With proper care and normal development, young pigs reach a weight of 100 kg by the age of six months. However, things don't always go according to plan. There are deviations from the norm, provoked by various factors and reasons. In this case, the farmer begins to wonder why young piglets are not growing well and gaining weight. The answer to this is not so easy to give, since there are quite a few reasons for the developmental delay of pigs.
Causes of poor growth of piglets and methods for solving problems
Growth and rapid weight gain in young piglets depend primarily on appetite and diet. An animal’s poor appetite is a consequence of the influence of many negative factors, which include not only diseases and metabolic disorders, but also a banal deficiency of vitamins, unhealthy diet or inadequate care conditions.
Lack of vitamins
When a piglet’s growing body does not receive the required amounts of microelements and necessary vitamins, the animal begins to lag behind in development and gains little weight. A special place in this is given to vitamin D, which is vital for the piglet in the early stages. Its deficiency is observed mainly in those animals that are rarely allowed to walk or are generally deprived of such an opportunity.
If you do nothing and let the problem take its course, a disease such as rickets may develop. It leads to deformation of bone tissue.
Vitamin D deficiency can be compensated by adding fish oil to piglet feed. You should also regularly take walks outdoors in the sun so that the animals receive ultraviolet radiation. During the cold season, a lamp with ultraviolet radiation is fixed in the pigsty.
Veterinarians solve the problem of vitamin deficiency by prescribing injections that help establish phosphorus-calcium metabolism. Vitamin A deficiency also negatively affects the body. The pigs' skin becomes dry, digestion is disrupted, and disruptions in the respiratory process are observed. In this case, pumpkin, carrots and sprouted grains should be introduced into the animal feed.
A lack of vitamin B manifests itself not only in growth inhibition, but also in disruption of the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.To get rid of the problem, you need to saturate the piglets’ diet with legumes, bran, and add yeast. They also need to be fed fish and flaxseed meal.
Helminths
Pigs often suffer from various types of helminths. The following types of worms can parasitize an animal’s body:
- nematodes;
- roundworms;
- protozoa.
The result of their activity is exhaustion, intoxication, and loss of appetite. Helminths take away a significant part of the nutrients from the young body, so the pig cannot grow and develop normally. Parasites can be identified after the animal's excrement is submitted to the laboratory for testing. If worm eggs are detected, the veterinarian will prescribe a course of treatment with antiparasitic drugs.
Experienced farmers recommend carrying out preventive deworming once every 6 months. Once the parasites are eliminated, the pigs' appetite will be restored and they will begin to gain weight.
Anemia
If a young piglet has not been vaccinated with iron supplements at a certain age, then his risk of developing anemia increases significantly. Wild pigs make up for the deficiency of this element from the soil, but domestic animals are deprived of this opportunity. From the sow they receive only a sixth of the required amount of the substance.
The result of iron deficiency is a decrease in hemoglobin. The blood is poorly saturated with oxygen, which is why all processes in the body slow down. This can lead to loss of appetite and weight loss. Severe cases lead to the death of piglets. To avoid troubles, starting from the fifth day of life, young animals begin to be injected with drugs containing iron.
Pellagra
This disease is associated with a deficiency of vitamins in the piglet’s body.In particular, these are B vitamins, proteins and acids (these include tryptophan and nicotinamide). A catastrophic lack of these components provokes metabolic disorders in the body. You can recognize the problem by the following symptoms:
- the appearance of rashes, swelling and peeling of the skin;
- the skin becomes covered with scabs, and over time cracks appear on it;
- when the rash spreads to the oral cavity, profuse salivation is observed;
- loss of appetite;
- change from constipation to diarrhea with mucus.
Pellagra is a dangerous disease that often leads to the death of piglets. Treatment comes down to compensating for the deficiency of necessary substances. The necessary medications can be prescribed by a veterinarian in the form of injections, since urgent measures need to be taken. Along with drug therapy, it is recommended to review the pigs’ diet.
Poor nutrition
Often the reason why piglets gain weight slowly is due to poor nutrition. Also, a properly composed diet is the fundamental basis for the prevention of vitamin deficiencies. The feed must contain a set of all the nutrients and microelements necessary for the body. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the quality of food, but also to its taste characteristics. Piglets may refuse to eat only because they do not like the food. Flavoring additives such as:
- sugar;
- salt;
- mustard;
- essential oils;
- lactic acid.
In order for animals to eat the food offered with pleasure, it should be crushed and the grains should be boiled. To prevent intestinal disorders, food is given slightly warm, since the intestines of piglets are delicate. The quality of feed also plays an important role.Under no circumstances should you feed sour porridge or moldy grain to pigs. Such a diet leads not only to intestinal disorders, but also to poisoning and more serious diseases.
Poor living conditions and care
Weight gain and growth of piglets depend not only on the diet, but also on the conditions of detention. If the pigsty is cool and damp, then you should not expect rapid development and good growth from the animals. Minimum temperatures should not fall below +18 0WITH.
If this happens, most of the animals' energy will be spent on heating their bodies rather than growing.
The normal humidity level in a pigsty is 50-70%. If it is exceeded, the piglets begin to get sick, and there is no talk of good weight gain. In this case, due attention must be paid to ventilation. In a poorly ventilated area, dangerous gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide accumulate. They provoke the development of diseases in piglets and loss of appetite. Due to improper living conditions, young animals are constantly in a state of stress. Also, negative factors that provoke a deterioration in appetite include:
- cramped space;
- insufficient lighting level;
- regrouping of piglets;
- transportation.
Pathologies and methods of their treatment
Often the reasons for poor weight gain in piglets are congenital pathologies. In particular, they may have an incorrect bite, or the offspring were born as a result of inbreeding. Due to malocclusion, pigs are unable to chew food properly. They prefer liquid food, as a result of which full growth becomes impossible. The position of the teeth should be checked immediately after birth or when purchasing young animals.The upper and lower teeth should be on the same line.
Offspring reproduced in the process of related mating have various health problems and are not able to develop normally. Young animals should only be purchased from a nursery or from reliable sellers.
Features of Vietnamese piglets
Vietnamese piglets have a smaller stomach capacity than traditional white breeds. In addition, they have a different structure of the gastrointestinal tract. To gain weight quickly, they should not be fed coarse pig food. The key to rapid weight gain by Vietnamese pigs is:
- properly selected diet and diet;
- proper care and living conditions;
- walking in the fresh air.
Experienced experts advise castrating young animals so that they gain weight faster. As a result, hormonal changes begin in the body, and the pig becomes calmer.
