How Do You Raise Pigs On Milk Replacer?
Twenty percent of newborn pigs die shortly after birth because of crushing injuries inflicted by the sow or because of hypothermia (cold), say livestock experts at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. In their article “Basic Pig Husbandry–The Litter,” Graeme Taylor and Greg Roese state that piglets that are the smallest in the litter will not only suffer these ailments, they will die from starvation because they cannot push themselves to a teat. Farmers and pig owners should hand-raise these runts on sow milk replacer to let them survive. Feed your new piglets 20 to 30 ml of sow’s colostrum using a syringe. They need feeding with the colostrum every two hours from birth for the first seven to eight hours of life to ingest the mother’s antibodies and receive necessary nutrients. If sow’s colostrum is not available, you can use cow colostrum. Keep your piglets in rearing quarters that are clean, free of drafts and warm; 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit is vital for survival
