Breed Manual

PIG MANAGEMENT MANUAL
Introduction
Farming is a business and it should be approached as such. The main objectives of a business
pursuing profits is to minimise on inputs while maximising outputs. A piggery will certainly
have other production associated costs either that feed such as labour, veterinary supplies,
utilities costs etc. However, Feed alone can make up for 60 – 70% of the total costs. It
therefore, makes business sense to target the feed when trying to reduce costs.
Overview of the pig industry
The pig industry is made up of the breeding stork, weaners, growers, porkers and baconers.
The breeding stork are kept for selection for mating and producing the next generation of
piglets which could be weaned to be sold as weaner piglets or be kept and moved to the
growing units to be grown and fattened as porkers or baconers. The difference between
porkers are baconers is the time that they are fattened for. Baconers are fed a while longer
than porkers. Feeding the correct feed at each of the stages is important to maximise on
growth and reaching the breed’s potential growth rates and body weights. Table 1 Afresh
Brand’s pig feeding program at different ages
Animal Class Afresh Brands Pig Feeds Quantity
Piglets ASA Creep Feed 210 g per day
Weaners Weaner Meal Adlib
Growers Grower Meal Adlib
Baconers and Porkers Pig Finisher Meal Adlib
Dry Sow and Boar Dry Sow Meal 2 – 4 kg per day
Lactating Sow Lactating Sow Meal 2.0 kg per day plus 500 grams
for every piglet
Am I feeding correctly?
Boars and dry Sows are fed for body weight maintenance. Afresh Brands Dry Sow meal (Reg
No V 19162) can be fed to dry sows and gilts. The feed is formulated to restore body condition
and replenish the backfat on the sow that it has lost during milking and further grows the gilts
in preparation for mating. A well-fed (3.5kg per day) Sow/gilt’s fertility increases the number
of ova (eggs) released during ovulation. This is true for a healthy Boar with good Body
Condition Score (BCS), a healthy boar produces high quality semen (containing sperms)
volumes and it has the energy and libido required for mating. The feed is to be fed through
the pregnancy to support the growing piglets for heavier birth weights and larger litter size
(number of piglets per sow), reducing still births. Heavier piglets have a greater chance of
survival and heavier weaning weights.
During the lactating period, The Sows feed must be changed to Afresh brands Lactating sow
meal while the piglets can be offered a supplemental ASA Creep Feed in conjunction with
their dam’s milk. Feeding Creep feed to piglets in farrowing pens at 2 weeks till weaning (6
weeks – 12 weeks) eases the burden on the dam of being suckled, it will help maintain the
sow’s BCS (Thus returning to oestrus early) and it introduces solids to the piglets early, which
reduced weaning stress, increases the weaning weight and avoids post-weaning weight loss
of piglets. Piglets are weaned to Afresh Brands Weaner meal.
The aim of a grower unit is to achieve high Average Daily Gain (ADG) closest to those of the
breed’s potential and increase feed conversion efficiency (FCE) through the reduction of Feed
Conversion Ratio (FCR). Feeding Afresh Brands Pig Grower meal (Reg No. V 19153) to the pigs
in the grower units will maintain the Body weight gains. Pigs are sold the market on weight
bases, getting the pigs to the market size as quickly as possible cuts down on the feeding
duration and produces a carcass of good quality (high grade) that will earn the producer more
money per kg. Pigs to be sold as porkers are fed Afresh Brands Pig Finisher Feed (Reg No.
19159). The fattening period determines the class, Porkers are usually pigs that are grown to
70kg for about 60days after weaning while the baconers are grown to 75 – 95kg for 120 days.
Pig carcasses are graded by the backfat thickness, leaner carcasses earn more price per
kilogram. Feeding formulated grower feed will provide balanced nutrients to achieve the
highest-grade carcass as possible.
General Management Tips
Keep pigs in a roofed structure to keep them away from rain, the sun and extreme cold.
Provide zone heating in the farrowing units 24 hours before expected farrowing. Heat lamps,
heat pads, radiant heat devices, and hovers are common ways to provide zone heating
Keep all units clean, disinfect furrowing pens before placing pregnant sow and monitor birth
regularly.
Provide unlimited access to clean cool water.
Provide Vaccines to prevent diseases, Medicines to sick animals and pest control (Flies,
mites and rodents) to control disease spread.
For More Management information :
Keep breeding records to assess production and avoid inbreeding your pigs

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PIG MANAGEMENT MANUAL

Weaners Weaner Meal Adlib

Growers Grower Meal Adlib

Baconers and Porkers Pig Finisher Meal Adlib

Dry Sow and Boar Dry Sow Meal 2 – 4 kg per day

Provide unlimited access to clean cool water.

For More Management information :

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