Piglet does not eat well: causes and how to fix, what to do for treatment

He althy piglets look cheerful, eat well, put on weight, grow fast. To do this, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the content, their he alth, the correct diet of feeding. Sometimes the owners notice that the animal becomes boring, does not even want to look at the food. It is necessary to find out the reasons for the behavior, why the pig does not eat well and how to correct this situation.

Causes and symptoms of poor appetite in pigs

Pigs refuse to eat for several reasons:

• Flaws in animal nutrition;
• serious he alth problems;
• errors in content.

Understand that the animal feels unwell, you can by a number of symptoms:

• sluggish behavior;
• piggy lies all the time;
• loss of appetite;
• temperature increase;
• rapid breathing;
• changing the appearance of skin, feces, urine.

Vitamin D deficiency

If a piglet does not receive enough vitamins, it develops beriberi, leading to a drop in immunity, a change in the quality of metabolic processes, a lack of appetite, and developmental delay. Lack of vitamin D is accompanied by deformation of the bones, convulsions appear, the gait becomes uncertain, shaky. The animal stops eating normally, does not get up, loses weight, rickets may develop.

To correct the situation, foods containing the required amount of vitamin D are introduced into the diet. Sometimes it is enough to add whole milk, fish oil to the menu to improve the situation. Helps solve the problem of meat and bone or blood meal.

The piglet's body itself is able to produce vitamin D under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. To do this, the animal is provided with a comfortable walking outdoors in the summer. In winter, when the risk of developing rickets is maximum, an ultraviolet lamp is placed in the room and the animals are irradiated for 4-8 minutes. According to the recommendation of the veterinarian, in case of emergency, the piglet is given injections of vitamins or added to their feed.

Unhe althy diet

An unbalanced diet can result in intestinal disorders in piglets. The digestive tract of young animals is quite delicate, not able to fully digest dry food, which is often given to them by their owners. Coarsely ground food, excessively cold or hot water are harmful for young animals. Their reaction to drastic changes in the diet is negative - piglets do not eat well or completely refuse new food. Indigestion, gastroenteritis are possible.

The monotonous diet also leads to loss of appetite. Pigs like different tastes. To maintain a constant interest in food, you should change the taste of additives, and the piglet will eat with pleasure. It is necessary that all components are present in the diet of animals - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, essential minerals and vitamins. Animals should have free access to fresh food and be able to eat their fill.

There is an opinion that a good increase is given by feeding plant foods in large volumes. This is a delusion, it is more correct to use high-quality compound feeds, and use plant foods as an additive. It is important to follow the feeding norms for piglets of different ages.

Worms

One of the main reasons that a piglet is lethargic, loses appetite or refuses to eat at all is worm infestation.

Symptoms of helminthic invasion include:

• animal anxiety,
• bad dream;
• rubbing tail against hard surfaces;
• coughing and sneezing when infected with worms in the nasopharynx;
• high temperature during advanced stage;
• weight loss;
• grunting is quiet and hoarse.

Sometimes wormed piglets bite and attack other piglets. Large helminths can be seen in the feces during the cleaning of the premises from manure. Individuals found to have worms should be removed. Isolation is carried out for the purpose of prevention and so that the infected do not disturb the rest of the piglets. Antihelminthic drugs are given to all animals in the pigsty, whether they have worms or not.

To determine the dose and frequency of use of the anthelmintic drug, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.The use should be strictly according to the prescription, since some drugs are very toxic and are excreted from the body for a long time. The room is subjected to thorough cleaning and subsequent disinfection.

Infectious diseases

Illnesses in piglets caused by infection are often accompanied by symptoms:

• loss of appetite;
• the piglet is lethargic, lies and does not approach food;
• body temperature rises;
• appears cough, vomiting, excessive salivation, bloody diarrhea;
• mucous ulcers form;
• motor coordination is disturbed;
• appears weakness, muscle trembling.

Any change in the behavior of the animal should be recorded and contacted by a veterinarian.

