Many farmers are raising Vietnamese piglets. Previously, these animals were considered exotic and therefore could rarely be found in households. However, now they are as common as regular pigs. Many people who are planning to raise such animals are interested in what they can feed Vietnamese piglets during breeding.
Features of feeding Vietnamese pigs
To feed small pot-bellied pigs correctly, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of their diet. People who have been raising such animals for a long time recommend giving them food in doses several times a day. In summer they are fed twice daily, and in winter such animals eat three times a day.
The diet of Vietnamese piglets should contain the following nutritional components:
- 5% fat;
- 15% fiber;
- 12% protein.
Before feeding animals, it is necessary to determine the daily feed consumption rate. When making calculations, it is necessary to start from the weight of the animal. For example, if his weight is 40-50 kilograms, then he should eat 300 grams of food every day. Pigs need to be fed more grains. At the same time, it is recommended to feed them more barley, since it is the one that is best absorbed by piglets. It is given ground or even lightly fried. Barley promotes the growth of animals and also accelerates their weight gain.
What is forbidden to feed
Many people consider Vietnamese pigs to be omnivores that can be fed anything. However, there are foods that are not advisable to give to such pigs. Some foods can be harmful to their body and negatively affect their growth. Also, an unbalanced diet leads to obesity, which is why animals develop a lot of subcutaneous fat. Obesity is considered the main disease of Vietnamese pigs, and therefore experienced farmers do not advise giving them a lot of feed that is made for ordinary white piglets.
It is necessary to add saturated foods containing fiber and plant components to your daily diet. This food should be given more often, as it is absorbed faster by Vietnamese pigs.It is contraindicated to give coarse food to such pigs, as it will be less digestible. Also, you should not feed animals hay and straw in large quantities. This can negatively affect their digestive system.
How to feed Vietnamese pigs to produce more meat?
To get more meat from Vietnamese piglets, you need to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of their feeding.
Newborns
For rapid growth of pigs in the first weeks after birth, they should not be fed anything other than breast milk. However, after 7-10 days, the mother’s milk supply decreases, and therefore the pigs stop eating.
Experts recommend introducing complementary foods into the diet so that animals do not remain hungry.
Feed troughs are installed in the pigsty where Vietnamese piglets are raised. First, small and roasted wheat grains are added to the animals' diet. Then corn and barley are gradually added. Grains are very useful, especially during the period of teething. They scratch the gums, which helps new teeth emerge faster.
The pigs' diet should also include more liquid food. For example, they can be given oatmeal or barley gruel diluted with water. When the pigs are 2-3 weeks old, this porridge is prepared using reverse milk. Also, three-week-old piglets begin to be given green grass and hay.
From 1 to 6 months
In order to produce more meat from raised pigs, it is necessary to think through the diet until they are six months old. In this case, the diet may differ by month:
- First. Experienced farmers recommend feeding one-month-old piglets at least five times a day. This is necessary to improve the functioning of the digestive system. Regular feeding promotes the production of gastric juice, thanks to which food is digested much better.More wheat, barley and oatmeal are added to the diet of month-old animals.
- Second. 2-month-old piglets do not need to be fed so often, only three times a day. Animals are given more pumpkin, potatoes and grated beets. It is also recommended to feed piglets wheat or rye. Each Vietnamese pig should eat at least three kilograms of food every day.
- Third and fourth. When piglets are three months old, their muscles begin to form and bones become stronger. An effective diet for building muscle mass at this age should consist of foods that contain a lot of protein. Each piglet should eat four kilograms of feed daily.
- Fifth and sixth. When a pig is six months old, it should eat six kilograms of food daily. These animals are fed fruits, vegetables, corn and peas. They can also be given loose or granular food.
In winter
Many people who plan to raise Vietnamese pigs are interested in how to feed them in winter. In order for them to gain weight faster, in winter the amount of daily food intake increases up to 3-4 times. Instead of fresh grass, hay with dried tops is added to the diet. Legumes, which contain a lot of protein, are also added to the diet. Sometimes farmers feed them milk and yeast during the winter. To build muscle mass, animals are given more bran and feed.
If necessary, vitamins and other supplements with beneficial microelements are additionally introduced into the diet.
Liprot is added to food, which is pre-diluted with water. To do this, add four tablespoons of the drug to a bucket filled with water.
During the summer
In the summer, when the air temperature exceeds twenty degrees Celsius, the volume of the diet is reduced by a quarter. Fattening of animals in the summer is mainly carried out through fruits, vegetables and herbs. It is recommended to regularly let the piglets go for walks so that they do not sit in one place and become fat. If possible, they are released into the meadow so that they eat more green grass. It is necessary to drive pigs into the barn only in the evening. In summer, Vietnamese pigs need to be fed twice a day - in the morning and evening.
Feed for slaughter
Many farmers raise animals for slaughter at home. In this case, everything must be done to ensure that the raised piglets have a lot of meat. Therefore, it is necessary to add foods that contain a lot of protein to your diet. Experienced farmers advise using more concentrated feed and also adding greens. You can also prepare your own mixture for piglets:
- a nutritional mixture prepared from equal amounts of oats, peas and corn;
- 40% wheat cereal mixed with 60% oats;
- barley mixed with corn in a two to one ratio.
Maintenance and care
Vietnamese piglets are known for being easy to care for. However, despite this, there are a number of points that must be taken into account when keeping such animals:
- High-quality ventilation system in the barn. It is needed so that the pigs do not get too hot in the summer.
- Concrete floor. The premises in which piglets are kept must have concrete floors. Thanks to this, they will not be able to dig into the ground and destroy the floor covering.
- Availability of walking space. In spring and summer, animals should be walked.Therefore, there should be an area near the barn where the pigs could run around and, if necessary, nibble on green grass.
Conclusion
Some farming people want to raise Vietnamese pigs. However, before this, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of caring for them, as well as how to fatten them for meat.
