How long a pig grows before slaughter: factors affecting the speed when you can cut

Table Of Contents

Factors affecting growth
How long does a pig grow before slaughter
When you can cut an adult animal
Conclusion

Many farmers who have never raised animals before are interested in how long a pig grows before slaughter. It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously, since the growth time can be different. However, if you familiarize yourself with the developmental characteristics of piglets in advance, it will be possible to determine the appropriate time for slaughter.

Factors affecting growth

There are several factors that affect the rate of development of farmed animals. Among them are the following:

Breed. Pigs of different breeds differ from each other in their growth rate. For example, one Vietnamese piglet grows up to one hundred kilograms during the year.The Estonian pig grows twice as fast, and therefore it gains such mass in just six months. At the age of one, their body weight increases to one hundred and fifty kilograms.
Diet. The weight gain of pigs largely depends on the food that is given to her daily. Food should contain the optimal amount of vitamins and other nutritional components. If a pig is fed more than 5 times a day and at the same time not let out for a walk, the weight gain will increase by a quarter. However, with such cultivation, the animal acquires fat, and also becomes clumsy and slow. Because of this, he may start trouble with the liver and stomach.
Heredity. In many ways, the growth rate depends on heredity. If the parents grew quickly, then their piglets will also gain weight during the year.

How long does a pig grow before slaughter

Beginning farmers are often interested in how long a pig should grow before slaughter. The fattening period for piglets is divided into three stages:

Milky. During this period, pigs do not eat anything other than mother's milk. Sometimes vitamins are added to their diet to strengthen immunity. In time, this stage lasts two months.
Growing. Grain crops are gradually added to the diet, which contribute to the initial weight gain. Growing lasts for six months.
Fatting for slaughter. This is the final stage when the piglets are given food to increase their body weight. It lasts until the pig gains 150-200 kilograms.

When you can cut an adult animal

To determine the moment of slaughter of an animal, the following factors are taken into account:

Weight. You can send a pig for slaughter when its mass reaches one hundred and fifty kilograms. The main thing is that he does not have much time to acquire a fatty layer.
Hormones. Every 2-3 months, the pigs begin a hormonal surge, which negatively affects the taste of meat. Therefore, animals are recommended to be slaughtered 2-3 weeks after the end of the hunting period.
The season. Slaughtering is recommended in spring or summer at a temperature of 15-20 degrees above zero.
The volume of meat. It is necessary that the volume of meat is more than 70% of the total body weight.
Number of farrowings. Sows are only sent to slaughter after they have farrowed more than five times.

Conclusion

People who plan to breed piglets are interested in when they can be slaughtered. To do this, you need to understand the growth rate of pigs and other factors that affect the slaughter.