | 1,1 | 1,3 | ||
| Potato | 0,6 | 0 | 0,9 | 0 | ||
| Beet | 1,6 | 0 | ".1 | 0 | ||
| Carrots and silage | 0,3 | 1,6 | 0,55 | 2 | ||
| Greens | 0,15 | 0 | 0,25 | 0 | ||
| Legumes and grass | 0 | 1,6 | 0 | 2,1 | ||
| Reverse | 1,1 | 1,1 | 1,1 | 1,1 | ||
| Chalk, g | 22 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| Salt, g | 11 | 11 | 16 | 16 | ||
The norms for fattening an adult pig are determined by the method of fattening - meat or lard. If young animals are to be fed to full saturation, then adult animals should not be overfeeded. But it is necessary to observe the correct ratio of carbohydrates, greens and proteins.
Feeding types for fast growth (what to feed, additives)
Pigs are raised for either meat or lard. The second technology is simpler, takes less time, and is cheaper. Growing for meat requires high content protein, which makes it costly to feed.
Meat
Pigs need a lot of protein for fattening, so meat and fish waste and vegetables are included in their diet. There are 2 main types of feeding for meat: dry and wet.
- Wet involves the preparation of mash of vegetables, herbs, potatoes or boiled beets, as well as meat and fish waste. Be sure to include crushed grain, peas and cake in the diet.
The mash should not be hot. Pig feed is served only warm.
- Dry fattening is easier as it does not include cooking vegetables. It is based on grain mixtures and grass flour. The disadvantage of such a diet is the tendency of animals to constipation. It is very important with this method to provide the pigs with sufficient water.
When fattening for meat, the average daily gain should reach 500-600 g. By the end of fattening, the volume of a single portion increases by 80% compared to the initial portion.
Bacon
This technology is more expensive and results in very high quality pork meat - bacon. The method should be applied to animals of special breeds - early maturing bacon, since in relation to ordinary meat, and even more universal, it does not give such a result. Bacon pigs must have light head, short legs, wide and well developed hams and a long, straight back.
Feeding is carried out in 2 stages: in the first period, the weight gain reaches 400 g per day, and in the second - 600 g. For this, animals are first fed with millet, barley, legumes and meat and fish additives. The total protein content in the daily diet should reach 90 g. Then, fish waste, cake and soy are excluded in period 2, since such additives have a bad effect on the taste of meat. The total amount of protein is also reduced to 80 g.
Read about the diet of cows on.
To raise piglets for bacon, you need to provide not only proper nutrition but also the ability to move a lot. In summer, pigs are kept in spacious enclosures, and in winter, they are taken for walks 1.5 km long.
Maintaining appetite
Pig fattening presupposes an appetite for the animals. As a rule, pigs raised for meat gain an appetite, as they move a lot. However, here, too, some tricks can come to the rescue of a zealous owner:
- be sure to add salt to the feed in accordance with the age and weight of the pig. Salt is not only necessary for a growing body, but also stimulates the appetite:
- Pigs like thermally processed feeds more. Before feeding, the cereals are malted: they are soaked in hot water - up to 90 C, for 4 hours. 1 kg of concentrated feed requires 1.5–2 water;
Using a measuring tape, determine the length of the pig's body and the girth below the shoulder blades... The data is then checked against a pig weight table and the approximate weight of the animal is determined.
Video
The video tells what and how to feed at home.
conclusions
- The selection of a piglet for fattening should take into account the breed, the health of the animal, the time of birth and even the appearance.
- Supplementary feeding of suckling pigs begins as early as day 5 in order to prevent starvation and maximize its feeding needs.
- Until reaching 80–100 kg, the piglet ration for meat or lard does not differ and necessarily includes a sufficient amount of protein.
- The diet of piglets and gilts must necessarily include salt, chalk, vitamin supplements.
- Pigs are fed for meat in 2 ways: on wet and dry feed. The first method is more complicated, since it involves heat treatment of products, the second is simpler, but more expensive.
- When feeding pigs for bacon, the dietary requirements are the most stringent: certain foods should not be included in the feed that spoil the taste of the meat.
