Introduction

The swine industry in India is not very much

developed like poultry, dairy and wool industry.
Majority of pig rearing is a backyard enterprise,
especially in north-eastern states.
However, large number of piggeries has come
up where pigs are commercially reared. The
diet must provide different nutrients viz. energy,
protein, vitamin and minerals in correct ratios.
 Continued……….
Pigs are highly prolific among the meat producing
animals having gestation period 114 days.
The pigs excel all other type of farm animals in the
efficiency of converting feed into high quality feed.
Feed alone accounts for 80% cost of production.
If adequately fed, a young pig can reach 5 times its
birth weight in 3 weeks of age and 10 times its
birth weight in 5 weeks of age.
Average birth weight of pigs 700 gram for desi pigs
and 1.2 kg for crossbreed pigs
 Nutrient requirements and feeding of pigs

• Nutrient requirements
Nutrient requirement are expressed for
monogastric animals like pigs and poultry as percent
diet or amount per kg ration since they are generally
fed in groups rather than individual feeding.
Latest requirement are available are NRC nutrient
requirement of swine,1998 and BIS specification of
pigs feed 1986. Similarly ARC requirements are also
available.
Energy requirement
• Energy requirements are expressed as the amount
of metabolizable energy per kg diet. ME consist of
94 to 97% DE.
Amino Acids and proteins for pigs

• Lysine is the frist limiting amino acid in swine growth

• Three amino acids is of greater practical importance
are lysine, tryptophan, Threonine
• Cereal grains and vegetable protein supplements are
likely to be deficient in lysine methionine + cysteine
and tryptophan
• Only soybean meal is an exception
• Animal protein sources are rich in lysine
tryptophan and methionine
• Fish meal should not be fed higher than 10 %
objectionable fishy flavor may be develop in
the pork
S.N Characteristic Pig starter Pig Pig
o or creep growth Finishing
feed Meal /
Breeding
meal
1 Moisture , percent 11 11 11
by mass
2 Crude Protein, 20 18 16
percent by mass
3 Crude Fat, percent 2 2 2
by mass
4 Crude Fibre, percent 5 6 8
by mass
S. Characteristic Pig starter Pig Pig
N or creep growth Finishin
o feed Meal g/
Breedin
g meal
5 Total Ash, percent 8 8 8
by mass
6 Acid Insoluble Ash, 4 4 4
percent by mass
7 Metabolizable 3360 3170 3170
energy (Kcal/kg)
 Requirement of pig feed (NRC 1988)
Characte Swine Live Wight (kg)
ristic
1-5 5-10 10-20 20-50 50-110

Crude 24 20 18 15 13
Protein,
percent
by mass

Metaboli 3220 3240 3250 3260 3275

zable
energy
(Kcal/kg)
 Feeding of piglet
• The piglets should receive colostrums of sow
for the first few days. The piglets may be
provided with special nourishing diet called
'creep feed' or pre-starter ration separately
when they attain 2 kg body weight (1 week
old).
• The practice of self-feeding concentrates to
young piglets in a separate enclosure away
from their mother is known as "creep
feeding".
 When piglets are two weeks old, start
feeding creep feed rich in protein. Hence
creep feeding is introduced at 7 – 10 days and
continues upto 56 days of age at which piglets
are weaned from their mother.
Each active and healthy piglet may
consume about 10 kg feed before reaching the
age of 8 weeks.
 However, mother's milk should be
provided to the piglets for the first 6-8 weeks
along with creep feed. The pre-starter ration
should be provided to the piglets if weaning is
practiced at an early age.

Iron dextron injection (i/m) should be given

on 4 th and 14 th day of age to prevent piglet
anaemia
Advantages are
• avoids injury to the piglet from overlaying by
sows
• Provides essential nutrients to the piglet
NRC (1988) suggested three levels of
protein 24%, 20%, 18% during 1-5 kg, 5-10kg,
10-20kg body weight.
While BIS suggested only one level of
protein 20 % only.
 Feeding of growing – Finishing pigs
Pigs are fed starter, grower and finisher
diets as per requirement. Dividing
postweaning phase into starter grower and
finishing is arbitrary and differs with breed and
growth pattern.
NRC (1988) stated them upto 20 kg, 20-
50 kg and 50- 110 kg body weight. CP (%) and
ME (Kcal/kg diet) are 18 and 3250, 15 & 3260
and13 & 3275.
 BIS (1986) specified only three types of
feeds for pigs and these are creep or starter
diet, pig growth meal and pig
finisher/breeding meal CP(%) and ME(Kcal/kg
diet) are 24 and 3360, 20 & 3170 and 18 and
3170.
As soon as the pigs attain 35 kg body
weight, they should be fed the finisher ration
till they are slaughtered or marketed (90 kg).
 Feeding of breeding sow

Gilts and sows should be fed with limited

amount of nutrients in order to keep them
healthy and thin.
They should be separated from
growing/fattening pigs and should be fed about
two-third the amount of feed provided to
fattening pigs.
It was observed that this practice of limited
feeding has resulted in increase in the litter size
by one or two piglets.
• Flushing is a practice of giving extra protein
rich feed to sows and gilts from 1-2 weeks
prior to mating and returns to normal feeding
after mating. This helps in regularizing the
heat period, increases the number of eggs
shed as well as improves the rate of
fertilization.
• Green feed may be included in their ration
NRC (1988) suggested 12 % cp and and 3210
KcalME/Kg feed for breeding sows.
 Feeding of breeding Boars
• A breeding boar requires 2 - 2.5 kg concentrate
per 100 kg weight depending on the age,
condition.
• Feed allowances should be so adjusted that the
boar is neither fatty nor thin.
• If they are reared indoors, adequate amounts of
greens should be provided.
 Continued…….
• It is advisable to provide half an acre of good
pasture in order to provide both the exercise
needed as well as the valuable nutrients.
• If the boars get too fatty, the amount of grains
fed should be reduced.
 Feeding of pigs during gestation period

• During gestation period, gilts and sows are fed

on restricted feeding (2-3 kg) without getting
them over fat
• A daily gain in weight of 200 gram to 300 gram
throughout gestation period is satisfactory
• Three or four days before farrowing the ration
should be made more laxative through the
introduction of more wheat bran.
• Bran may be substituted for about half of the
regular ration
• On the day it farrows sow should be given
plenty of warm water.
• On the next day sows should be given 1 to 1.5
kg luxative ration.
 Feeding of Lactating Sow/Gilt

• The sow's ration should be reduced to nearly

half, four to five days prior to delivery. They
should be provided with easily digestible
(laxative) diet rich in high energy feeds like
corn.
• It is advisable to feed lightly with bulky
laxative feed immediately before and after
farrowing.
 Continued……
• Bring the sow to full feeding in 10 days and
provide plenty of greens.
• Feed allowance may be calculated as 2.5-3
kg/lOO kg body weight plus at the rate of 0.2
kg feed per piglet with the sow. Thus, a sow
weighing 100 kg with 8 piglets should receive
4.6 kg feed per day.