What can you feed a baby pig
Feeding Your Mini-Pig | VCA Animal Hospital
What should I feed my mini-pig?
Pigs are omnivores, meaning they eat both vegetable and animal protein. Wild pigs typically eat multiple small meals throughout the day and evening for a total of about 7-11 meals per day. This type of feeding schedule generally is not practical for a pet mini-pig owner; therefore, pet pigs should have their daily ration divided into a minimum of 2-3 feedings, if possible. When fed appropriately, they should finish each meal completely and not leave leftover food. If a pig does not routinely finish meals, it is likely being overfed. Extremes in environmental temperature may make a pig consume less than normal. Pigs that normally finish their meals and suddenly stop doing so may be sick and should be examined by your veterinarian.
A mini-pig’s base diet should consist of a commercially available, nutritionally balanced pelleted chow formulated for mini-pigs. Different formulations are available based on the life stage of your pig and whether it is newly born (a “starter,” up to about 7 weeks of age), young and growing (a “grower,” about 8-16 weeks of age), a fully-grown adult (“maintenance age,” or greater than a year old), or breeding or lactating. Newborn piglets are generally bottle fed commercially available milk replacer for piglets and given starter food until about seven weeks of age, when they are weaned completely on to solid food. All pigs, even nursing piglets, should be offered fresh water daily.
"A mini-pig’s base diet should consist of a commercially available, nutritionally balanced pelleted chow formulated for mini-pigs."
In addition to pelleted pig chow, mini-pigs may be fed small amounts of other foods, including fresh or frozen vegetables and small amounts of fruit. Pelleted food should be offered first to the pig to help ensure it is consuming a balanced diet. Celery, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens may be offered; starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, should be limited, as should canned vegetables that may be high in salt. Fruits such as apples, grapes, and pears, can be fed as well, but in moderation due to their high sugar content.
Mini-pigs also should be offered hay to increase their dietary fiber content. If it is available for them to graze on, fresh untreated grass also increases dietary fiber and water consumption by pigs.
How much should I feed my mini-pig each day?
The exact amount of pelleted food to feed depends on the brand being fed; most brands give general feeding recommendations calculated from their caloric content. In general, adult pigs should be fed a daily amount (including the pelleted ration and other foods) equivalent to approximately 2% of their body weight. Many pigs will willingly consume more than this amount if given the opportunity; if they are fed more than 2%, they will become obese and develop arthritis and other health problems.
What should I
not feed my mini-pig?Foods that are potentially toxic to pigs and that should be avoided include:
- salty foods (such as chips and pretzels)
- caffeinated items (such as coffee, tea, and chocolate)
- large amounts of breakfast cereals (especially those that contain high-phosphorus containing wheat bran that can disrupt the pig’s calcium and phosphorus balance or those that have high sodium content that can induce a condition called salt poisoning in pigs)
- un-pitted stone fruits (such as peaches and nectarines that contain pits that can lodge in the intestines)
- unshelled nuts (which have shells that can pierce the lining of the mouth and esophagus).
"Pigs are very intelligent and easily learn how to open cabinet and refrigerator doors."
Cat and dog foods should not be fed to pigs, as they are too high in protein. Pigs are very intelligent and easily learn how to open cabinet and refrigerator doors; therefore, pig-proofing (akin to child-proofing) your kitchen is typically required if you have a pig in your home.
Can I give my mini-pig treats?
Treats such as small pieces of succulent fruits or vegetables may be offered once or twice a day and are best used as rewards in training. Pigs are food-motivated and learn better when offered edible treats than when they are disciplined. Treats should be limited however, as excess treat-feeding may lead to aggression from pigs that typically act dominant, demanding treats, and to obesity if offered too frequently. If your pig acts aggressively around food, or if you are noticing excessive weight gain (as indicated by rolls of fat), be sure to contact your veterinarian for specific feeding recommendations.
