Vietnamese piglets: keeping and breeding at home

The reason why farmers and households choose to keep Vietnamese piglets is their rapid growth, unlike white breeds. In addition, already after the first year of life, the weight of one pig is 100 kg, and the feed consumption is significantly lower. However, in order to take full advantage of the breed, it is necessary to choose the right piglet, create comfortable conditions for it and provide a balanced diet.

History of the breed

Vietnamese bellied pig was brought to Europe and Canada not so long ago - in the 80s of the last century.In a fairly short time, the breed spread throughout the world due to the profitability of breeding pigs. In Hungary and Canada, selection work is still underway to improve the performance of the breed.

Description and characteristics of Vietnamese pigs

The main distinguishing feature of the Vietnamese breed is its rapid maturation, which was the reason for its rapid spread around the world. Piglets of this species are not afraid of either heat or cold. The only thing that animals need to be protected from throughout their lives is drafts. Piglets react negatively to them and can get sick.

The pig got its name because of its characteristic appearance. On relatively short legs, a huge body with a belly hanging almost to the ground. Today, there are both white and black piglets on sale, as well as individuals with a marble color. On the massive head are small ears, the back is slightly concave. There are a large number of folds on the stigma, which is why it is somewhat reminiscent of an accordion in shape.Vietnamese pigs have been growing for 5 years, although this process slows down every year. Usually, farmers send animals at the age of 1 to 1.5 years for slaughter. Only the female and boar are left for breeding.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before making a decision about choosing a breed, study its strengths and weaknesses.

The advantages of the Vietnamese bellied pig include:

Quick mass gain.
Low fat percentage compared to other breeds.
Unpretentious to the conditions of detention.
Rapid puberty.
Undemanding to the diet.
Possibility of almost year-round walking.
Almost no peculiar smell.
Strong immunity.
Calm and good-natured character.

The disadvantages include only the higher cost of piglets compared to other breeds.

Rules for choosing piglets

In order to raise he althy animals capable of producing he althy and strong offspring in the future, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the acquisition of piglets.

First of all, pay attention to the following parameters:

Ask the seller to show the sow from which the piglet is for sale.
Take an interest in the weight with which the animal was born and trace its dynamics over 10 days.
Evaluate the appearance of a piglet - a he althy animal has well-developed muscles, strong, widely spaced legs, even coat and shiny eyes.
Ask what the piglets were fed.

You should not buy animals if there were more than 12 in one litter and if the farm has one boar for several sows.

Content Features

After acquiring young animals, it is important to provide them with suitable conditions.

Experienced farmers willingly share their secrets with novice breeders.

Requirements for the premises

Criteria for arranging a pigsty:

The best place for pigs is considered to be a brick shed with an equipped concrete floor.
To protect animals from the cold in winter frosts, 2/3 are covered with wooden boards.
For one machine with an area of 4.5 sq. meters should not account for more than 2 individuals.
A passage is left along the entire pigsty so that a manure collection cart can freely pass through it.
Arrange a complete ventilation system so as not to provoke outbreaks of infectious diseases.
They equip the heating system to their taste and possibilities. It is important that the temperature in the pigsty does not fall below 18-20 degrees, otherwise it will negatively affect the he alth of the sow and her offspring.

Caring for animals is impossible without providing a daily walk in the fresh air. If there are no trees in the selected area, several logs are specially dug in, because animals love to scratch their backs. They also make sure to equip a canopy so that in rainy or sunny weather the pigs can hide.

Besides this, it will not be superfluous to build an impromptu mud pool. Its dimensions are 2 x 2 meters. Periodically, the water in it is changed to fresh.

Feeding and the necessary diet, scheme

The diet is different for piglets and adult pigs. Feeding is one of the most important stages of growing Vietnamese piglets. Also, not only he alth, but also the quality of the subsequently obtained meat depends on this stage of care. Coarsely ground food is not used for the diet of the "Vietnamese" - this is due to the peculiarities of the structure of their digestive system.Pigs of this breed have a small intestine and stomach. Therefore, straw and fodder beets are excluded from the diet - such food will not bring any benefit to animals. Use to feed alfalfa or clover hay.

Also in the diet of animals there is always compound feed, the consistency of which resembles thick porridge.

To improve the process of digestion and assimilation of food, use ground grain. The main part of the feed should be wheat and barley. They also add peas, oats and corn, but make sure that the last component is no more than 10%. With an excess of this component, pigs begin to become obese. You can't do without the addition of vitamins in the diet - fish oil is considered especially useful for animals, as well as fresh vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots and zucchini. Do not forget also about milk and eggs.

Common diseases

If the conditions of keeping animals are violated, they develop diseases that are important to detect in time in order to start treatment. The most common diseases of the "Vietnamese" are the following:

Salmonellosis. There is a refusal of food, the animals develop a fever. It is most common in piglets, so it is important to stick to the vaccination schedule.
Infection with worms. The reason is considered unsanitary conditions in the room where the animals are kept. Poor appetite, nervousness or, conversely, lethargy are the first symptoms of the disease in piglets. Sick piglets are isolated from the rest of the herd and any medication for worms in the form of tablets is used.
Dysentery. A more dangerous disease that also develops from dirt and untimely cleaning of the premises. It affects young piglets more often than adults.
Aueszky's disease. Refers to dangerous viral diseases. When a virus enters the body of an animal, it begins to walk in circles, then lays on its side, it develops severe skin itching, then convulsions and paralysis of the larynx.After the appearance of the first signs, the animal dies after 2 days. Since there is no cure, it is important to keep piglets vaccinated on time.
Erysipelas. The causative agent of pathology is an erysipelas bacterium. Individuals aged 3 months to 1 year most often suffer from the disease. Difficulty breathing, redness of the skin, high fever, refusal to eat are the first symptoms of erysipelas. The outcome depends on the form of the course of the disease. It happens that piglets die within a few hours after the first symptoms appear.

Self-medication based on symptoms alone is not recommended - only an experienced veterinarian will be able to accurately diagnose piglets and prescribe medication, if this rule is violated, there is a risk of losing the entire livestock.

Reproduction

Beginner farmers do not breed pigs at home, as it is necessary to have some experience in this matter.For divorce, a boar and a pig are selected - it is important that they are not from the same family. If there are family ties between animals, it will not be possible to obtain full-fledged offspring. Already by 4 months, the mumps is considered sexually mature. In the first farrowing, there are usually no more than 5 cubs, in subsequent times their number increases and can reach 20. Young animals appear on the 114th or 118th day of pregnancy. After that, it is important to provide babies and mothers with full-fledged conditions of detention.