Care and Management of Growing-Finishing Pigs
Loading ...Management requirements are less demanding, nevertheless they must be provided with ample protection against pests and diseases and fed in accordance with their requirements. Deworm pigs one or two weeks after weaning. Vaccinate pigs one or two weeks after weaning or one week after deworming.
Feeding Management. If the milk supply of the sow is inadequate to feed her piglets, supplement her with a good creep ration. Use a milk replacer. Choose many available brands. Begin feeding a commercial good pre-starter ration when the pigs are about one week of age. The ration of the pigs should be changed at different stages of growth but the shift from one ration to another should be done gradually in order not to upset the normal feeding behavior of the pigs. Always allow a transition period of at least one week before making changes. A starter ration is feed to pigs from weaning until two months of age and weighing about 15 to 25 kg. The grower ration is next given to pigs when they are two months old until they are about 15 to 20 weeks old. When pigs reach 60 kg. or about 20 weeks old, a finisher ration is given.
In formulating a simplified ration, keep in mind that it should always contain sufficient energy, protein as well as adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. Cassava, camote, corn and corn-by products and discards from slaughterhouses, which are abundant in some parts of the region may be used provided they are properly cooked and dried.
Dry feeding is practiced in commercial operations for reasons of economy in labor and in feeding equipment. Wet feeding is mostly practiced by backyard producers. Provide clean drinking water at all times.
Health Management. Keep buildings, run-ways, pens and equipment clean always. Sanitize and disinfect them regularly. Quarantine or isolate stocks recently bought from other sources.
When buying breeding stock for replacement, make certain that the animals have been immunized against prevalent disease in the area such as hog cholera and swine plague. Always seek the advice/services of the nearest veterinarian and/or government technicians or the office of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
Marketing. Marketing is the last job done on growing finishing pigs. Hogs are marketed when they reach at least 80 kg. Marketable hogs may be sold to middlemen who usually act as buying or selling agents, direct to meat processors without the intervention of the middlemen, or in auction markets where animals are sold to the buyer who offers the highest acceptable price per kilo liveweight or per head. When large number of hogs are to be marketed, the producer observe proper shipment and transport handling to minimize losses due to shrinkage, bruises, injuries and possible deaths.
Here are some tips:
- When transporting hogs, separate the large animals from small pigs by a partition.
- Provide loading facilities for easier and proper loading of pigs.
- If necessary provide beddings of sand or saw dust.
- When the weather is hot, wet down the beddings before loading to keep the pigs cool and comfortable.
