Which piglets are best raised for male or female meat?

Keeping piglets at home is a very profitable business, but quite troublesome. First of all, a correct balanced diet should be developed for the animals. There are several technologies for fattening pigs, which must be known for those who want to achieve good results in this matter.

What you need to know

Fattening of piglets for meat at home is made with the obligatory observance of the following recommendations:

• The stomach of pigs, in contrast to cattle, is single-chambered. Therefore, the basis of their diet should be not coarse, but concentrated feed. Since there is not so much protein in cereals, animals must be fed with oilcakes, special yeast, legumes, skim milk, skim milk and fish meal.
• The size of the portion prepared is determined by how much the raised pigs can eat at one time. The mishmash remaining in the troughs must be thrown out without waiting for it to sour.
• Concentrated feeds for these animals are usually given in crushed form. Whole grains of wheat, barley, oats, etc. are very poorly assimilated by them.

How to choose a piglet for fattening

When buying, first of all, you should pay attention to the development, breed and health of the animal. Good pig:

• has a wide back, long body and strong legs,
• during the run does not choke and does not wheeze,
• does not suck, but eats the proposed food with appetite.

How to choose a piglet for fattening, therefore, is not a particularly difficult question. Next, we will consider the actual methods of raising these animals in relation to the diet.

Types of feeding technologies

So, the basis of the diet of these farm animals is grain feed and vegetables. There are only two types of pigs fattening: meat and to fatty conditions. In this article, we will take a closer look at the features of the first technology. She, in turn, is subdivided into two more varieties: actually meat and bacon. Both of these methods can be used to feed all breeds bred in our country.

Features of the preparation of the diet at different periods of the life of pigs

The "menu" of pigs largely depends on their age. In this regard, only two growing periods are distinguished:

• Lactic. Depending on the age at which the pig was purchased, this period can last from three to four months. At this time, the animal is fed very often (5-6 times a day) and little by little. Until four weeks of age, the basis of the piglet's diet is cow's milk. At the end of this period, the animal is transferred to the removed one. Cereals are usually given in mixed form. Also in the diet of little pigs include boiled potatoes and carrots.
• The actual fattening.This period begins after the animals reach a weight of about 20 kg (as a rule, this is about 2.5-3 months of age).

Pig fattening

This technology is used most often in our country. When using it, it is possible to grow pigs with very tasty tender and juicy meat, with a layer of bacon on the ridge of 2.5-4 cm, which is in high demand among the population. Piglets start feeding at home using this technology when they reach a weight of 25 kg (at the age of about 3 months). Finish - by 6-8 months. By this time, the weight of pigs reaches about 90-120 kg.

Features of the method

Fattening piglets for meat at home using this technology is divided into two main periods. Before reaching a weight of 70 kg in pigs, there is an intensive growth of muscle mass. At this time, the lion's share of the diet of animals - in addition to grains and potatoes - should be food rich in protein. This can be, for example, peas, green mass of legumes, reverse, fishmeal, etc. After reaching a weight of 70 kg, the amount of crushed grain and juicy feed is increased in the pigs ration. In both of these periods, animals must be given 10-35 g of salt per head per day and 5-25 g of chalk.

Pig fattening

This method is a kind of meat technology. Its difference is, first of all, that with its use it is possible to grow animals with very high quality bacon meat, which has always been subject to increased requirements. Using this method, you can get pigs weighing 80-105 kg. It is mainly applied only to animals of special early maturing bacon breeds. Like the conventional meat method, this technology is divided into two main periods. Up to 5.5 months, pigs are fed so that the gain in live weight is about 400 g per day. Next, I develop the menu in such a way that this figure increases to about 600 g.

The ration of bacon-fed piglets consists of such feeds as barley, vetch, peas and other legumes, millet, as well as various animal additives. Particular attention is paid to the compilation of the menu in the second period. At this time, such deteriorating properties of feed meat as fish waste, oilcakes, soybeans, etc., are completely excluded from the pigs' diet.

Simplified diagram

Fattening piglets for meat at home using the technologies described above allows you to end up with a very high-quality product. However, their maintenance costs, in the case of the development of some special diet, is quite expensive. Therefore, very often the owners of household plots feed pigs according to a simplified scheme, choosing one of its two options: dry or wet. In this case, you can also get a fairly high quality meat.

