Being an important animal for both nutrition and provision of raw materials for other industries, quality and quantity of swine is determined by the technology used in production.
Swine management comprises of practices fro better production and these include housing practices, feeding practices, breeding practices and health care practices for attainment of the best results from the entity.
Management practices
For housing practices, it can be raised in and open air or indoor systems. However, open air system is not preferred as pigs are vulnerable to diseases while for indoor system is best for pig rearing. Indoor system consists of buildings built in place with good quality ventilation and maximum sunlight. Concrete floor with rough surface should be established for easy cleaning while roof must be water proof and guard rails should be put in farrowing house to avoid piglets mortality due to crashing.
Similarly, feeding and watering troughs should be put in each pig chamber and dividing of wall is made between water and feed trough. Feeds provided should contain balanced ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. It should have more than 70% of carbohydrates obtained from sources such as cereals and grains,. Protein requirements vary with pig categories and sources are oil seed cakes, fish meal and meat meal while required minerals are Ca, P, Fe, Mn, Zn and I for metabolic reactions and borne functions.
Additionally, good breeding sow produce 15 litres in a single farrow. Natural and artificial insemination are used for mating how ever in breeding, artificial insemination reduces injuries and best time for insemination is 15-24 hours after beginning of estrous cycle.
Furthermore, before farrowing, separate and put pregnant sow in farrowing pen and provide efficient good quality feed 12 hours prior to farrowing. Farrowing process takes 1-6 hours. Feed newly borne piglets on colostrum after i hour of birth and keep them in a clean, warm and dry box with clean bedding. Clean teats thoroughly for each feeding and feeding is done at 1-2 hours interval. Provide iron nutrient feed to prevent anaemia and had feed piglets in case the sow dies and separate piglets from mother after 2 months of birth. Regularly deworm and vaccinate against swine fever at 2 months of age and deworm repeatedly once in every 3 months. Piglets affected by round worms suffer from diarrhea, weight loss, lung problems and death while nutritional deficiencies lead to abnormal skin and hair, paralysis, blindness and death. Diseases are classical swine fever, swine influenza, foot and mouth disease, erysipelas and piglet anaemia.
