CAL: pig feeding

Question 1

What is the normal daily weight gain of a gilt?

Answer 1

800-900g/day

Question 2

Why flush gilts during oestrous cycle preceeding mating?

Answer 2

increase ovulation rate

possibly increase biological quality of eggs

Question 3

What are the 3 stages of pregnancy and how does feeding differ?

Answer 3

EARLY - reduce feed intake (first 3 weeks) to limit embryo mortality

MID (weeks 3 to final 3 weeks) - feed to achieve BCS of 3-3.5 according to weight and BCS, ensure weight gain is controlled

LATE (last 3 weeks) - increase E demands to meet needs of growing litter, avoid BCS loss, upon entering farrowing house reduce feed level (to 2kg/day) to reduce udder problems and farrowing difficulties

Question 4

What are the main factors influencing feeding during pregnancy?

Answer 4

differences in body weight

Question 5

How many litres of milk will a sow produce for her litter?

Answer 5

250-300 litres of milk

Question 6

Describe the diet during the rebreeding stage.

Answer 6

high nutrient density (to recover and prepare)
ad lib
influence oestrous intensity, ovulation rate, concenption rate

Question 7

How do you feed a boar?

Answer 7

Balanced diet
Optimise repro performance and welfare
Young boars - permit 150-200g weight gain/day
Up until 175kg, feed 34MJ DE/day
After 175kg, feed 28 MJ DE/day
Supply 14g lysine/day so the lysine: DE ratio is about 0.4 to 0.5
Fed same diet as dry sows (similar)

Question 8

How do you feed a sow in early lactation?

Answer 8

Appetite immediately after farrowing low
First day after farrowing –> 2.5kg high nutrient density
Stimulate appetite gradually (increase by 0.5kg/day)
By day 10, she should readily eat 7kg feed/day

Question 9

How do you feed a sow during the main lactational stage?

Answer 9

From day 10, increase feed allowance until max appetite
Use the Stotfold Feeding Scale from MLC to adjust feed according to lactation stage, litter size and sow weight
Feed twice a day
Require higher energy and lysine levels than pregnancy
Drinkers flow a min of 1.5L/min
Reduce room temp as appetite increases (20 degrees-16)

Question 10

How much milk does a piglet drink for every kg of body weight gain?

Answer 10

4L sow milk

Question 11

Describe a first stage weaned piglet diet

Answer 11

For up to one week after weaning
Highly palatable and digestible
Main ingredients = cooked cereals skim milk powder, high quality proteins
Careful processing, mixing and pelleting to avoid damaging nutritional quality
Stop when eating 2kg/day

Question 12

Describe 2nd stage weaned piglet diet

Answer 12

Progressive introduction of ingredients better suited to growing and finishing pigs
Milk products and cooked cereals replaced with raw milled cereals and oilseed meal
Avoid abrupt diet changes (for first 2-3 days of a new diet, mix with the old diet)

Question 13

What is a good target weight for a piglet at 10 weeks?

Answer 13

30 kg

Question 14

How many different diets may be used between weaning to 30kg weight/10 weeks of age?

Answer 14

as many as 5 or more

Question 15

Describe a grower/finisher diet

Answer 15

Daily lysine: DE ratio decreases from weaning to slaught but for ease of operation, many pigs are fed a single diet with a fixed ratio except phase-feeding systems where diet changes can be made automatically. Reducing the ratio decreases feed costs.

GROWER: 14.0 MJ DE and 1.12% lysine giving ratio of 0.8
FINISHER: 13.5 MJ DE and 0.94% lysine giving ratio of 0.7

Question 16

How can you reduce the variability in growing and finishing stages?

Answer 16

cross fostering

side-streaming at wening of light/poor performers

Question 17

What should the last feed for the grower/finisher house for final 2 weeks before slaughter have a lysine: DE ratio of?

Answer 17

0.6

Question 18

What are cheaper sources of protein that can be included in the later diet?

Answer 18

rapeseed meal (up to 5%)

Question 19

When does the negative impact of an over-supply of lysine relative to DE with the use of a single diet become a problem>?

Answer 19

heavier slaughter weights

Question 20

Why can boars have a higher lysine: DE ratio requirement than gilts?

Answer 20

because they tend to be leaner and have a higher potential for lean gain

Question 21

Why is lysine important for pigs?

Answer 21

because for pigs, lysine is the most or first limiting amino acid so if the diet is formulated to meet the correct amount of lysine then generally the levels of the other essential amino acids will be adequate. After lysine the other limiting amino acids in typical swine diets will include threonine, methionine and tryptophan.