When choosing a wet feeding technology, the pigs ration consists mainly of mash. They are prepared from boiled potatoes, vegetables, food waste and herbs. Also, the pigs are given crushed grain. At the same time, pea flour, vitamin and mineral supplements, cake are mixed with it.

Dry feeding is technologically simpler than wet feeding. Indeed, in this case, you do not have to cook vegetables and carry heavy buckets of mash. In addition, it is fast fattening of piglets and very efficient. However, dry technology has some disadvantages compared to wet technology. Pigs raised in this way, for example, are more likely to be constipated. Since they receive food only in dry form, it is necessary to ensure that the animals always have fresh water in their drinkers. When using this method, pigs are mainly fed with cereal mixtures. Cultivation using this technology is, of course, more expensive than using the wet method.

Supplements

It is possible to reduce the costs of keeping pigs by using special mixtures. Fattening of piglets on dietary supplements, among other things, improves the quality of meat. Basically, such preparations are a mixture of various vitamins, as well as macro- and microelements.The amino acids contained in them significantly increase the digestibility of the feed.

Frequency of food troughs

So now you know how to raise fattening piglets for quality meat. Next, let's see how many times a day it costs to fill animal troughs with food. Suckling pigs, as mentioned above, are given food 5-6 times a day. Juvenile pigs under 4 months of age are filled with troughs three times a day. Later, if the amount of cereals in the diet of young animals reaches 1.5 kg per head, they switch to two meals a day. With the predominance of mash in the menu, three meals a day are retained.

Maintaining the appetite of pigs

In order for the animals to eat better and, accordingly, gain weight faster, feed should be prepared. Usually, such additional measures are taken when fattening pigs. But in some situations, these techniques can be useful when raising animals for meat. Before feeding, for example, cereals, they are subjected to a malting procedure. It consists in pre-soaking concentrated feed with hot water (85-90 degrees) for about 4 hours. In this case, about 1.5-2 liters of liquid are taken per kilogram of grain.

In the event that the pigs do not eat the mash, the leftovers can be poured with pre-prepared oat milk. The feed improved in this way is liked by the pigs much more than usual.

To prepare such milk, one kilogram of oatmeal is poured with boiled cooled water and mixed. The chatterbox should stand in a warm room for about three hours.

Determination of weight

In order to determine the weight gain of a pig over a given period of time, of course, the easiest way to weigh the animal is. However, unfortunately, it is not always possible to carry out this procedure at home. Therefore, private owners in private farms most often determine the weight gain approximately - using measurements of the chest girth and body length. In both cases, use a measuring tape. When measuring the girth of the chest, it is placed along a vertical line passing along the rear angles of the shoulder blades. Finding the length of the torso is also easy. To do this, the tape is pulled from the middle of the back of the head along the upper line of the neck, back and sacrum to the root of the tail.

Fattening piglets for meat at home using any of the technologies described above allows you to achieve good results in live weight gain and excellent quality of the final product. With these methods, large pigs can be raised as quickly as possible.

Pig breeding in itself is considered profitable. But before we talk about benefits, let's define, how are we going to get this benefit? Simply put, what is the purpose of raising pigs on a particular farm. The fact is that pig breeds (and there are more than a hundred of them in the world), taking into account the products we receive from them, are divided into four conditional groups:

• universal or meat-sucking;
• meat;
• bacon;
• greasy.

Choosing an acceptable breed for you, you should first of all consider how the animals will be able to adapt in your climatic zone and in the conditions in which you are going to keep your wards.

In domestic household farms, animals of about 30 breeds are bred in all four areas. We will try to acquaint you with the most popular and most profitable breeds.

White large

This breed was bred in the century before last by English breeders. They were brought to our country in the 20s of the last century and thanks to the selection work of domestic scientists, this breed has been significantly improved and adapted to the sometimes difficult Russian climatic conditions.

Despite their large size, these white pigs have a harmonious and non-coarse constitution: a small head, thin, elastic and slightly tilted ears, a wide elongated body, small but strong legs, a powerful back and a round ham.

The skin of animals is elastic and dense, the bristles are thin and smooth.

Animals, including young animals, have excellent health, are unpretentious to feeding regimes.

These good-natured and calm animals do not require special care. All this together explains their popularity - the white population is more than 70 percent of all Russian pigs.

The only drawback: the "whites" are hard to endure both winter and summer extreme weather conditions.

