Introduction to Pig Feeder
Pigs cannot grab or clutch objects like monkeys or gorillas because their feet lack knuckles. As a result, the feet are unable to assist themselves during feeding and must instead rely on their lengthy snout, which functions as an excavator.
Pigs are skilled at digging in the dirt because their favorite foods, such as plant tubers, grow under the surface. Wild boars utilize their acute sense of smell to locate food before digging to get it. Although farmed pigs have shorter snouts than wild boars, they continue to dig. While it may appear bothersome to the proprietors of pig farms, it is a talent that boars need in the wild. Why? Due to the pigs’ digging behavior, the feed is readily accessed outside of the feeder, resulting in significant feed loss. The cost of feed is rather expensive right now. The waste produces significant losses for a large-scale pig farm. However, pigs have a strong inherent inclination to dig, which is difficult to modify. We should rear pigs using the pig feeder or pig trough appropriately to address the issue.
Cast-iron pig trough
Rectangular concrete ground troughs are a common choice for pig farms because of their low cost. Additionally, it is practical to raise pigs with either dry fodder or moist feed. The fundamental idea behind a pig trough is to maintain as much fodder within the trough as possible while the pigs are digging freely. The pig trough is 35 cm wide and has two different depths. The opposing side of the pig feeder, which is closest to the pigs, is 2 or 3 cm lower than the side that is approximately 20 cm deep on one side. This design allows the pigs to readily access their feed via the lower side while preventing them from snorting the forage out of the top side.
To make it simple for us to supply feed for them, we might also consider placing one-third of the pig trough outside of the pigsty. The little gap between the pigsty and the pig feeder may, in certain cases, prevent pigs from digging too firmly. As a result, we may successfully produce pigs by using the feed.
Pigs like digging, as we all know, and we also need to understand that they enjoy rivalry while sharing a meal. Leaving aside the trash produced by their rivalry, we discover that the stronger pigs overeat while the weaker ones go hungry. Waste won’t begin to cover the costs of such an imbalance. So, in addition to paying attention to the pig trough, we need also to consider how many pigs are housed in each pigsty. It is preferable to give each pig room and lessen rivalry.
In general, we rear pigs in groups, and one pigsty may accommodate 4 to 6 adult sows. However, we should retain one boar in each pigsty in case they start fighting. One pigsty may house 8 to 10 young pigs, and the number of pigs will determine the kind of feeder to use.
Although the concrete pig feeder is inexpensive and practical, piglets should not use it. After weaning from their mothers, piglets are transferred from the farrowing crate to the nursery crate. Additionally, they will spend more than a month in the nursery crate. Because their digestive systems are still developing after weaning, the piglets consume comparatively less food.
Concrete pig troughs
Piglets’ Feeders
However, rearing piglets at this time is quite important. The piglets may eat whenever they want thanks to the self-help feeding system that we can use. The piglets’ curiosity about everything should be noted, and they like digging more than they enjoy eating. It will undoubtedly squander feed. So, for the piglets, we often use an automated pig feeder. We can supply food to the piglets’ feeder, which resembles a funnel, from the roof. The lower feed in the automatic feeder may be consumed by the piglets while the higher feed descends slowly at the same time. The piglets may grow up using the self-help feeding approach in this manner without wasting too much food.
They will be moved into pig farrowing cages for the pregnant sows. There is one farrowing box with a feeder available to every pregnant sow. There won’t be any need to be concerned about their digging habit since a piece of the sheeting will be put in there for pig farm equipment.
Why Raising Pigs?
1. Bran meals
This accounts for 10% to 15% of the feed’s utilization and contains rice bran, wheat bran, sweet potato vine bran, peanut vine bran, broad bean leaf bran, soybean straw bran, etc.
2. Oil cake food
Peanuts, cotton seeds, soybean, sesame, and other vegetable seeds are the major ingredients used to manufacture oil cake feed. 10% to 25% of feed is made up of oil cake. Knowing that soybean and peanut oil cakes are nutrient-rich, we may add 20% to 25% of them to the feed. While 8% to 10% of the cotton seed oil cake and vegetable seed oil cake may be added.
3. Industrial product scraps and leftovers that are edible
Pigs may be fed with the leftovers from breweries, wineries, flour mills, vinegar factories, and factories that make soy and sugarcane. However, feeding pregnant sows with brewery or winery leftovers is not advised. It makes up 5%–10% of the feed.
4. Grain ration
Corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, broad beans, peas, and other grains are included in grain feed. It makes up no more than 50% of the feed.
5. Animal chow
It includes items like dried blood, fish protein concentration, bone meal, feather meal, and silkworm chrysalis. Additionally, feeding the piglets with dried blood would be inappropriate. We may combine the feed with the pigs’ animal feed in amounts ranging from 5% to 8%. Be mindful of the quantity and ratio of calcium and phosphorus.
6. Mineral ration
Salt, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, shell powder, eggshell meal, and other minerals are included in the mineral feed. Salt should be less than 0.5%, and the percentage of mineral feed should be between 1% and 2%. If you must add a microelement, stay exactly to the recommended dosage.
7. Plant food
Duckweed, water lettuce, water hyacinth, crop leaves, vines, ryegrass, Chinese trumpet creeper, and other plants are examples of green forage. For pigs, green forage is succulent, nutrient-rich, and simple to digest, hence it makes up 35% to 40% of the diet.
