The main reason, when the expensive genetics doesn’t give the desired result — incorrect feeding. How to prevent such errors and fatten pigs efficiently the specialist in feeding Alphonse Heseker shared during the VI International Congress «Profitable Pig».

Dr. Alphonse Hesseker, PhD, head of research and development department of Miavit Essen (Germany)

How to determine whether you have the correct feed for pigs? It is very easy: every day they should have good weight gain in order to realize the full genetic growth potential of pigs. The next question is how to achieve this? Unfortunately, farmers realize only 75% of their growth ― 750–900 g/day, when the absolute increase is 1000–1200 g/day. We lose 25% of possible increase due to several problems: farm management, health and nutrition. Good news that you can make up these 25%. Germany, for example, has average daily increase of 15 g annually (in 2003 they had 720 g, that increased up to 820 g in 2012).

Genetics

Modern genetics can give very good results. No wonder, pigs for fattening are hybrids. By crossing different breeds the weight gain are improving with less feed consuming. Main is to take into account their needs for amino acids.

Husbandry requirements

Growing pigs are kept in groups. It is important to look after the number of piglets in the stall, it must be optimal — 0,75 m2 per head. Overcrowding in stalls provokes a whole bunch of problems. When on 1 m2 there is more than 1.33 heads, there are the following problems:

Lack of feeding places. Especially weaker piglets are hurt, which don’t have access to the feeders; Miscellaneous batches; Feed wasting: to give enough feed for all, farmers give it in abundance, etc.

Waste of feed

Feed wasting primarily is a problem of management: wrong types of feeders, wrong number of piglets per feeding place, disadvantages in husbandry.

Assess whether the piglets get enough food, you can visually. Just look at feeders.

Temperature on fattening

Another important factor in the environment of pigs is temperature. Animal health depends from it, in particular its consumption and digestion. The comfort temperature for pigs on fattening is 15—21°C. It is thermoneutral range.

Feeding of pigs

The curve of growth of pigs depends on the amount of feed they consume. Logically, the more effective animals consume it, the better their daily weight gain and the less feed is necessary to maintain life, muscle building and fat. Although there is also a caveat: feed conversion ratio increases with the age of the pig, which accordingly affects the amount of fuel feed.

To grow good pigs, feed should provide their needs. This can be achieved by balancing the diet for protein (amino acids). Requirements of modern genetics, which is growing rapidly and gives meaty carcasses may be higher. However, if the potential of meat is small, then the protein in the diet required less (due to «excessive» more muscle mass would not grow!)

1. What are the main reasons of effective fattening?
2. What the thermoneutral range and how to reach it?
3. How much time is needed to piglet’s gastro-intestinal tract to habituate to plant food?
4. Why is it so necessary to select quality prestarter?
5. What’s the cause of «gap» in fattening?

You can find answers for these and other questions in the full version of the article in the magazine «Profitable Pig Production», № 4 (22) 2014