Landrace

This breed is considered one of the most meaty, as well as bacon. The founders of the breed, the Danes, got it by crossing a local pig with a large white one, from which these pigs took the color. Appearance: the ears are so long that they hang over the eyes, the head is light, the skin is rather thin and almost free of stubble. The dimensions of the Landrace are about the same as those of the large white. Landrace is not only a highly productive, but also a prolific breed - one mother gives birth to 10-12 babies. With good feeding, they gain weight at a very high speed.

The breed is very disease resistant and can produce over 160 kg of pure meat from these pigs. In addition to this, Landrace is also bred to improve pigs of other breeds.

Main disadvantage: these pigs are rather capricious in keeping and are not as omnivorous as other breeds.

Brazier

An artificially obtained brazier breed, whose parents are Western European wild boar and Carpathian mangalitsa, have excellent indicators for meat.

The weight of adults reaches 250 kg, while the body fat is minimal and almost invisible. They are also distinguished by early maturation - the maturity of the "female part" of this pig family is already at the age of six months, and also by large offspring, reaching 15 piglets per farrowing!

Ukrainian steppe breed of pigs

The breed, which breeders bred by crossing white large boars and "Ukrainian" females, is famous for its strong constitution and excellent adaptability in hot steppe regions.

Queens reach a weight of 250 kg and are capable of producing up to 12 piglets in one farrowing, which develop very quickly.

The main advantage of the “steppe dwellers” is their high meat quality.

Urzhumskaya

The Urzhum breed of pigs is considered purely Russian, bred by crossing the fold-eared Kirov breed with the best specimens of the large white. Designed for bacon and meat feeding. The body is long, the head is of medium size, the ears are drooping, the elongated back resembles an arch. The animal has a well-developed ham, rounded sides, strong legs.

Boars weigh under three centners, sows are 50 kilograms lighter. A dozen piglets are born at one time!

"Urzhumtsy" are famous for high-quality and tasty meat with a small amount of bacon.

Duroc pigs

If you have decided to keep pigs for new high-yielding breeds, the hardy American Duroc is a great solution! Differs in a large and rather rough physique with a golden brown tint.

The main advantage of these pigs is early maturity. In one day, their body weight increases by 1 kg, which is more than that of their other relatives.

Adult wild boars weigh 375 kg, their "friends" - up to 300.

The disadvantage is low fertility relative to other breeds - a maximum of ten piglets at a time.

Cornish (black large) breed

The parents of this breed are Long-eared English and Black Chinese.

Animals have a strong constitution, an elongated body, large ears hanging on the forehead. They perfectly tolerate hot weather, are unpretentious to feed, they love pasture maintenance.

Up to eleven babies are born. A great advantage is the lowest mortality rate of young animals of the breeds.

They have lean meat, tender and tasty ham comes out of it.

The main disadvantage is that there are many folds on the skin. In addition, the leg muscles are underdeveloped.

Males weigh up to 300, females - up to 250 kg.

Estonian bacon

These rather large pigs were born from the crossing of several other breeds - German short-eared, Estonian, Landrace, large white.

As a result of mixing all this motley company, pigs were born of a light pinkish color with a strong constitution, light head, large ears, a wide and stretched back in the middle and the same chest, muscular legs. The weight of boars reaches 340 kg, sows - up to 240 kg.

Animals are very unpretentious both to care and to feeding and vitality.

The meat has good taste.

Mirgorod breed

Another unpretentious "family". They are unpretentious in "matters of food", perfectly adapted to pasture feeding in the forest-steppe conditions.

The physique is well developed, the skin is elastic and covered with thick bristles, the colors range from black-red to black-spotted tones. Wild boars weigh 270-290 kg, pigs 190-220 kg.

11 piglets are born in one farrowing. The great taste of meat is due to the low moisture content of the fatty layers. It is an excellent "raw material" for the preparation of canned food and sausages.

Donskaya meat

A meat breed specially bred in the seventies for keeping in the conditions of the North Caucasian region.

Pigs are variegated - black with medium-sized bodies and a light head.

Wild boars weigh under 300 kg, females - over 200.

Siberian northern

A versatile breed specially developed for harsh climatic conditions.

Animals have a large stature and harmoniously folded body, a wide and straight back, rounded ribs, well-developed hams. At the same time, they have rough and dense bristly skin.

Mostly white, but there are also reddish individuals.

Boars weigh under three and a half centners, females - 100 kg less.

