Care and management of weaned pigs: Basics of nursery pig care

Last week we discussed management of newly born piglets. The discussion today is a continuation but focused on management of weaned piglets.

Weaning is the process of stopping the piglets from suckling the sow. This is done by removing the sow from the farrowing unit or removing piglets from the sow unit to their new pen.

Weaning is the most stressful process to piglets and if not handled well, chances of losing them are very high! This is because:

1. Change of Diet:

There is change from liquid to sole dependency on solid diet. When with their mother, piglets are used to a combination of both liquid (sow milk) and solid (Barbistar safe creep feed) diets. A piglet hardly consume 500g of creep feed from its introduction at 6 days to weaning. Therefore less solid food is consumed during suckling. Weaned piglets will be more interested in water in the first few days before good appetite for solid food is developed. This is why providing a consistent access to clean and fresh water is highly important.

2. Temperature Changes:

Where a farrowing unit is available, piglets enjoy modified temperature conditions (most especially during colder days) saving their bodies from using a lot of energy to regulate body temperatures. Also the milk ingested from the sow is always warm. After weaning, the piglet body has to regulate its own temperature with less external support.

3. Bullying:

Where piglets from different sows are weaned into a single room, chances of heavier (superior) piglets bullying lighter (inferior) piglets are high most especially where:

·         There is considerable variations in weaning weights.

·         Inadequate drinkers and feed troughs provided.

·         Stocking a pen beyond capacity or overcrowding.

The three factors above are major causes of poor post weaning performance and mortality. Each must be handled independently to ensure increased performance and reduced post weaning mortalities.

For proper management of these challenges, it is important for a commercial pig farmer to set post weaning performance standards basing on their farm situations. These must be communicated to the staff and act as criteria for examining increase and decrease in post weaning performance. The success of such a strategy depends on proper record keeping and use. The general standards includes:

·         Recording a positive figure of Average Daily Gain (ADG) from third day after weaning.

·         1% post weaning mortality.

·         0% diarrheal outbreaks.

·         99% growth uniformity.

How do you use post weaning performance standards to reduce post weaning challenges?

Usually, the Average Daily Gain per weaned piglet declines in the first days or week after weaning. This sometimes goes to negatives!
Decrease in weight gain after weaning is usually caused by reduced feed intake and stress factors such as increased or reduced temperatures, bullying, over stocking etc.

You can minimize chances of your piglet Average Daily Gain going into negatives as well as ensuring good results with other standards. The following practices will be helpful:

1.    Always vaccinate your sows against diarrheal causing organisms. This will enable your piglets to ingest antibodies against these pathogens through their mother’s milk. This will reduce diarrheal cases.

2.    Avoid weaning lighter piglets. A piglet weighing below six kilograms is hard to grow. It is susceptible to diseases. Wean piglets in phases leaving lighter ones to gain average weaning weight.

3.    Group piglets according to weight. Weaned piglets can be categorized as Light, medium and heavy with weight ranges 6, 7 and 8+ live body weight respectively. Group lighter piglets separately from heavier piglets.

4.    Avoid sudden change of piglet diet from Barbistar Safe Creep feed to Pig 25% concentrate starter diets. Continue feeding Barbistar Safe in first three days after weaning. Then feed it alongside the Pig 25% concentrate starter diets decreasing quantities of Barbistar gradually until zero at about seven days after weaning. This will reduce chances of stomach upsets that may lead to diarrhoea and improve feed intake.

5.    Maintain good hygiene in the weaning pen. Water given must be clean and fresh, feeds free from moulds and containing well balanced nutrients. Choose maize bran less in fibre and maize particle of size not more than 500 microns.

6.    Provide enough drinking points to the piglets. At least 1 nipple per 10 piglets with water flow not less than half a litter per minute.

7.    Avoid over stocking. Keep a maximum of 5 weaners per square meter.

Quality nutrition is very important for the success of every pig farming business. Making feeds on your farm using Nuscience's nutritional solutions will help you cut feeding costs while availing quality feeds to your pigs. Use the pig 25% concentrate where access to quality Soycake and Sunflower is difficult or the pig 5% concentrate where you have access to quality Soycake and Sunflower.

- Christopher Mulindwa