Content
It often happens that during lactation a pig does not have enough milk to feed her offspring. Powdered milk for piglets is widely used in animal husbandry as a replacement for mother's milk. The introduction of such complementary foods allows you to get strong and healthy animals.
Composition and value of milk powder
Dry mixtures are a product produced using the technology of evaporating whole milk using special equipment. During the manufacturing process, various vitamin and mineral supplements are added to the mixture. CCM is a substitute for whole milk and allows feeding most animals on farms. Due to the complete absence of moisture, the shelf life of the product is significantly increased and its transportation becomes more convenient. In percentage terms, the dry mixture contains on average the following components:
- proteins - 22%;
- fats - 16%;
- carbohydrates (lactose) - 40%;
- microelements - 11%;
- macroelements - 5%.
Lactose is necessary for piglets to reduce stress when switching to artificial feeding.Depending on the requirements for milk replacer, its percentage can reach up to 50-53% per kg of mixture. It is believed that this amount of carbohydrates completely covers the body’s needs if feeding techniques are followed correctly. The standard composition of milk replacer produced in production is:
- whey powder - 60%;
- soy flour - 12%;
- fishmeal - 7%;
- fat additives - 7%;
- corn or wheat gluten - 6.4%;
- protein supplements - 5%;
- monocalcium phosphate - 1.1%;
- vitamin complex - 1%.
To bring the mixture to readiness, you simply need to dilute it with water in the required proportions.
When can you give milk powder to piglets?
Not every farm uses milk replacer when raising piglets. Powdered milk is used only if there is not enough breast milk from the sow for her litter. If there is enough of it, there is no need to introduce complementary foods, the piglets will grow up healthy and strong.
If there are goats or cows on the farm, then their milk can be used to feed piglets. Moreover, if pigs are bred in large quantities, the use of cow's milk is not practical for economic reasons - dry mixtures are cheaper and more balanced in terms of nutritional value. Do not forget that the composition of fresh cow's milk is also prone to change depending on the diet, climate and physiological characteristics of the animal. The composition of milk replacer is stable and easily absorbed by piglets.
In what cases is milk powder added to the diet of pigs?
When the litter has exceeded the sow's capabilities, powdered milk cannot be avoided. However, it is still necessary that at first the piglet receives at least a minimal portion of its mother’s colostrum.While the sow is in the lactation period, under no circumstances should colostrum be removed from the diet of the young. Powdered milk only covers nutritional deficiencies.
Powdered milk can be the main and only food only for weaned piglets. Such a mixture should contain a large percentage of lactose to compensate for the lack of maternal complementary feeding and to avoid problems during the formation of the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, feeding lasts for 3 weeks, after which the piglets are transferred to pelleted feed.
Benefits of milk replacer for piglets
Professional processing of whey allows you to preserve all the beneficial elements contained in it. To better match breast milk, a complex of amino acids, vitamins and microelements is added to milk replacer. The presence of fat- and water-soluble vitamins in the complex is necessary for the proper development of piglets.
Vitamin complexes contain useful microelements - iron, selenium and calcium. Their easy digestibility makes it possible in the future to avoid anemia, muscular dystrophy, rickets and other diseases characteristic of pigs. Various fillers are also added to the mixture to improve the digestibility of feed components.
Piglet formulas such as Kormilak include probiotics. Their presence has a positive effect on the formation of the gastrointestinal tract in newborn weanlings. The beneficial bacteria contained in the complex improve microflora and reduce the risk of dysbacteriosis and diarrhea.
How to breed milk powder for piglets
Properly diluted milk powder allows you to obtain the most effective complementary food for pigs. The instructions provided by the manufacturer on the product packaging must be strictly followed. CCM for piglets is prepared according to the instructions in the following sequence:
- Pour half of the intended total volume of liquid. The recommended water temperature is 45-50 degrees, but not higher than 55.
- Pour the mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly to avoid the formation of lumps.
- Add the second half of the water and mix.
- The mixture is cooled to 37 degrees and given to the piglets.
Each feeding requires a new mixture. It is not recommended to cook it in advance, as most of the nutrients are lost over time. In addition, the mixture may simply go bad. Refrigeration storage will not extend the shelf life of the finished product.
How to feed piglets with milk powder
The feeding regimen using milk replacer depends on several factors. Lactating piglets are still partially fed with mother's milk, so the prepared mixtures should be thicker. In this case, the amount of formula should only cover the lack of maternal colostrum, so the frequency of complementary feeding is reduced depending on the capabilities of the sow. For weanlings, the mixture is made more concentrated. Due to the lack of mother's milk, food is provided more frequently.
Dairy piglets are fed formula for two months until they completely switch to adult food. So, in the first 4 days of life, the norm for milk replacer is 300 g of dry mixture, diluted in a ratio of 1:7, 6 times a day. From days 5 to 10, the amount of dry mixture increases to 700 g. Powdered milk for piglets is diluted in a ratio of 1:8 and given 5 times a day.