They have a good fertility rate - from 10 to 12 babies per farrowing and a good daily weight gain - about 800 grams. Due to their calm nature and lively disposition, they are not picky in content.

This breed has no significant drawbacks - except that the grandmothers in individual individuals do not differ in particular rigidity.

Vietnamese puffy-bellied

For breeding these quiet, docile and very slow pigs, even six acres is enough!

Very clean animals - they carefully "use the toilet", defecating in the same place, therefore they require minimal cleaning after themselves. These pigs do not need extensive grazing - there is enough food for them in the form of garden waste. "Vietnamese" are highly fertile and resistant to disease.

Despite their relatively small size, they have tasty meat and the same tasty and tender lard.

Of the breeds that are advantageous for keeping, one can also note the Breitov breed, which is distinguished by its high weight and good adaptability, the Murom breed, which is similar in characteristics to the large white breed, the Latvian one with good productivity, and the prolific Lithuanian, which has tasty Belarusian meat qualities.

Summarizing our story, we emphasize once again: each of the listed breeds has both advantages and disadvantages. Pig breeding itself is a profitable and profitable occupation, providing not only the needs for meat of a farm family, but also generating income from the sale of pork. The decision about which of them is preferable to contain must be made taking into account all factors: productivity, conditions of keeping, climate, the capabilities of the owners and many others.

Pig farming is considered one of the most lucrative businesses in any country.It does not require any special costs, it quickly pays for the investment. The main thing is to provide the pigs with proper care and proper feeding so that they grow quickly. In this article we will look at which pig feeding is the most effective and how best to organize it.

The pig breeding business will be profitable if the pig fattening process is right.

The fact that labor costs and financial investments pay off quickly can be judged by the following facts:

• one sow is capable of producing up to 15 small piglets;
• you need to feed the pigs within one year;
• You can even organize production at home if you have a separate house.

There are several technologies that allow you to quickly and efficiently feed piglets for meat at home. As a result, well-fed carcasses with high quality meat grow. The profit you receive depends on how effective the pig feeding method you choose.

General rules

These rules are simple and suitable for all types of feeding. Let's list them:

• the food that you will give to your wards must be fresh - you should not feed them with yesterday's leftovers;
• before feeding grain, vegetables and other plant foods, it is advisable to grind it so that the pig's body assimilates it better;
• it is undesirable to give hot - you should first cool it;
• compensate for the lack of proteins and amino acids in vegetables by adding barley and soy, fishmeal and other foods that contain calcium to food;
• salt in the food of pigs must be present - up to 40 grams. It helps the stomachs to digest food better.

Before giving grain to pigs, it must be crushed.

Technology

Depending on what result you want to achieve, that is, whether you want to raise pigs for meat, bacon or lard, there are also corresponding types of fattening. Let's give them a short description.

1. Meat. By the age of seven months, the piglets will gain weight of 100 or more kilos. Their meat by this period will become very tasty, it will contain little fat in itself. The edible portion of the carcass will be about 75%. If a grown piglet weighs about 130 kilos, the edible part will already increase to 85% of the mass.
2. Bacon. This is considered to be meat evenly saturated with fat. To get this result, you will need to select a special breed of pigs and adhere to a special diet in their feeding. Piglets for fattening choose an oblong shape, with a wide sternum and back, with pronounced legs. Best suited for this purpose:

• Estonian white breed;
• Lithuanian white breed;
• landrace.

By the age of three months, piglets of these breeds are already able to increase their weight by 25 kilos. You can breed them at home, but the breeder will require not only professional knowledge of how to feed pigs correctly, but also attention, as well as significant financial investments at the initial stage.

3. Quality fat. It is this option that is most in demand in households. Good bacon can be obtained from very fatty meat, for which piglets are selected from a special meat-feeding breed. In order to achieve the desired effect, the breeder will have to control the fat content of the meat and the thickness of the bacon all the time. The latter should not exceed 10 centimeters. If you correctly observe the required norms in the nutritional diet of animals, then the total live weight should result in:

• 50% bacon;
• 40% meat.

Depending on the desired end product, it is necessary to select different breeds of pigs for feeding.

Principles of beef feeding

Breeding young pigs for meat begins from three months. You need to choose those pigs that by this time have already gained from 100 to 120 kilos. Any breed of pig is used, but further results will depend on what exactly you will feed the pig, what type of feeding you prefer.The types of pigs feeding for meat are as follows.

