How to give fish oil to piglets: instructions for use, dosage and rate

Fish oil is an important and useful element in the diet of adult pigs and piglets, able to compensate for the lack of vitamins A and D, omega-3 in the body of fattening animals and during the winter growing period. With the help of an appetizing and fragrant additive, piglets are accustomed to dry food. How to give fish oil to piglets, how to calculate the dosage depending on the age and weight of the animal, they are interested in advance.

Benefits and harms

When and why do veterinarians recommend adding fish oil to the diet of animals? Here are the highlights:

Prevention of rickets, tetany and anemia.
Prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular gastritis, gastroenteritis, cardiovascular system.
Replenishment of vitamin D and A deficiency.
Improving the quality of seed material of male sires.
Recovery of animals after limb fractures.
Building strong immunity in little piglets.
Helps youngsters get used to dry food.

Lack of vitamin D in the diet of animals leads to disruption of phosphorus-calcium metabolism and hormonal balance.

Young animals lag behind in development, piglets look “squishy”, umbilical and scrotal hernias may form, teeth lag, bones and limbs are deformed.

Negative aspects that may occur when feeding animals with fish oil:

May cause allergies.
Nausea, GI upset.

The occurrence of such symptoms is possible in case of individual intolerance to the introduced additive by the animal.

Note. To check the likelihood of a possible allergy, the supplement is applied to the skin of the piglet, if redness does not appear, then the supplement can be used in feeding young animals.

Instructions for the use of fish oil for pigs

To get the maximum effect from adding the drug to the diet of piglets, it is important to observe the dosage and follow the instructions for use of the supplement for young animals. Experienced farmers introduce vitamin preparations into the diet systematically, in courses. For example, a week with an additive, a week without an additive. Often use the scheme - day after day. The total duration of the course with interruptions should not exceed three months.

The most popular fish oil among livestock breeders in the form of a concentrate.The aroma of the additive attracts animals to food, so piglets are often accustomed to dry food with the help of the smell. In addition, fish oil is often found in multivitamin complexes for pigs, here its concentration is much lower, but the dosage and compatibility with other components of the complex are clearly defined. Modern vitamins are not inferior in quality to natural concentrates and are successfully used in animal husbandry. Premixes are recommended to be applied once a day with a full dose during morning feeding, adding an element to food.

Supplement dosage

The amount of the drug per day is determined by the age of the young. So 2-4-month-old piglets are given about 15-20 grams of supplement per individual. This is the daily norm. Suckling pigs need 3 grams per day.

If a farmer uses multivitamin complexes containing fish oil, then it is not advisable to feed piglets with an additional concentrate.

The rate of supplementation may vary depending on the breed of pigs grown, so for Vietnamese varieties, the rate of supplementation is halved and depends on the weight of the animal.

What do experts advise?

Pig breeding is a developed livestock industry today. For each breed of pigs, recommended diets for fattening and rearing young animals have been compiled. Tips from experienced farmers on feeding piglets with a fish oil supplement:

It is recommended to start feeding piglets with premixes from the 5th day of life, the additive is added to the first complementary foods in the form of skimmed milk or curdled milk.
Strictly adhere to the dosage of supplements and the duration of the course.
It is especially important to add fish oil to the diet of young animals in winter.
Add fish oil to lactating sow diet.
Food supplement is applied to food during the morning feeding.
Before using the supplement, make sure that the animals do not have allergies, do a skin test.
For the first application, halve the base dosage.
Use intermittent courses.

Cattle breeding, and in particular pig breeding, is a thriving productive branch of agriculture in our country. Creating a high-quality diet for pigs is an important goal and task of the farmer; the daily growth of young animals, their he alth and productivity will depend on the quality of the feed. Fish oil is an important element in the prevention of rickets and anemia in young animals. When it is added to the first complementary foods, young animals develop a strong immunity to various diseases, and the metabolism begins to function correctly and efficiently.