Pigs entering the post-weaning period require careful environmental and feeding management to ensure their survival and healthy growth. To achieve this, four key areas must be addressed: environment control, proper nutrition, stress reduction, and disease prevention.
Environmental Control
Creating a stable and familiar environment is crucial for piglets after weaning. Ideally, sows should be moved out of the farrowing area while the piglets stay in the same space for about 7 days before being transferred to the nursery. This helps them adjust more easily. In the nursery, maintaining an appropriate temperature is essential—starting at 25°C to 27°C during the first few days and gradually decreasing by 1°C to 2°C daily until reaching around 20°C. The nursery should also be protected from drafts and sudden temperature drops caused by human activity. High humidity can lead to various health issues, so it's important to keep relative humidity between 65% and 75%. Proper ventilation is necessary to remove harmful gases like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which can harm the pigs' respiratory systems.
Proper Nutrition
Providing a high-quality weaning feed is vital for the transition from milk to solid food. It's recommended to add acidifiers, prebiotics, and probiotics to the feed to support digestion and reduce the risk of diarrhea. The feed change should be gradual over 10 days, with daily reductions in the old feed and increases in the weaning material. Initially, feeding 5 to 6 times a day with smaller portions (around 70-80% full) helps prevent overeating. As the pigs grow, the number of meals can be reduced, eventually leading to free-choice feeding. After switching to solid feed, water intake increases significantly, so clean and abundant water must always be available. If using automatic drinkers, they should be placed where pigs can easily access them, and if needed, pigs may need guidance to learn how to use them properly.
Stress Management
Nursery pigs are highly sensitive and prone to stress, which can weaken their immune system. Keeping the same group as much as possible helps reduce anxiety and build trust. When mixing groups is unavoidable, it should be done carefully and without abrupt changes. Maintaining a quiet and stable environment is important—avoiding loud noises or sudden disturbances. Changes in routine, such as weather shifts, should be managed patiently and not forced. Regular observation is key; if fighting occurs, it should be stopped immediately. Gentle handling and consistent care help the pigs feel secure and reduce stress-related health problems.
Disease Prevention
During the nursery period, piglets are at higher risk of diseases due to their developing immune systems and the decline of maternal antibodies after weaning. Effective disease control involves good hygiene, proper feeding, and timely vaccinations based on local disease prevalence. Common diseases to watch for include swine fever, blue ear disease, pseudorabies, pneumonia, paratyphoid, and coccidiosis. To prevent these, a preventive medication program can be implemented: adding 400g of Fluconazole and 500g of Astragalus polysaccharides or Radix to 1 ton of feed for 10 days, or 1kg of Licorice and 200g of Amoxicillin for the same duration. These measures help strengthen immunity and reduce the spread of infections. At the end of the nursery period, regular pest control should be carried out, and any pigs showing signs of illness should be isolated and monitored closely.
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