1. Low intensity. In this case, the piglets will gradually gain weight. It will take a long enough time for the pig to reach a weight of 100 kilos. This method is used if cheap and affordable feed is supposed to be used. This pig fattening at home is suitable for those owners who raise pigs for their own needs, in small quantities.
2. Intensive. In this case, feeding is carried out in a very short time. This technique is considered the most effective both in terms of timing and profitability. It is required to select piglets that have already gained weight of 30 or more kilos by the age of three months. Further, for four months, feeding is carried out according to a special scheme.

If you correctly follow the technology of intensive meat feeding, then:

• piglets' weight gain per day will be 600 - 650 g;
• by the end, their average weight will reach 120 kilos.

The carcass of the pig turns out to be very impressive, and at the same time the meat will be soft, juicy and tender, since the pig does not have time to grow old. In the region of the seventh cervical vertebra, a thin layer of fat will form in each fed individual.

For intensive beef feeding, pigs are chosen of a pure breed, such are obtained by crossing pigs specially bred for intensive productivity. For example, piglets from a cross between a Large White sow and a Landrace are considered good.

The daily weight gain of a pig is about 600 grams until its weight reaches 120 or more kilograms.

To make intensive beef feeding as productive as possible, you need to create certain comfortable conditions for the pigs. They include:

• a suitable room in which the piglets would feel at ease;
• professionally selected food.

The period of growing pigs for meat is conventionally divided into two periods.

Preparation period

This is the longest stage and lasts until the piglets are six months old. Usually at this time, each fattened piglet gains half a kilo per day. It is better if this period falls on the spring or summer, in which case the question of what to feed will not be so acute. For feeding, green food is suitable, which in the diet of young pigs should be about 30%. Fresh herbs, melons, and root vegetables will do, your pets will look for and find suitable food for themselves.

At the age of 6 months, it is necessary to diversify the diet of pigs with root crops.

If the preparatory period fell on the winter, then you have to feed it with grass flour, the same root crops and combined silage. During this period, you need to go on a diet, which contains 115 g of protein for each individual, which will allow you to raise the weight to the maximum. The diet should also contain more vitamins, especially A, D and B group, as well as minerals and amino acids such as methionine, lysine and tryptophan.

Final period

It is quite short, only a month and a half. During this period, the weight of the gilts per day increases by 750 g, for which the nutrient concentrate is increased by almost 90% using different feedings. Most often they add to it:

• potatoes, and in such a way that for piglets the fattening consisted of two parts - first they are given potatoes, then concentrated feed;
• beets, legumes and green grass;
• food waste.

At the final stage, there should be 100 grams of protein for each fattened carcass. It is very important during this period to completely exclude from the diet those products that can negatively affect the taste of the resulting meat. These include:

• fish;
• bran;
• millet flour;
• soy (remember that it even interferes with normal weight gain).

Bran, fish, millet flour and soy can negatively affect the taste of meat.

Gilts are fed at the final stage twice a day, water must be present at all times. It is undesirable to disturb them.To make this period as effective as possible:

• the room where pigs are kept is darkened from bright light;
• pigs need to be taken out for a walk less often, reducing this time to a minimum.

Here is a table of effective fattening of pigs for meat

Live weight	Increase per day	Daily requirement for one individual						Consumption of feed units per 1 kg of growth
		feed units	digestible protein, g	salt, g	calcium, g	phosphorus, g	carotene, mg
20-30	300-400	1,4 — 1,7	175 — 215	14	10	8	5	4,2
30-40		1,5 — 1,7	180 — 225	15	12	9	7	4,5
40-50	400-500	2,0 — 2,3	220 — 265	20	14	10	8	4,6
50-60		2,1 — 2,4	240 — 275	22	15	11	10	4,8
60-70	500-600	2,6 — 3,0	260 – 330	25	16	12	12	5,0
70-80	600-700	3,2 — 3,7	320 – 390	32	17	13	15	5,2
80-90		3,3 — 3,8	330 – 410		18	14		5,4
90-100	700-800	3,9 — 4,4	355 — 415	35	20	16		5,5
100-120		4,0 — 4,5	360 — 420		22	18		5,6

Bacon Feeding Principles

This pig fattening technology is good for getting smoked products. Growing requires a piglet, whose age is already 2.5 months, and by this time has gained 25 kilos. Boars by this time must be neutered.

Then a complete feeding ration is drawn up for the piglets, which includes:

• 3 kilos of green food;
• one and a half kilos of concentrate;
• 2 kilos of root crops;
• 20 grams of salt;
• special additives.