Can I feed multiple mini-pigs together?
Pigs can become very aggressive when it comes to eating and will frequently compete with other pigs for food. Fighting amongst pigs fed together is not uncommon and ultimately leads to the dominant pig’s consuming most of the meal. In general, pigs should be fed separately to ensure that submissive animals eat enough.
FEEDING TIPS FOR YOUR PET PIG – North American Pet Pig Association
By Nancy Shepherd, Pig O’ My Heart Potbellies
What Is The Proper Amount To Feed My Pig?
How much to feed your pig is very tricky and is dependent upon age, stage of development, genetic makeup, body type and status as a pet or breeding animal. The most important element is to provide adequate nutrition while not underfeeding or overfeeding. I have revised my feeding practices several times over the years and feel that I have hit upon a formula that keeps my pigs in proper physical condition. I am assuming you are using a potbellied pig chow that is appropriate for the developmental stage of your pig, be it starter, grower or breeder.
Healthy Pigs offers a starter and maintenance ration. This Mount Dora, FL supplier can be reached at 352-589-1702, www.healthypigs.com. Champion is a premium potbellied pig maintenance ration and is distributed nationwide. The east coast manufacturer is Ross Mill Farm, Inc., Rushland, PA. at 215-322-1539, www.rossmillfarm.com.
Nursing Piglets through 5 weeks of age
At about ten days of age piglets should be provided with a palatable starter ration containing 17% to 19% protein. It may take them a few days to decide it’s worth eating. Be sure to keep the supply fresh and let them eat as much as they want. This is known as free choice feeding. Make sure mom cannot access this food.
5 Weeks to 3 Months
After weaning, each piglet should receive 3/4 cup of food per day, using at least a 16% protein grower ration. Your judgment comes into play here, but I firmly believe that 3/4 cup per day per pig is the minimum for this age range. This age pig requires a hefty amount of food in order that the nervous system, organs and bones develop properly.
3 Months and Older
In order to maintain a pig in good condition I suggest feeding a 14% protein maintenance ration. Start increasing slowly as the pig grows with a maximum of 2 cups daily for an adult pig. You must use your good judgment. Try not to underfeed or overfeed your sweetie pig. If you can see the pig’s ribs, hipbones and/or backbone, you are not feeding enough.
Weather is a factor to consider when determining all your pigs’ food rations, whether young or old, male or female, breeder or pet. Be sure to increase the ration of all pigs housed out of doors when winter weather prevails. Your pigs will be burning many calories just keeping warm. When pigs have access to lots of fresh grass and other yard goodies, you may find it necessary to decrease the amount of pig chow provided. All my adult pigs (over one year old) receive two cups of food daily, with alteration as dictated by their individual body condition, weather, grazing availability and where they are in their breeding cycle.
My Pig Chokes When She Eats. What Can I Do?
If you notice your pig coughing or choking a little while eating dry pellets, try wetting her food. Simply measure the proper amount and add enough warm water to more than cover the ration. Wait a few moments for the food to absorb the moisture and serve. My pigs prefer their meals to be this oatmeal consistency.
Feeding dry food can actually be dangerous. Food can get stuck in the esophagus so the pig is unable to swallow completely and can even tear the esophagus. Hence feeding wet food is recommended. In order to provide good tooth health, be sure your pigs has rough stuff to chew on as well such as raw hide of some of the other dental products recommended for dogs. Remember NOT to over do those types of products.
My Pig Goes Back And Forth Between The Food And Water Bowls When Eating. Is This A Problem?
This manner of eating/drinking, eating/drinking is a habit and not necessary. Your pig may urinate way more frequently than needed because of this excessive water intake.
If you moisten the food and remove the water dish while the pig is eating, your problem should be solved. I am not suggesting that you limit the pig’s water consumption at any time other than meals. Always supply your pig with fresh water in a clean bowl.
What Are Healthy Snacks?
