FEEDING STRATEGY FOR PIGLETS Jerry Mobile Pigs and Partners
by: Jerry Sales Gumpad
March 4, 2010
Discussions:
I believe that to build a piglet feeding program one must first look at management ractices and current production levels in the system. Questions such as
1.) Is the birth to wean death loss large enough to apply a milk replacer feeding
strategy? There are several stratagies that may be used, dependent upon
production levels and economics (ie.. contract piglet pricing or retained ownership)
2.) How much variance is there in piglet wt. at weaning?
Age and weight at weaning are important factors in determining piglet nutritional
requirements. Physiologically there is a large difference in the level of development
of the digestive system in weaned piglets. A 10lb piglet is at a different development
level than a 12 lb piglet, and should be fed accordingly. An 8 lb piglet is even less
developed. Also what health challenges are present in the herd, ie E-coli, cocci, or
other pathogens. There is not one nutrition strategy that works in all production
systems, due to individual system variences.
There are also numerous new technologies available in the swine nutrition industry
today that were not available even 4-5 yrs ago. Some show huge gain and feed efficiency
improvements. A 4-6% improvement in nursury feed conversion efficiency equates
to approximatly 5% reduction in nursery product sales for a commercial feed
manufacturer.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
This is probably my favourite area of swine production for several reasons.
Although all areas are important, this particular area, how well the sows are
fed, what type of energy, protein and milking additives are used in the feed,
whether the feed contains products like Bio-Mos, do myco-toxins exist in the
feed, what is the oldest day the piglets can be weaned,how well were the sows
farrowed, are details of farrowing required properly...mainlly those. Right here
right now can determine how fast all the pigs get to market, how well that
mama sow returns to estrus, will determine if this operation is being managed
with profitable goals in mind, or just a job. So yea this is a great question. If
your sow is being managed properly and fed right, you should be weaning
19 day old pigs that are inform and all have a minimum weight of 15 lbs/each.
When they are weanedlike this a lot of expensive 1st stage feed is not required
and will not help growth. Growing patterns are established early. If you want
to talk to an expert in this area talk to Mark Peters of Manitoba, this is also
his favourite production area.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
Always a good start is a good finish……..Environment, Health and Nutrition are as the musketeers, “one for all and all for one. We need to understand the following point to have good results.
• Understand the growth potential of the pigs. See weaning age and variation of
age and weight at weaning. According with this we can make a plan of feeding
budget, health plan and management of variation for a good environment for this quality of pigs.
• Economics is the king to have a success of a production system. The programs
mentioned above have to be evaluated with cost benefit. Remember that is a
different ways to pill a potato, we need to choose the most that fit to our situation.
• Understanding what is the transition. One of the major stressors for the pig is the
sudden change from liquid diet to solid diet and all happen when the pig is placed in
a new environment and mixed where hi has to fight. The first 3 days is very
important for management. Nutrition we have to develop diets that help during this
transition. An also we need to understand the morphologic change in the intestines
that we have to manage and do not provoke health problems.
• We need to understand the pig behavior. Stock person is essential to understand
the natural behavior. We need to have a good management plan to receive pigs
during the first week (water, feed and environment).
• Nutrition. The first week after weaning is crucial in nursery management. It is
the period of adaptation of the young pig. The nutrition program that we chose is
essential to minimize the stress on the adaptation. Use adequate nutrients to
help in the digestion of a changing morphology of the intestine.
• A good record keeping system. This is very important for a continuous
improvement. If you know you can change, if you guess you will be lost.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
Protein Content, Feed Intake and Daily Gain Expected for
Growing and Finishing Pigs.Pig Size Protein Content of Ration (%)
Average Daily
Feed Intake (lb)
Expected
Daily Gain
Creep feed (suckling), 5 to 40 lb 22
.5
0.70
Nursery diet (weaned), 10 to 20 lb.
22
0.30
Pig Starter (weaned), 20 to 40 lb
18 - 20
1.00
0.90
Grower, 40 to 125 lb
16
4.25
1.50
Finisher, 125 to 240 lb
13 - 14
7.00
1.80
From personal experience Ive found that from creep (5lbs) to grower
(100lbs) 16% protein is sufficient since above that scour control becomes
an issue. Lets face it the best feed in the world will do no good to the
animal if it passes thru the system before it can be absorbed. This also
raises the issue what benifit are we providing the animal if we make sick
it just to give it an antidote. How do we in good conscience tell a farmer
or future farmer (child with a show pig) an ultra high protein feed will
make champions if they dont mind the added time and expense in man
hours and medications involved in caring for a sick pig.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
Milk replacer will never replace the sow.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
The piglet nutrition begins during gestation. Factors including total pigs
born, pigs born live, stillborn pigs, piglet uniformity,and piglet wt as well
as the piglet tissue composition, energy status, and immune status may
all be influenced proir to parturation through sow nutrition. Then sow
nutrition also greatly effects milk composition and the piglets preformance.
I believe we are asking an amazing task for sows to milk enough to
produce 275-300 lbs of piglet at weaning per litter. The sow may never be
replaced, but it is also hard to find those perfect sows.Numerous things
get in the way os a sow being the perfect rearing machine. There is nearly
always a place for strategic milk use. Sow deathloss with no where to
transfer piglets, sows with fevers resulting in milk composition changes
or reduced production, as well as for use with a genetically valuable
sows who may have udder problems, but still farrow a laarge number
born live. From there one must look at the economics of Helping those
sows and the return on that investment.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
Id like to make a comment for your consideration as regards to feeding
strategies for piglets. My comment refers to the use of rheological clays,
in paticular rheological sepiolite, in the nutrition of the very young piglet.
