Choosing compound feed for pigs: tailoring the diet according to age
Successful growth and development of young domestic pigs directly depends on their nutrition, with the foundation being compound feed. Creating it independently can be costly and labor-intensive, especially when considering separate diets for piglets and adult animals. We’ve gathered some tips for those who want to choose high-quality balanced nutrition for pigs
Successful growth and development of young domestic pigs directly depends on their nutrition, with the foundation being compound feed. Creating it independently can be costly and labor-intensive, especially when considering separate diets for piglets and adult animals. We’ve gathered some tips for those who want to choose high-quality balanced nutrition for pigs
Why is special feed needed?
Milky piglets need supplementary feeding already in the first week of life, even if it seems that the mother’s milk is sufficient. By providing such additional nutrition, the young ones get accustomed to solid food and become more independent. However, simply purchasing pig feed and giving it to the piglets is not advisable: “adult” food is not digested properly by their stomachs and can cause poisoning. Special mixtures are used for young pigs, containing:
Ground grain
Feed fat
Chalk
Salt
Feed yeast
For suckling piglets, along with feed, finely chopped cooked vegetables are provided and this mixture is diluted with water or milk. In addition to this, premixes are added to the feed – specialized additives containing vitamins, minerals, and antibiotics
Types of feed for piglets
Supplementing the weaned piglets’ diet should be done slowly and gradually. Underfeeding can lead to slow growth, while overfeeding can cause digestive disorders in pigs. Different types of feed are produced for piglets of different ages:
1
Pre-start
Extruded initial form of supplementary feed, introduced from the 5th day of life. The daily dose should not exceed 550 grams
2
Starter feed
Given to piglets from day 50 in doses of around 850 grams. The dosage increases as they grow. This type of feed is used until the piglets reach a weight of 20-35 kg
3
Growth feed
Used for fattening young pigs weighing 30-65 kg. The daily allowance for pigs around six months old is 1.5 kg, and for pigs older than 6 months, it’s 2 kg
4
Finisher feed
This type of feed is for fully developed pigs. On average, pigs require around 3.2 kg per day. The weight can vary depending on the purpose of raising the pigs: for meat production, it’s around 3.5 kg, and for lard production, it’s around 3.1 kg
Pigs are fed up to 6 times a day, but in small portions because their digestive system can’t handle a large load at once. The feed is gradually replaced as the pigs grow to avoid loss of appetite and weight. By purchasing the right compound feed for feeding pigs, you will not only maintain the health of the animals but also save your enterprise’s budget