Tips for Purchasing Piglets

Hello everyone! I believe many friends who buy piglets know that the key to successful pig farming is selecting good piglets. Good piglets are the first step to successful raising. Today, I've gathered and compiled some tips to help you make better choices.

I. Preparations Before Bringing Pigs In

1. Understand the source: First, learn about the background of the pigs you intend to buy. Check if there are any disease outbreaks or if the pigs are in a suboptimal health state. Ensure they have received necessary vaccinations to avoid purchasing sick pigs.
2. Prepare the pen: Keep the empty pen temperature between 20°C and 24°C. Ensure sufficient feeding troughs and water troughs are ready, or use ad libitum feeders and drinkers.
3. Create a suitable environment: Provide a warm, dry, clean, and comfortable living environment for the pigs. Adjust the pen temperature, maintain cleanliness and hygiene, ensure good ventilation for fresh air, improve air quality, and reduce ammonia concentration.

II. Tips for Selecting Piglets

1. Observe the group's vitality: Healthy piglets are lively, stand naturally, walk steadily, and run powerfully. If you lift a piglet by its hind legs, it shouldn't squeal loudly or not at all, but struggle vigorously to escape. This indicates a calm temperament that can adapt quickly to new environments.
2. Observe the group's skin and coat: Healthy piglets have thin, reddish skin with a smooth, neat, and glossy coat. These pigs have good constitutions and grow fast. Avoid pigs with rough, pale, or dull coats, as they are likely sick or runt pigs.
3. Check each pig's snout: Choose pigs with short, round, large, and neatly shaped mouths, deep clefts, and thin lower jaws. Their upper and lower jaws should align well. Such pigs eat well, aren't picky, and are easy to raise.
4. Examine the eyes carefully: Look for pigs with short eyelashes, bright, alert eyes, and no tear stains at the corners. These pigs are healthy, lively, grow well, and are mostly free from issues – they are good choices.
5. Inspect the neck: The neck should be neither too thick nor too thin, and of moderate length (longer in sows than boars). For feeder pigs, avoid overly thick necks. Ideally, choose piglets with small heads and large hindquarters.
6. Check the ears and nose: Select pigs with large nostrils, moist snouts, large thin ears, thick hard ear roots, and widely spaced ears. These pigs tend to be good eaters.
7. Look at the teats (underbelly): Teats should be visible and well-developed. Sows must have at least 6 pairs, neatly arranged. For gilts intended as future breeding stock, ideally choose those with at least 8 pairs.
8. Examine the legs (underbelly view): Choose pigs with strong, round, straight, and sturdy legs, plump thigh muscles, large hooves, and a proportionate body-to-leg ratio.
9. Assess the body and tail together: Look for pigs with broad shoulders, a level back, a slightly pendulous belly, a thick tail root that's reddish in color, and a T-shaped tail. Such pigs not only grow fast but also tend to have calm temperaments.

III. Precautions After Introduction

1. Grouping by size: Group pigs with similar body weights together to prevent bullying (bigger/stronger pigs dominating smaller/weaker ones). Stocking density should be about 1 pig per square meter, with 8-10 pigs per pen, to avoid overcrowding and overly large groups.
2. Water to prevent stress: Upon arrival, provide pigs with clean, lukewarm water (15°C–20°C). Add anti-stress supplements like electrolytic multivitamins, Vitamin C, and glucose powder to the water.
3. Feeding management:Feed newly arrived pigs small amounts frequently, gradually transitioning them.Start with 5-6 feedings per day, reducing to 4 feedings after 7 days. Feed at regular times.Use high-quality, nutritionally complete, highly digestible starter feed. This minimizes stress from feed changes and promotes healthy development of digestive and immune organs.Note: You can also bring back some of the seller's original feed and gradually mix it in until the transition is complete.
4. Observe and train: Closely monitor the new pigs. Implement "three-point positioning" – train the pigs to establish fixed areas for eating, resting, and excreting. Getting this right early makes future management much easier.
5. Monitor health: Constantly observe the pigs' spirit, appetite, and overall health. Address any abnormalities promptly.
6. Vaccination: After 5-7 days of acclimatization feeding, when stress has subsided, administer necessary vaccinations. Core vaccines include those against Hog Cholera (Classical Swine Fever), Swine Erysipelas, Swine Pasteurellosis (Swine Plague), and Paratyphoid (Salmonellosis). Even if the seller claims these were given, it's advisable to give a booster Hog Cholera vaccine.
7. Additional vaccines: Depending on the situation, consider adding vaccines for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Edema Disease.
8. Disinfection and Deworming: Disinfect the pigs and the pen upon arrival using a 2% Lysol solution; this can also help prevent fighting. Perform regular disinfection thereafter. Deworm as per schedule.