What causes weight loss in pigs?

The condition results classically from a combination of parasitism (helminths or mange), low environmental temperatures and inadequate feed intake, particularly during lactation. Weight loss at this time may never be regained. Parasitism is less important when therapy is routinely carried out.

How much do pigs weigh at birth?

Baby pigs usually weigh between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds at birth. It is a common practice in commercial swine operations to cross-foster piglets to even out the number of piglets per sow, or even to sort by size. If your sows are somewhat synchronized, the piglets can be fostered for up to three days after birth.

What is the normal slaughter weight for pigs?

Most pigs in the U.S. would be butchered at 250-300 pounds live weight or between 6-7 months of age. Butcher ready pigs will have wide hams, flat wide backs and a double chin. By the time your pigs get to butchering size, you will have put in months of care and feed.

Can a 6 month old pig weigh 120 pounds?

However, we know that a 6 month old pig who is only 14 inches tall shouldn’t weigh 120 pounds with a belly dragging on the ground. Weight isn’t so much a factor as much as body scoring is. Body scoring is done using aspects of your pigs body from different angles. You shouldn’t EVER look at a pig from only one angle and decide a pig is obese.

Is it too much to feed an obese pig?

The feed manufacturers have come up with a recommendation based on weight, a percentage of their body weight, and their recommendation is to feed 1-2% of their body weight. Well, ideally this would be based on IDEAL body weight and if your pig is obese, this may be too much to help your pig lose weight.

What are the factors that influence birth weight of Pigs?

Therefore, producers should look at the factors which influence birth weight of pigs, both as whole litters and individuals. 1) The size and age of the gilt at first serve which has an effect on mature body size. Gilts also tend to produce lighter pigs and the smaller/younger the gilt is, the greater will be the penalty.

How often should you lower your pig’s body weight?

As every overweight pig has a unique diet goal, it is recommended to start with a goal of 10 pounds less than your pig’s starting weight and decreasing your goal by 10 pounds every 2-3 weeks until your reach a body score of 3. This time frame allows your pig’s body to properly adjust to the new portions without being extreme.

How to calculate the birth weight of a pig?

For data analysis, individual birth weight was used to assign pigs to one of four birth weight categories (≤ 2.3 lb., 2.4 to 3.3 lb., 3.4 to 4.3 lb. and ≥ 4.4 lb.; see Table 1 ), and the number of total born in each pig’s litter-of-origin was used to assign pigs to one of three total born categories (≤ 11, 12 to 14 and ≥ 15; see Table 2 ).

Why are there so many low birth weight pigs?

Problems resulting from low birth weight pigs are likely to have increased over recent years because of the considerable genetic improvement of litter size and the consequent reduction in average piglet birth weights.