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"The pig will eat everything" is one of the most dangerous mistakes in pig farming. The fact that an animal can swallow it does not mean that its body will digest it without harm. Spoiled grain, food leftovers from the kitchen or excess salt - all this can not only slow down growth, but also endanger the health of the entire livestock. In order to achieve high rates of weight gain, you should properly prepare a diet, choose balanced feed and observe the feeding regime. In industrial farms, it is clearly regulated what pigs are fed for rapid growth - these are balanced rations with a high content of energy, protein and necessary trace elements.
What feeds are suitable for fast growing pigs?
So what is the best way to feed pigs? In order for pigs to gain weight quickly, the age, breed, housing system and feeding technology should be taken into account. The basis of the diet is grain feed - corn, barley, wheat, oats. They are usually ground and mixed with protein supplements or compound feed.
Fast growth requires high-quality protein for the formation of muscle mass. Most often, these are soy and sunflower meal, dry skimmed milk, meat and bone meal.
Compound feed is the most convenient option for medium and large farms. These are premixes (vitamins and microelements), specialized feeds (for piglets, sows and fattening pigs). And in small farms, boiled potatoes, beets, carrots, pumpkin are more often used.
Special fattening programs are used for meat breeds (Landras, Pietren, Durok):
- high-energy rations based on corn;
- high protein content at the start (18-20%);
- reduction of ego and increase of carbohydrates at the finish - for mass gain;
- additives with probiotics, enzymes, enzymes that improve feed digestion and assimilation.
What are pigs fed on farms?
In industrial pig farming, feeding is as automated and standardized as possible. Farmers, faced with the question: what to feed pigs for rapid weight gain, use complete feed in loose or granulated form. There is automatic feeding with dosing principles. And also systematic control of weight and speed of feed consumption through computer systems. The ration is selected taking into account the type of pigs: meat, fat and those for reproduction.
Table. Feeding norms, depending on age
| Age/weight of the animal | Daily amount of feed | Protein content |
| Piglet (up to 25 kg) | 1-1,5 кг | 18-20% |
| Young animals (25-60 kg) | 2-2,5 кг | 16-18% |
| Pigs for fattening | 2,5-3,5 кг | 14-16% |
| Final phase | 3-4 кг | 13-15% |
Pigs are fed two or three times a day. But water must be in constant access. The ideal formula: high-quality grains + a source of protein + minerals + sufficient water. Then it is possible to get good results of growth, high-quality meat, healthy livestock and optimal costs for each kilogram of growth. To determine what to feed pigs for rapid weight gain, you should take into account not only the type of feed, but also the age, breed and system of cultivation.
What can not be fed to pigs?
How and what to feed a pig - we briefly figured it out. And now it is necessary to understand: what kind of feeding is undesirable. We are talking about spoiled or sour feed, which can cause poisoning, reduced immunity, reproductive disorders and even death. Such products contain mycotoxins that affect the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Salty food is also prohibited, because it causes swelling, thirst, leads to kidney failure, dehydration.
Moldy grain and various wastes are also included in the list of prohibited feed.
There are products that slow down the growth of pigs. For example, straw, corn stalks are poorly digested due to excess fiber. Those that contain little protein. A uniform diet (only grain) without balancing causes developmental delay due to mineral deficiency.
Proper feeding of pigs is not only about quantity, but also about quality.
How does VADA help farmers?
The VADA company is an expert on the Ukrainian market in animal husbandry equipment with a wide range of products in its store. A large selection of feed hoppers and feeders will satisfy any request of pig complexes of different sizes. And experts will always advise and help you choose the right equipment or part for it. We have ready-made solutions for increasing the productivity of your farm!
15/04/2025
