Summer is hot, but pigs are warm-blooded animals with thick subcutaneous fat and underdeveloped sweat glands. Therefore, in order to resist heat, meat pigs are very easy to lose weight, slow down growth, and even die from heat stroke. Therefore, pig farming in midsummer must strengthen heatstroke prevention and cooling to ensure the safety of pigs in summer and improve pig farming efficiency.
- Build a shed to shade
Most rural pigs are open-type pig houses. A temporary shed should be built in front of the house to shade and prevent direct sunlight. You can also build a shed around the house, or plant vines such as grapes and pumpkins, so that their vines can climb all over the shed to shade.
- Adjust the diet structure
In midsummer, the energy feed in the diet should be relatively reduced, and green feed can be increased. Usually, the energy feed is 50% to 70% of the diet, and 40% to 50% in summer; the green feed increases from 0.5 to 1 kg to 1 to 1.5 kg. All feeds should be fresh, hygienic and free of mold.
- Feed pigs at night
Feeding time can be at 7 pm, 11 pm, and 4 am, 3 times a night, and 0.5% salt water and green juicy feed can be fed once at 10 am and 2 pm during the day. As long as the feeding is reasonable and meets the needs, the daily weight gain of pigs weighing about 50 kg can also reach 0.5-0.75 kg.
- Supply sufficient clean drinking water
Water is the best solvent and transportation tool for various nutrients. The elimination of waste in the body is also carried out through water. The water in the pig body accounts for 1/3 to 1/2 of its weight. In summer, the daily water intake of pigs is 23.8% of their own body. They can drink 0.5% salt water to regulate their body temperature.
- To reduce the temperature in the house
Cool water can be used to rinse the ground and walls in the pen to cool down. If there is a water pipe with running water, rinse it several times a day. If there is no running water, use a basin to flush the ground to reduce the temperature in the house.
- Use water to cool down the pigs
- Use spray or shower to wash the pigs 2 to 4 times a day to help the pigs dissipate heat.
- The water from the well is at a lower temperature. You can expose it to the sun for a while before washing the pigs. This can not only dissipate heat and cool down the pigs, but also keep the pigs clean and hygienic.
- However, when washing the pigs with water, it should be arranged before feeding. You cannot wash it within 30 minutes after feeding, and you cannot suddenly wash the pigs’ heads with water to prevent the pigs’ heads from contracting strongly and causing shock.
- Bathing to cool down
You can dig a shallow pool in a corner of the pig house and pour clean water into it so that the pigs can soak in the pool at any time to promote the dissipation of body heat. If the pen is small and there is no condition to dig a pool, you can dig a pool nearby. After a period of time in the afternoon, let the pigs out and let them turn over freely and soak for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Feed to prevent heatstroke
- Vinegar or sauerkraut juice. It can be taken orally each time, and the amount can be increased or decreased according to the size of the pigs.
- White lentils. White lentil has the effect of cooling down and strengthening the stomach. Depending on the weight of the pig, 20 to 50 grams can be used, and the juice can be boiled and drunk.
- Mung bean soup. Take an appropriate amount of mung beans, add 20 times the water and cook until the skin is rotten, drink the soup and eat the beans after cooling.
- Use the plants of plantain and light bamboo leaves to boil water into soup, mix with feed and feed pigs.
- Watermelon rind. Use 2000 grams of fresh watermelon rind, mash it, add 100 grams of white sugar and mix it, once every other day.
IX. Keep the pig body and pig house clean
All ventilation holes in the pig house should be opened to make the pig body cool and comfortable. The house can be covered with 3 to 5 cm thick sanitary sand to dissipate heat through the contact between the pig body and the sand. Spray the walls and the ground with 20% lime milk for disinfection every day, and disinfect all feeding utensils with 3% carbolic acid solution.