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Adaptation to new foods is a complicated process of weaning of piglets. What steps can be taken to ensure a smooth transition for weaned piglets lactatating problems?

5 tips for better weaning through feeding and management

Imagine: You have recently become parents. It is a beautiful baby. Say a little boy. I am sure that you give the best care possible. A nice cozy room with a clean bed to sleep in clean layers every few hours, and milk every time you feed him questions. And then, after three weeks, it is the change in diet with milk and meat to potatoes. I know you think that this is impossible and wrong, right? Right, it's impossible. Weaning are simply not rushed. Hold that thought in mind, and think about how we look at the process of weaning piglets.

Most piglets are between three and four weeks old, which is very soon after birth, but so far weaned most economical solution. Here are five tips to get the best results from piglets might require a little more attention.

References available upon request

Start with healthy piglets

This may, of course, but it is crucial for a smooth withdrawal process. Healthy piglets begin earlier to eat and that is the key to avoiding bathroom retreat. We tend not to solve problems, can have the piglets after weaning, but remember, pleased focus in the delivery room. Problems due to lack of milk production, the non-uniformity of the piglets at birth, E. coli occur problems etc. piglets problems begin early in life are difficult to restore it at a later date.

Comfortable accommodation

Piglets hate projects, and they should heat the room about 25 ° C when they need to go to the nursery, room must be cleaned and disinfected. Perhaps more importantly, after cleaning, always the local dry. This can be a problem sometimes, when there is little time between cleaning and relocation of piglets. Especially in cold climates, where it is very expensive, heat the room properly, it can be tempting to reduce heating costs and put the piglets in a room is too wet and very cold. This is a big risk for health problems. Pigs have to spend a lot of energy to maintain their body temperature high enough upright.

Keep piglets together from the same litter

Research has shown that piglets mixing different litters is a major risk factor for diseases such as Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) and Streptococcus suis. Especially around weaning, when fully developed an immune system and decreases maternal antibody protection. When the piglet is moved in the children try to minimize the mixture, as it could be to expand the spread of the disease by the cameras. Stress due to the formation of new hierarchies are also minimized. In other words, the piglets are employed not eat fights.

Piglets classroom

The biggest challenge is to eat them for piglets after weaning. They must be trained before weaning. Fresh and delicious food offered in small portions of the second week of life. The goal is to get the animals to eat on a plate, so that after weaning, they are simply a new food source. It is recommended that this provision be amended kindergarten for the first few days after weaning. A smooth transition minimizes the number of piglets do not eat the first day (s). These hunger strikers are more likely to develop problems in the following weeks. If the system allows, using the energy system, in which all piglets can eat at the same time.

Water and food hygiene

Pigs are highly susceptible to infection after weaning. All necessary measures must be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens. Reduce the number of pathogens in food and water is a good starting point. But there are other ways for a pig infected orally, so contact with contaminated feces, other pigs, etc. In order to reduce the risk of oral infection, the best advice is to use solutions based on organic acid in food and drinking water piglets. Organic acids not only to kill pathogens in food and water, but also in the stomach of piglets. It is a very common effective and economical way to improve the performance of piglets after weaning.

Geert Wielsma, product manager, Perstorp food and feed