It is also recommended to add barley to the diet of fattening pigs - it helps to neutralize those products that can reduce the taste of meat.

You need to feed the pigs twice a day. Like fattening pigs for meat, bacon fattening also consists of two stages.

1. Elementary. During this period, you should adhere to the rate of gain in live weight of 450 grams per day.
2. Final. It takes three months, and at this time the average daily gain rises to 500 - 600 grams. You should also completely exclude those types of products that can impair the taste of meat or interfere with normal weight gain.

Raising pigs for bacon requires animal walking.

Bacon feeding of pigs involves the obligatory taking of animals for a walk. Exceptions should not be made, even in winter.

The necessity of walking is explained by an improvement in the appetite of animals, while the food is absorbed better and the mass grows. When fattening for bacon, it is necessary that all individuals first of all form muscle tissue, there should be a lot of it, but fat deposits, on the contrary, are not enough. If you follow all of the above rules, juicy meat is formed, evenly penetrated by fat layers. It is usually used to cook all kinds of smoked foods such as ham, loin or brisket.

Fattening Vietnamese piglets

This breed is bred specifically to produce bacon pork. There are no special differences when feeding Vietnamese piglets from other breeds, the rules are simple:

• feed satisfyingly, but not overfeed;
• walk daily.

Approximate composition of compound feed:

• barley 40%;
• wheat 30%;
• oats 10%;
• peas 10%;
• corn 10% (no longer needed, because corn contributes to obesity).

Vietnamese pigs need to be fed hearty, but in no case overfeed.

Principles of fattening (for lard)

With the effective organization of fattening pigs to fat norms, the formed carcass can reach 200 kilograms. Of this mass, meat will make up only 40% of the weight, the rest is fat. In order to feed a pig for high-quality lard, the selected pig should already weigh 100 kilos. Nutrition for these piglets varies from time to time.

1. At the initial stage, it is permissible to use concentrated feed, which includes corn and wheat.
2. At the final stage, it is already recommended to use concentrates consisting of barley and millet. These components are needed in order for the lard to be of better quality.

If fattening pigs are kept in the summer, experts suggest feeding piglets, adhering to the following diet:

• 4 kilos of green food;
• 3.5 kilos of pumpkin;
• 3 kilos of concentrates;
• 50 grams of salt.

The weight raised in this way makes the animals inactive, their shape becomes more rounded.

Lard will be of high quality if concentrates from barley and millet are used at the final stage of feeding.

Here is a table of effective fattening of pigs

Live weight, kg	Increase per day, g	Daily requirement for one individual
		feed units	digestible protein, g	salt, g	calcium, g	phosphorus, g
110 — 120	700 — 800	4,1 – 4,6	310 — 375	40	16	14
110 — 130		4,2 – 4,8	330 – 390	43	17	15
130 — 140		4,3 – 5,0	310 – 370	50	19	17
140 — 150	600 — 700	4,4 – 5,1	300 – 360	55	21	18
150 — 160		4,5 – 5,5	270 — 330	65	22	19

Use of growth stimulants

Even if you are using a balanced concentrated feed, it is still worth using additional growth stimulants that make the process of raising pigs more efficient. Specially used for the growth of pigs:

• antibiotics;
• mineral preparations;
• vitamin formulations;
• tissue preparations.

They are given not only to raise a full-fledged mumps, very often they help treat sick animals, and sometimes even save their lives. Biologically active substances help piglets gain weight faster, improving their:

• metabolism;
• digestive processes.

As a result, the amount of feed that has to be spent in order for the pigs to grow quickly is also reduced. However, they still need to be used in moderation, observing the required standards.

To increase the efficiency of feeding, it is recommended to use growth stimulants.

Growth stimulants also have anti-inflammatory effects, allowing the animal's body to better fight germs. It is recommended to give them to piglets in case of illness.

Different stimulants are used to achieve different goals:

• it is recommended to feed pigs with vitamins and amino acids so that their nutritional properties increase, the meat becomes denser;
• synthetic drugs stimulate faster growth in live weight;
• special premixes allow animals to gain weight quickly, forming higher quality fat and meat.

By the way, people have long been using such "bioadditives", literally drawing them from nature itself. For example, lake silt contains a lot of minerals and vitamins, including calcium and copper, magnesium and other substances.