Since a pig will eat just about anything, it is your job to pick the healthy treats. A pig is just as happy with one square of shredded wheat as she is with a whole apple. Best treats are fresh veggies, green ones best. It’s fun figuring out which ones you pig likes. Some that have been most popular are: cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, carrots (not all the time — too many calories), and raw potatoes. Never use canned veggies — too much salt. Frozen ones are fine. Fruit can be provided but in small amounts. Two apple slices or four grapes for example. Incorporate tricks into the treats formula. NO FREE TREATS
Feeding piglets from birth to fattening - Agrovesti.net
Pig breeding- 48905
Source: Soft-agro.
com
There is a lot of literature on feeding piglets, the information is generally similar, this article is about how to properly feed small piglets.
nine0012 Targets for piglet rearing:- mortality less than 12%
- birth weight over 1.4 kg
- weaning from a sow aged 28 days (4 weeks) weighing more than 8 kg
- daily weight gain from weaning (8 kg) to sale or fattening (30 kg) at 450 g
- age at 30 kg about 11-12 weeks
Piglet physiology that determines feeding
Birth weight: The weight of piglets they are born with depends primarily on the size of the nest and the correct feeding of the sow during gestation. It is possible to increase the weight of newborn piglets only relatively, thanks to proper feeding. The weight of a piglet at birth greatly affects its development and fattening productivity. nine0037 Colostrum: Timely and sufficient intake of immune substances from colostrum is a necessary condition for the life and development of a newborn animal.
Heat: Newborn piglets need a temperature of about 35°C for normal growth and development.
Iron: Pigs are born with a very low supply of iron. Sow's milk also contains an insufficient amount of it. Three days after birth, the first signs of a lack of this mineral begin to appear (increased morbidity, anemia). Therefore, iron injections are needed on the third day after birth. Iron can also be administered orally (through the mouth). But compared to injections, such drugs are more expensive. nine0037 Water: clean fresh water ad libitum
Piglet habituation
The first feed for piglets (prestarter) is offered from 5-7 days of life. The purpose of this is to teach animals to eat compound feed. Prestarter is offered 5-6 times a day in small portions. You can also give piglets peat, silage corn or extruded grain, but always of the highest quality and hygiene!
Small portions of prestarter can be poured directly onto the floor or into flat feeders.
To arouse the curiosity of animals every day several times at a certain time, you can offer them portions of food in the feeder, and then take the feeder from the nest. The food must be fresh. Prestarter bags should not be stored in a room with animals, as the milk components that it contains are very quickly saturated with the smell of a pigsty. nine0015
The early start of complementary feeding allows the enzyme system of the body of small pigs to change from milk feeding to plant food in a timely manner, and this greatly facilitates the process of weaning piglets from the sow. And in large nests, starting from the second or third week, the sows cannot fully provide the piglets with all the necessary nutrients. The feed conversion in small piglets is 1:1, which means that since one piglet eats about 0.5 kg of prestarter before weaning, then it should gain 0.5 kg of live weight during this time. nine0015
Weaning piglets from the sow
- room temperature
28°C in the nest.
Warmth helps piglets cope with weaning stress more easily.
- warm water
The piglets are accustomed to the warm milk of the sow. Before weaning, little piglets receive about 0.75 liters of fluid per day through milk. And this liquid, which is suddenly gone, they cannot replenish from nipple or cup drinkers. Providing piglets with warm water in open containers can make up for the lack of fluids and due to this, feed intake will also increase. Drinking cups must be kept clean and the quality of the water must be maintained. nine0015
- feed habituation
The longer the piglets do not eat after weaning, the more the villi of the small intestine are destroyed and the more the animals are prone to overeating after fasting. Because of this, diarrhea and edematous diseases can occur. Therefore, it is necessary to feed the piglets several times a day with small portions of tasty food so that they start eating on their own as soon as possible.