Edematous disease

Occurs during weaning of piglets from the sow. The nervous system is affected as a result of tissue edema. More often, young animals who have gained a lot of body weight are sick. The first three days after infection are asymptomatic, loss of appetite is possible. Further, the temperature rises sharply, paralyzes the limbs, the eyes swell, the chest and head swell. The piglet is in great pain, it squeals loudly. The mortality rate of young animals is high.

Plague

The most dangerous disease for pigs. Carried by rats and lice. Typical symptoms of plague:

• high temperature;
• lack of appetite;
• purulent discharge from the eyes;
• red spots on skin;
• rash;
• late stage foaming at the mouth.

Unvaccinated individuals die.

Smallpox

Infectious disease leads to numerous deaths of young animals. Symptoms include:

• apathetic state;
• loss of appetite;
• rash starting at the groin;
• formation of dark scabs;
• unsteady, unsteady gait.

The best prevention of diseases in piglets is timely vaccination, the terms of which can be found out from the veterinarian. If there is a suspicion that at least one individual is sick, it is urgent to remove it and seek help from a specialist.

Wrong air temperature

Piglets are very demanding on environmental conditions. They are extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. In a stuffy and damp room, animals feel bad, breathe heavily, lose their appetite, and slowly gain weight.

For newly born babies, the optimum ambient temperature is +25 ⁰С. After a week, it can be reduced to +20 ⁰С. In winter, the temperature in the pigsty should not fall below +13 ⁰С or rise above +20 ⁰С. You can maintain this mode with the help of lamps or heaters. Additionally, a flooring is made, raised to a height of about 20 cm above the floor level, and covered with straw. Comfortable humidity - 50-70%.

The room should be ventilated to bring in fresh air to improve appetite and promote animal he alth. At the same time, drafts must be excluded in order to prevent hypothermia of piglets and the occurrence of colds. In regions with a cold climate, the walls of pigsties are additionally insulated.

Stress

Pigs are not stress resistant animals. Due to their vulnerability, they are able to experience psychological trauma even with a slight change in lifestyle. The result is a loss of appetite or a complete refusal to eat. A number of factors depress the piglet's nervous system:

• weaning piglets from the sow;
• change location;
• transfer to another type of feed;
• vaccination, surgery, injections;
• poor lighting in the room;
• crowding of individuals;
• sudden jumps in ambient temperature.

For small piglets, the period of transition from breastfeeding to regular feed is important. So that they stop experiencing stress at this moment, essential oils are used. They are first added to the feed of sows, and later - to young animals. Thanks to the familiar smell, addiction passes faster, the piglets do not lose their appetite.

It is very important for young animals to organize a play area that is spacious and clean. These factors favorably affect their appetite and he alth.

Diagnosing the problem

If a piglet has lost his appetite and eats poorly - a reason to think about his he alth. Many pathologies begin with the fact that the animal becomes dull and lethargic. The best solution is to call a veterinarian to determine the cause. When this is not possible, it is worth moving the piglet to a separate room and watching him.

If diarrhea, convulsions, fever, salivation or spots on the skin appear, contacting a special service should be immediate. Loss of time can lead to the death of the entire livestock.

How to make feed attractive to pigs?

It happens that the appetite of pigs disappears due to the fact that they get bored with the same feed. It is easy to change the usual taste by adding s alt, mustard, lactic acid or sugar. Supplements improve appetite, animals show interest in food.Periodically, spices need to be changed, to create variety. Very willingly, young piglets eat grain, previously boiled or fried. It smells good and is well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.

When the pigs are not eating and are not even willing to get up, a feed yeast treatment can be used. Baker's yeast is added to food, the composition of which includes vitamins, amino acids, proteins. After such nutrition, the condition and well-being of piglets improves.

If animals do not eat well, you can increase their appetite and attract them to feed by changing the conditions of detention. With proper care, cleanliness, maintaining the necessary parameters of temperature, humidity and lighting, this will not be difficult.

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