HOW TO FEED THE PIGS AFTER WEANING
The piglets should start eating shortly after weaning.
If the piglets have been used to eating feed in the farrowing unit, and the pigs continue with a constant feed intake after weaning, you minimize the risk of digestive disorders.
If the piglets stop and starve, they will typically eat extra feed. The sudden change in feed consumption cannot be digested in the intestine, and undigested feed end up in the hindgut, causing digestive disorders.
In this post, you can read about what you need to pay particular attention to when it comes to feed in the weaner section.
If you want more practical advice for zinc-free weaning, you can download your guide for free here.
READY FOR SOLID WEANING FEED
Feed the weaning feed on the floor near the canopy three times a day. If you continue to do so for the first four days after weaning, the feed intake of the weanlings increases.
Piglets are curious and social animals used to eating together. When you place the weaning feed on the floor or in long troughs, you increase the number of” seats around the table”. A trough allows all piglets to eat together at the same time – regardless of size.
The piglets should be able to eat up the feed in 30 minutes – if not, they have had too much.
AMOUNT OF WEANING FEED FOR PIGS
Piglets must have easy access to feed but avoid plastering the feeding plate with feed. Check daily whether the automatic feeding system needs adjustment
or not. The systems need to be checked at least two times daily to ensure that the right amount of feed is given to the piglets.
A rule of thumb to dry feed is that the plate below the feed machine must be two-thirds full. The rule applies from weaning to ten days after when the piglets’ feed intake has risen.
The feeding machines need adjustment daily – and twice daily if possible. It varies how much feed the machine provides – even during the day.
It has been standard practice to feed the piglets restrictively after weaning. The Danish Pig Research institute still recommends restrictive feeding from day 4 to 10.
If the piglets are well ahead on eating training from the farrowing section, we see no problem feeding the piglets ad libitum.