Pig keeping

Most often, specially allocated premises such as a barn or a converted barn are used for this. The pigsty must be:

• warm (even in winter, the temperature in it should not fall below +15 degrees) and without drafts;
• dry;
• spacious and light;
• with thoughtful ventilation;
• with the possibility of dimming the light after each feeding.

The normal development of pigs depends on the conditions in which they are kept.

It is advisable to keep strong and weak individuals separately so that they do not harm each other. Also according to the norms:

• the height of the walls must be at least one meter;
• floor area - from three to five square meters to accommodate a sow, and three to four meters for each piglet.

This helps the piglets stay healthy and grow quickly. In addition, once a month the room needs to be disinfected and the walls whitewashed.

Particular attention is paid to the availability of water, especially if dry feed is used for fattening. If there is not enough water, the condition of your charges will begin to deteriorate.

Summary

In this article, we explained how to feed pigs, what breeding techniques are used in the national economy. You have learned what feed pigs need to grow quickly when bred for meat, lard or bacon.

We have briefly described the existing growth promoters so that you can choose the ones that are more suitable for your flock.

Video

In this article, we will tell you how high the economic efficiency of pig breeding at home and on pig farms is. Piglets can be brought up for different purposes - for meat or for sale in live weight. Enterprises, of course, must calculate profitability before starting a business, and animals are kept on their own plots for personal use. But even a small number of livestock can bring some profit. We will find out how profitable it is to keep pigs for different purposes.

Farm meat

Pork on store shelves is most often the product of pig farms. These enterprises usually contain large livestock, which need to be properly cared for. This is to ensure cleanliness, warmth, proper feeding.It would seem that if you buy small pigs, raise them to the desired condition and sell the meat, then the profit is guaranteed, but in reality everything is more complicated.

All that is needed for a business, we describe in detail in the article "Pig breeding as a business at home." Since the investment is not small, you need to correctly calculate the business plan. It includes consideration of the following steps:

• construction of a pig farm (or renovation of an existing building):
• preparation of the area where pigs will walk;
• preparation of a forage base;
• places of sale of meat products.

Various additional costs and smaller points - everything is calculated very carefully. These are the services of a veterinarian, and routine vaccinations of animals, farm workers. One of the stages is an analysis of cost savings at the stage of production start-up.

Business benefits

It will be profitable to breed pigs for meat in a pig farm with minimal investment, if you try to equip all the necessary premises and territories on your own.

The second, especially important factor is to acquire the right breed of pigs. Suitable for meat and bacon are Landrace, Estonian bacon and Duroc. It is important to choose a good seller who is responsible for breeding animals and realizing healthy individuals.

Males and females must be bought from different vendors to avoid kinship. The plus is that piglets are purchased once, and only then they can be bred independently. However, if you no longer have to spend on animals, then there should always be money for feed in the future.

If you decide whether it is profitable to keep pigs for the sale of meat, then you can answer that yes, if at the same time there were low costs (doubly profitable) and a successful batch of piglets was purchased. Of course, with large investments, the business will be no less profitable. At the same time, the business can gradually be transferred to another channel - the sale of animals in live weight, which will be discussed further.

Live weight

Very often, piglets are sold in live weight (small, grown-up and fully ready for slaughtering live individuals) in pig breeding and at the same time they are engaged in the marketing of meat products. That is, these two directions complement each other in one production.

They purchase a pig from trusted breeders, but if the pig farm is already in operation, then the existing sows can give their offspring, which is very beneficial. Some of the individuals go to fattening (if slaughter is practiced), some to the tribe.

Piglets are cheaper than adult pigs and the difference is quite significant. Foreign breeds of animals are especially appreciated. Usually they are bought at the age of 2 months, when the weight reaches 16-18 kg.

It is not difficult to raise pigs in general, as they are unpretentious in their diet. For a large farm with several hundred heads, you can have 2 boars and 15 sows. This is for the tribe, and the remaining hundreds of individuals are for fattening. If the business is built only on the sale of live individuals, then you need to have several pairs of high-bred producers, then the cost of piglets will increase significantly. Some farms do not have their own boars for reproduction per tribe, but rent them. These are additional costs, but in the future they still pay off.

If you decide which breed is the most optimal, it is the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, about which the article "Growing Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs" tells. It is beneficial to breed them from the point of view of economics, that is, the art of housekeeping. This is how this word is translated from Greek.