Weve some practical experience offering free choice a pure micronised
rheological sepiolite, without any additional product added, to newborn
piglets. They have quite an interesting behaviour tasting or mouthing it
when they are about 7d old. We estimate an intake around 5g/p/d at
beginig raising to 10g/p/d after 2 wks. Even though piglets like it, we
dont want them to over eat the product and it seems to be a good way to
get the piglets to drink water faster and this helps reducing GI disorders,
diarrhoea, competition while suckling... at the end what we gaet is a
healthier and cleaner piglet that is able to get better profit from the
prestarter feed. The product is offered in Rotecna type dishes twice
a day to minimise spoilage of the product. Some farmers also use
directly on the warm matt at around 50g/d, until piglets learn how to
eat from the dish.Water holding capacity of this rheological clay is greater than 600%
and we think that this is of physiological relevance for the nutrition of
the very young piglet. Wed like to learn about the relevance of the
water for digestion but theres very little scientific/technical information
regarding this point when piglets start eating significant amonuts of dry
feed alternatively to the maternal milk.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
About feeding piglets, we remove the piglets from parent on 14th day
and allow them for milking for few times only.(say 3 or 4 times in a day)
On same day we start feeding them with Peanut oil cake (which is a
byproduct in Peanut oil production). We mix enough water with peanut
oil cake, wait for about 4 hours. By this time it becomes half solid and
half liquid. With this mixture we add mineral mixture and a tonic and
then feed in small bowls. All the piglets start eating the feed. They get
chance to take mothers milk as well. Then we add high protein grains
with this as they grow more. Growth rate is ok and this has helped us
in weaning losses. Piglets are removed from the mother permanently
on 30th day.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
Proper gestating and lactating feed would able to produce bigger
and stronger piglets. A good start is a better finisher. However proper
piglet nutriton should be followed based on young gut nutrition and
immunity aspect. This would include proper choices of raw materials
and processes. Using other feed additives to enhance growth and
immunity is a key. Take note also the quality of water and management.
Re: Feeding strategy for piglets
The main idea for the piglet life (birth to wean) is to drink as much
as possible milk which is the best product he can have to get good starts
in life. On the other hand high milk production by sow will increase body
condition of the sow at weaning (mean she will have work a lot so she wont
be too fat and especially first farrow sow will have been trained to produce
milk at the next parity). At this is not questioning at all, YES piglet’s quality
start during gestation, by sow and feed management. This gestation
management is also the moment where the sow is getting ready for the
following farrowing and 21 or 28 days of lactation! So not too fat to farrowed
easily and not to thin to produce and support high level milk period.
As we all known (people who work in farm) water quality is always an
issue so its good to not be in the rush to have piglets at the water nipples!
This can reduce risk of diarrhea. The best practice in production still good
process of adoption and splitting piglets during the first 48 hours of their life.
For it, people must be able to recognize good milking sow of the group to
place on her all small one then to count working teats by sow to place
adequately number by sow.
We known also some “prolific” genetic that increase numbers born alive
but decrease average weight by piglet born. Here is even more important
to calibrate properly each litter to ensure also that each individual get
access to colostrums! Then high number by sow are usually pushing producer
to early wean part of each litter. Today this early wean practice is easily
done with 5 to 7 days old piglets and it work quite well by following basics
process: warm, dry, clean area warm, clean diet…different good feed are
available on the market to succeed BUT still, the producer “talent” will do
the best! As we do have several units over 30 piglets wean by sow by year,
it’s easy to understand that they do need early weaning! For large scale
herd, producer should prefer good, rustic genetic, to avoid risk of this early
wean management as it’s almost impossible to stabilize results.
So during lactation priority MUST be given to sow milk. Crape feed can
be given after 10 days essentially to get piglet ready to dry feed in nursery.
This crape feed must be given on very small quantity but very often during
the day (5 to 7 times by day) to increase freshness of the feed in the
draught. Also more often you give feed more often they will come the
feeder to play and eat some feed at the same time…basics!
Then piglet quality and growth will depend on the length of lactation.
At 21 days or 28 days old for weaning ,difficulties are not the same
in nursery! In the nursery too: feeder and water quality, producer
or employee quality, ventilation or building quality will make differences!
for the story: I had to managed different unit (5000 to 2500 sows ) then
we had 2 nursery of 8000 places each which was getting same piglets,
same feed, had same building… but huge differences in death rate and
growth… The only problem was the manager! As wean is a multiplication
of stress (cut of the milk so lost of milk heat and mother heat as well, new
building, new piglets in pen… is very important to find right tunes as soon
as possible to not lost too much time in growth. The management is the
more difficult tool in producing pigs in general and even more difficult
during the first 3-4 week of nursery.
• Lot’s of nutritionist know what good for the pig and we find huge
possibilities on the feed market today,
• We also known troubles around water quality and here too lot’s
of possibilities available on the market, depending on the situation
(PH, iron…) BUT only the producer has the final choice and the
evaluation must be done unit by unit and not
because of the neighbor choice!
Feeding program is a big chapter because is the most expensive
part of pig production expenses, so everyone always come with
the “best” formula!...but like some of you remind it, economic is essential
in the practice. By experience “on field” we are lots to agree that the
following program is working: NURSERY 3 steps = starter, first age,
second age. FINISHER 2 steps: grower, finisher. Then each unit or
nutritionist will adapt regarding genetic, building, feeding system, raw
material, part of the world…etc. I personally like the idea to reduce
as much as possible feed stage during the growing period as it’s resolving
lot’s of troubles in management so automatically in production results.