How to feed piglets at home for fast growth
The effective development of farming is possible only if the livestock is properly fed and the weight gain is sufficient. Understanding what it costs to feed piglets for rapid growth at home, you need to prepare a comprehensive diet and take into account the peculiarities of the development of individuals.
Feeding periods
The diet for young animals depends on the physiological state, age and other nuances. There are situations when in the first couple of weeks, individuals only need milk from a sow. In other situations, additional nutrients are used to ensure the further development of the body.
Milk (up to 2 months)
The milk period in piglets can last up to two months. The exact duration depends on the age at which the individual was acquired. Feeding at an early age is done often, but in small portions. Milk is the staple food. When feeding two-month-old piglets, you need to adhere to the following rules:
- In the first month, suckers are given whole milk 5-6 times a day.
- From the 5-7th day, feed is additionally used or a mixture of ground grain with boiled vegetables. Potatoes and carrots will be useful for young animals.
- As they grow older, whole milk is replaced with skim milk, the fat content of which is in the range of 0.2-0.5%.
- When the animals reach a mass of 20 kg, they are gradually transferred to the classic feeding inherent in the breed. Complex nutrition allows young animals to gain such a mass in 2.5-3 months of life.
Growing
By the time of rearing, individuals weigh 20-30 kg, and the key criterion for feeding is sufficiency. You also need to take into account that pigs will intensively form the muscle layer, so the diet should be saturated with protein elements. You can get protein from whole milk substitutes, but you need to know how to properly prepare milk powder.
It is recommended to feed the young during rearing three times a day. The diet is based on cereals, nutritious herbal feed and potatoes. To fill the need for protein elements, add peas, fish or bone meal. The main components of nutrition are 10-35 g of salt and 5-25 g of chalk for each individual.
Fattening
At the fattening stage, differences arise in the feeding of individuals for the subsequent receipt of meat products or lard. The difference lies in the proportions of protein elements and carbohydrates. When feeding meat breeds, the diet is saturated with an increased amount of protein products.When fattening individuals for lard, the proportion of concentrate and potatoes is increased.
The ration should contain concentrated, not heavy feed, as pigs have a single stomach. Food is given in a crushed state for better absorption by the body. When fattening for meat, there are several diet options. Including:
- concentrate-potato - 70% concentrate, 20% beets, 5% each animal feed and alfalfa flour;
- concentrate - 90% of feed in combination with grass flour and residues from fish and meat production;
- concentrate root vegetable - the proportions of feed are similar to the first option, but instead of beets, potatoes are used.
Grain feed and processed oilseeds are suitable as a concentrate. They contain many useful vitamins and protein elements. The use of fish and meat waste allows you to add a number of important amino acids to the diet.
If you want to grow individuals for fat, use a more voluminous food. The basic diet includes 4 kg of grain feed, 4-5 kg of root crops, 10 kg of grass feed and 2 kg of meat waste. In the cold season, hay flour is additionally included in the diet and the proportion of food waste is increased.
How to feed piglets from 1 to 6 months old?
In addition to the basic rules of feeding asked, you need to take into account the nuances of developing a diet for a particular age. This will make it possible to smoothly rebuild the pigs to the chosen feeding direction, will have a positive effect on health, and will provide active weight gain.
One month old piglets
At the age of one month, the piglets gradually change to a diet that is more familiar to adults. There is also an adaptation of the digestive system, but a minimum amount of hydrochloric acid is released in it, which makes the resistance to viruses and bacteria weak. Feeding the young without the sow and her milk is a stressful situation that can lead to decreased appetite and weight loss. For the first time, dry food for weaners is supplemented with milk in a volume of up to 1.5 liters per pig.
Whey may be used instead of milk, but consumption will double.
It is important to change the diet smoothly during the development of small pigs. Dry food, which the young animals received 2 weeks before leaving, should be continued for a couple of weeks, after which gradual changes should begin. When it gets warm, you can take the pigs outside and train them to eat grass.
2-3 month old piglets
Feeding young animals at the age of 2-3 months is carried out 3-4 times a day. The main purpose of feeding is to increase net weight by 35-50 kg over the next couple of months. Milk remains the basis of the diet, but it is often supplemented with combined and concentrated feed. Gradually reduce the amount of dairy products in the diet, increasing the proportion of other feed. In order for the piglets to actively grow and gain weight, the diet should contain:
- concentrated feed;
- chopped boiled potatoes;
- hay flour;
- juicy roots.
In summer, piglets also eat grass, and they need at least 2.5 kg per day to grow. All components of the diet are mixed, crushed and given in small portions.
4 month old piglets and above
By the age of 4 months, young animals adapt to almost any food, and at this moment they can switch to feeding 2-3 times a day at certain intervals. Wet mash with a thick consistency is used as the basis for complementary foods. The mixture consists of concentrates, legumes, whey, root vegetables, salt and chalk. All components are crushed, mixed and poured with a small amount of liquid.
For convenience, you can rely on a table prepared for novice farmers, which describes all the components of the diet. It is also recommended to provide food to young animals outside the barn to feed them to the desired weight.Feeding is carried out in a specially designated area of the pen.
Growing at home
If the piglets have not gained sufficient weight, re-growing is carried out, which is most important for breeds bred for the purpose of obtaining meat. Regular drinking and the provision of adequate nutrition are key requirements in rearing livestock. Premises for individuals taken for growing should be equipped with an automatic drinker and a dry feed system.
The presence of free area is also important, and the optimal indicator is at least 0.35 squares for each individual.
What to feed for fast growth
In order for the growing individuals to gain weight intensively and keep up with physical development, it is necessary to provide a comprehensive and balanced diet. The combination of the following products contributes to accelerated growth:
- cereals;
- vegetables and juicy roots - potatoes, pumpkin, beets, carrots;
- roughage - dust from leguminous herbs;
- herbal food, including a range of plants;
- dairy products and fish and meat waste.
These products have a positive effect on the taste of meat products, stimulate growth, increase the graininess and density of the fat. Complex nutrition provides animals with a sufficient amount of vitamins required for the development of the body.
Prohibited foods for piglets
When planning a nutritious diet for young individuals, you need to understand that a number of foods should not be eaten. The piglets' health will be adversely affected by any feed that contains signs of rot, mold or parasites. Despite the fact that pigs are considered to be omnivores to a certain extent, such feed worsens their condition, especially at a young age.
Also, you should not eat a number of herbs from the green food category. Some plants contain substances that can cause severe poisoning. In particular, it is necessary to avoid the use of young black nightshade, caustic buttercup, castor oil cake, pickle oil and horse fennel. Sprouted potatoes and unripe tubers, in which there are large quantities of dangerous components indigestible by the pork body, must also be excluded from the diet.
How to tell if the feeding is correct
Proper feeding results in active development of piglets, good health and no signs of disease. To track the effectiveness of feeding young animals, you need to regularly weigh them and check the weight with an indicator that is considered optimal for a particular age. This approach will also help you avoid overeating. Visual inspection of the piglets will be equally important, thanks to which deviations from normal development are often noticed.