The animals are herbivores, their females are prolific, and the young are fast-growing. Of the profitable indicators, we can note the volumes, as well as the good taste of potato meat, which is a plus if the farm is still engaged in the sale of these products.

When animals are sold in live weight, they also need good nutrition, competent care and veterinary examinations to give them a presentation, and these are costs.It is much more profitable when this business is associated, among other things, with the sale of carcasses for meat.

Pets

When keeping pigs for yourself, you can select the breed of mini pigs. It is possible to breed such pigs at home in the truest sense of the word. They are so tiny that they get along well in the apartment. In the article "Decorative mini pigs" you can learn about their varieties. Such pets do not have clear standards for appearance, they are picky about food and are quite smart. Animals are easily toilet trained and amenable to training.

Keeping a mini pig can generate a certain amount of income. Of course, there are costs - food, treatment, maintenance. But, if piglets are born, then you can make a profitable sale, because the animals have not a small price.

If space permits, there is a private territory, then you can get mini pigs of larger breeds. For example, the same Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, from which all other breeds of decorative pigs came from, is the largest among its relatives. Its weight can reach 100 kg, and it is not suitable for an apartment. But in the yard, it may well live as a pet.

There are frequent cases of breeding this breed for meat. In any case, a shed or aviary is needed for housing, timely provision of plant food.

Simple animals

If mini pigs are most often brought up for the soul, for breeding and selling pigs, then ordinary pigs are not kept in apartments. They are rarely called pets, because they are grown for any product - meat, bacon, lard, leather, blood.

If the farm is small, then the family can provide only itself with products. But since pigs are quite fertile, the number of heads is constantly growing. Therefore, talking about whether it is profitable to breed pigs in a private courtyard, each time we come to the same conclusion - there is a benefit. First, it can be a small sale of meat or a one-time sale, but with a profit. Secondly, this can gradually be transformed into a stable business for pig breeders, because pork is a very popular product.

If the farmer only plans to engage in pig breeding and the sale of meat products, then, as we said above, a business plan will need to be developed. It includes all costs - for the purchase of piglets, for the construction of a barn, for the purchase of feed. If a peasant farm is planned, then it is advisable to purchase from 40 heads. These are the main points, but everything is thought out to the smallest detail - where the animal will walk, who will be vaccinated, treated, where to sell the products.

Since full growth depends on feeding, a feeding plan is drawn up. One of the most cost-effective options for a household is the use of food waste (cleaning, food leftovers) in animal nutrition.

In summer, eating is even easier - grass, vegetation from the garden. It is very beneficial to conclude contracts with catering places. They will supply food waste, and in return, the farmer provides them with meat products several times a year.

Pig breeding as a home business can also require a certain staff if the owners themselves are no longer able to cope with the growing livestock. This is also taken into account in the expense item, because the staff needs to be paid salaries.

Sales of products

For economic performance to grow when running a home business, it is advisable to slaughter pigs by the winter. During this time, the meat is stored at no cost and transported for sale without spoilage.

When developing a business plan, the points of purchase of meat and the distance to them are thought out. At first, these may be neighbors, nearest stores and even a market. It is necessary to agree on the sale of finished products in advance.

You can sell not only meat, but also piglets in live weight. This is less beneficial, but can happen quickly and easily. Dealers are very often interested in surplus livestock.Since then they are engaged in all the troubles, therefore, the price for the pigs is low.

The price of a live piglet on average reaches 3000 rubles. If an individual goes for breeding, then it is cheaper, and if for fattening, then it is more expensive. The cost is influenced by the breed of pigs, age and size.

The pros of pig breeding

Whether it is beneficial to keep a pig can be determined by the following factors. This type of cattle grows quite quickly, but only with proper feeding and maintenance. The weight of a piglet at birth is 1-1.3 kg, and after a week it is twice as large.

The pig reaches an average of 130 kg per year. Considering that one sow can give 20 piglets a year, then 2-3 tons of live weight can be obtained. And this is only the profitability of one individual.

Choosing between different types of domestic animals, the pig breeding side is more profitable in that the piglet is able to assimilate a third of the food, and, for example, only a fifth of the duck. Compared to cattle, a bull needs 20-30% more feed than a pig. This is a weight gain per kilogram. Again, it is a matter of taste - pork is softer, more tender, and the demand for it is higher. Smoked products are also in demand. For the farmer, this can be an additional undertaking.

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Tags: Basic, Pigs