Slightly older piglets require more feed. 2-3 week old animals are fed 5 times a day with 1200 g of dry mixture. At this stage, you can begin to additionally introduce concentrated feed in minimal quantities. Month-old pigs already require up to 2.5 kg per day of milk replacer per meal, 4 times a day. At this time, in addition to concentrated food, granular food is also introduced.
For grown piglets older than a month, milk powder is diluted in a ratio of 1:10. The number of doses of the mixture is reduced to 3 times a day in an amount of 3 kg. This period is considered preparatory to the transition to adult food.
Feeding rules during the suckling period
Newborn piglets begin to suckle their mother's colostrum within half an hour after birth. One such meal provides an average of 30 g of colostrum, fully satisfying the body's nutritional needs. If the sow has sufficient lactation, during the first week the piglets receive everything they need and do not need additional complementary feeding.
It happens that when feeding all the babies there are not enough nipples, or not everyone has enough colostrum produced by the mother. In this case, they are fed with milk replacer diluted in water. You can start complementary feeding from the first days when a lack of feeding is detected in piglets. The main feature of this type of feeding is the obligatory receipt of at least 2-3 servings of colostrum from the mother.
Depending on the supply of complementary foods, milk powder for piglets is diluted in a ratio of 1:7 or 1:8. Feeding is carried out according to the following scheme:
- 1-4 days - 100-200 ml per day, feeding frequency - 6 times a day;
- 5-10 - 200-500 ml of mixture per day, feeding frequency - 5 times a day;
- 11-20 - 500-800 ml of milk replacer per day, feeding frequency - 5 times a day, start introducing 25-50 g of concentrated feed daily;
- 21-30 - up to 1000 ml of the mixture, fed 4 times a day, in addition to the concentrate, add 30-50 g of green complementary food;
- 31-40 - 4 times a day up to 1200 ml of diluted dry milk, also 400 g of concentrate and up to 100 g of green complementary food are given per day;
- For one-and-a-half-month-old piglets, the amount of milk replacer is gradually reduced due to the addition of more adult feed to the diet.
It is worth considering that dry mixtures from different manufacturers differ in their composition. The main parameter that you should pay attention to is the fat content of the product. Thus, newborn piglets are prescribed milk replacer with a fat content of 12%, 2-week-old piglets - 20%. It is recommended to give one-month-old animals a product with a fat content of 16%. A correctly selected mixture will have a positive effect in the future on the general condition of the pig and the set of meat and fat tissues.
Weaning piglets from their mother and regularly eating milk replacer has a positive effect on their emotional state, making it easier to cope with the stress of changing feed. A sudden change in diet leads to problems with the digestive system, so the process of transition from mother's milk to dry milk, and then to adult food, must be gradual.
Feeding rules after weaning
There are cases when newborn piglets, for objective reasons, do not have the opportunity to receive a portion of maternal colostrum. In this case, in the absence of the correct method of artificial feeding, babies may experience serious problems with the immune system. Particular attention is paid to day-old piglets.
On average, newborns nurse the sow about 20 times, so weanlings need to be fed the same number of times. In this case, milk replacer is diluted in a ratio of 1:5, not exceeding 40 g per feeding. Excessive amounts of the mixture may lead to indigestion or diarrhea.
The finished mixture is fed through the nipple. The temperature of the liquid should be between 37-40 degrees. It is also important to observe the frequency of feeding so that the animal gradually gets used to the portion sizes. Skipping one feeding will cause the piglet to starve, after which the next time he will not have enough of the offered amount of feed.
From the 4th day of life, the prepared mixture is poured into a saucer, and later special bowls are used for feeding. From the 11th day, concentrated food begins to be added to complementary foods, and night feedings are gradually abolished. Subsequently, growing piglets are gradually transferred to adult food.
Feeding rules for fattening young animals
It is important to remember that proper organization of fattening piglets is designed to ensure stable growth and development of the animal. The use of milk replacer is intended to facilitate the transition to adult food, so proper adherence to feeding technology will allow you to obtain healthy pigs.
After 2 months, pigs begin a period of rapid weight gain. So, a 4-month-old pig should gain about 300-400 g of live weight per day. For the proper formation of muscle and fat tissue, several factors must be taken into account:
- A complete diet - the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.The balance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals is important.
- High energy value of the resulting feed.
- Optimal conditions of detention.
Using milk powder in combination with other types of feed will provide the harmonious nutrition necessary for the full development of piglets at home. Depending on the chosen type of further fattening, the use of milk replacer is possible until the animals reach 6 months.
Conclusion
Powdered milk for piglets makes life much easier for the farmer at times when the sow has insufficient lactation. The use of balanced mixtures makes it possible to raise animals free of problems associated with development at a young age. Properly selected replacement product is the key to the success of a farm.
