CAL: pig feeding Flashcards
What is the normal daily weight gain of a gilt?
800-900g/day
Why flush gilts during oestrous cycle preceeding mating?
increase ovulation rate
possibly increase biological quality of eggs
What are the 3 stages of pregnancy and how does feeding differ?
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
What are the main factors influencing feeding during pregnancy?
differences in body weight
How many litres of milk will a sow produce for her litter?
250-300 litres of milk
Describe the diet during the rebreeding stage.
high nutrient density (to recover and prepare)
ad lib
influence oestrous intensity, ovulation rate, concenption rate
How do you feed a boar?
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)
How do you feed a sow in early lactation?
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
How do you feed a sow during the main lactational stage?
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)
How much milk does a piglet drink for every kg of body weight gain?
4L sow milk
Describe a first stage weaned piglet diet
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
Describe 2nd stage weaned piglet diet
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)
What is a good target weight for a piglet at 10 weeks?
30 kg
How many different diets may be used between weaning to 30kg weight/10 weeks of age?
as many as 5 or more
Describe a grower/finisher diet
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
How can you reduce the variability in growing and finishing stages?
cross fostering
side-streaming at wening of light/poor performers
What should the last feed for the grower/finisher house for final 2 weeks before slaughter have a lysine: DE ratio of?
0.6
What are cheaper sources of protein that can be included in the later diet?
rapeseed meal (up to 5%)
When does the negative impact of an over-supply of lysine relative to DE with the use of a single diet become a problem>?
heavier slaughter weights
Why can boars have a higher lysine: DE ratio requirement than gilts?
because they tend to be leaner and have a higher potential for lean gain
Why is lysine important for pigs?
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.