- place near the feeder
The feeder should have enough space for each piglet. nine0015
- limited feeding
if from 4 to 10 days after weaning, the piglets are not given enough food, but as much as it should be for each, you can easily avoid overeating, which means avoiding diarrhea.
- slow feed change
Each change in diet should be made very carefully and gradually over a period of one week. Especially when transferring animals from a prestarter to a starter (compound feed for rearing piglets). You can leave low lighting at night. nine0015
— therapeutic (dietary) compound feed
If the animals still have diarrhea despite all the above conditions, they should be fed with more expensive high-quality dietary compound feed for piglets.
What can be considered dietary compound feed
Compound feed for piglets - high fiber content: Dietary compound feed should contain 4 to 5% fiber.
Crude fiber stimulates intestinal motility and prevents excessive reproduction of pathogenic bacteria in it. The source of fiber is dry beet pulp, bran, etc. nine0015
- low protein content: dietary compound feed should contain no more than 17% protein. Too much protein increases the buffering capacity of the feed and raises the pH in the stomach. Because of this, the number of pathogenic bacteria increases, protein digestion worsens, and diarrhea may occur.
- Easily digestible protein is used: the composition should include raw materials of animal origin, such as fishmeal (about 3%) and whey powder (about 5%). Potato protein (about 3%) is also good as a source of easily digestible and highly concentrated protein. nine0015
- low mineral content: the calcium content should not exceed 6 g per kg of feed, because minerals also increase the buffering capacity of the feed, i.e. reduce acidity in the stomach.
- feed acids are used: feed acids lower the pH in the stomach, improve protein digestibility and reduce the risk of diarrhea.
Formic acid (about 1%), fumaric acid and sorbic acid are particularly well suited.
- dairy components are used: they improve the palatability of the feed and are easily digested. Skimmed milk powder is best. nine0015
- other feed additives such as probiotics (lactic acid bacteria), prebiotics (oligosaccharides), encapsulated acids and phytobiotics (herbal extracts, aromatic oils, etc.) serve to stabilize intestinal health and generally are used in the manufacture of dietary feed for piglets at feed mills.
Nutrient requirements for piglets
Nutritional requirements for feed for piglets at 88% dry matter, DLG, 2008
*) dietary feed for feeding piglets in the event of diarrhea (for a limited time)
**) lysine : met + cis : threonine : tryptophan = 1 : 0.53 : 0.63 : 0.18
***) intestinal digestibility 90%
****) with phytase
trace elements and vitamins. nine0015
During weaning, piglets continue to be fed prestarter and then gradually transitioned to compound feed after weaning or compound feed in weaner I.
Formulating a diet
Recommendations for the use of various feed raw materials in compound feed for piglets
Providing amino acids
A 15 kg pig produces as much protein per day as a 100 kg fattening pig. The amino acid composition of the feed is responsible for how high the gains in piglets will be. The ratio of lysine to energy should be 0.9: 1. In order to achieve this high lysine content while keeping the maximum crude protein content of the feed at 18% (diarrhea risk), it is necessary to use a mineral feed with a high percentage of synthetic amino acids.
Optimal amino acid content in mineral feed for piglets (4-5% feed)
*if the ration contains more than 20% corn, tryptophan is not needed
Energy supply should be about 13.0 MJ (12.5-13.5). In compound feed for piglets, it is necessary to introduce 1% feed oil. As a result, the energy content is increased by 0.25 MJ of metabolizable energy and the feed becomes dust-free.
nine0015 Switching from feed to feed
Every major change in diet means a loss in productivity. Therefore, if necessary, the transition from feed to feed should be carried out smoothly within one week.
Animal density per feeding place
In the weaning phase, each piglet needs a separate feeding place. In the rearing phase, no more than 4 piglets should fall on one feeding place. The consequence of a higher stocking density is low weight gain, a large difference in the weight of different animals, manifestations of cases of cannibalism. nine0015
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