Breeding pig meat is quite profitable. There are many breeds of piglets in this group. Recently, Russian farmers are increasingly paying attention to foreign varieties of meat pigs. For example, Pietren piglets are becoming increasingly popular in our country. This pig breed is characterized by very good performance indicators.
A bit of history
The resulting Pietrain breed was Belgian farmers at the beginning of the last century. When breeding it was used such highly productive pigs, well known to domestic farmers as Berkshire and large white. They are considered the parents of these animals. Today, pyreners are popular in many European countries. Among them - England, Belgium, France, Holland. Now these animals are beginning to gain popularity among farmers in Ukraine and Russia.
Pietrain, pig breed: general characteristic
Like most other meat breeds, Pietrain pigs are distinguished by a relatively light skeleton and well-developed muscle mass. These pigs do not gain too much weight. The mass of the adult uterus of this breed is 150-220 kilograms, the boar - 240-260 kilograms. The main features of the breed include:
short torso;
white or spotty color;
short, wide, not drooping ears;
wide, moderately deep chest;
massive hams.
The head of these pigs is compact, neat. Pietren’s chest is wide, but there is not much meat on it. Its main mass in such piglets is concentrated in the back - in the back and hams. One of the undoubted advantages of this breed is its resistance to cyclovirus.
Productivity indicators
The Pietrain pig breed, which we described above, is also distinguished by the fact that its representatives usually do not gain too much weight. However, the performance indicators of these pigs are considered quite good. The fact is that the meat of piglets of this breed has simply excellent taste. Fat layers in it practically do not form. It is because of this feature that Pietrain pigs are often used by breeders to breed new good meat breeds. In most cases, these piglets are crossed with representatives of sebaceous varieties. In this case, breeds related to the meat direction are obtained. These piglets are not genetically predisposed to fat accumulation.
Pietrain is a breed of pigs that is not very high reproduction rates. On average, for one farrow, the uterus brings about 8-9 cubs. However, the low birth rate of these pigs is more than compensated by the endurance of young animals. Lungs in a herd of pietrain almost never happen.
The yield of meat in pigs of this breed is 60 percent, fat - 30 percent. One ham weighs about 8-10 kilograms. The average daily gain of Pietrain piglets is 500-550 grams. By the age of 210-220 days, pigs of this breed gain a mass of 90-100 kilograms.
Disadvantages of the breed
In general, a fairly good and productive Pietrain breed of pigs. Photos of such piglets are presented on the page and clearly demonstrate their pronounced meat qualities. These pigs really have many advantages . However , this breed has one serious drawback. Pietrain pigs are very demanding in care. For example, they do not tolerate too high or low temperatures. That is why the breed for a long time in Russia with its harsh climate was considered impractical to breed. Today, these pigs are recommended to be kept only in well-equipped sheds.
Low productivity in terms of reproduction is also some disadvantage of this breed. In the light, the sow Pietrain produces up to 8-10 piglets. But due to its low milk production, it can only feed 5-6 pieces.
Cross
Most often, pietrens are crossed with large white pigs and duroc pigs . Sometimes hybrids of this breed with landrace are also bred. Pietrain + Duroc is a breed of pig characterized by excellent taste of meat. The same can be said about piglets obtained by crossing representatives of the breed with large white. Hybrids derived from landrace and pietrain are characterized by early maturity.
Fattening piglets
Pietrain is a breed of pigs that can be kept on farms using two main technologies:
In the first case, the cost will be about 2-2.5 feed units per 1 kg of weight gain, in the second - 3-3.4 core / unit.
Meat feeding technology
Thus, we found out what Pietrain is, a breed of pigs. Characteristics, photos, descriptions are already known to you. Next, let's see how, in fact, these animals are fed on both technologies from the list.
For the meat technique, two-month-old Pietrain pigs are suitable. Food for pigs using the technology of such fattening give plenty. But the main emphasis is on proteins . Also, animals should receive feed that improves the taste of meat: dairy products, herbs, root crops. Sources of protein in this technology are cereals and animal feed.
In addition, the pigs ’diet includes the minerals necessary for their body - chalk (25-30 g), sodium chloride (10-30 g), phosphorus (8-10 g). Sometimes, farmers also use regular aspirin to speed up animal weight gain. It should be added in an amount of 1 g per 50 kg of feed.
Meat and greasy technology
This technique is practically no different from the previous one. The meat of pigs fattened by this technology is intended mainly for the production of long-term storage products - hams, uncooked smoked sausages, Korean roots, etc.
Meat-greasy fattening is conditionally divided into two periods. At the first stage, piglets receive feed, contributing to the most rapid weight gain. The basis of the diet in this period is greenery, root vegetables, grass or hay. The second stage of feeding begins in 8-10 months. At this time, piglets already reach a weight of about 100-110 kg. At the second stage, coarse fodder is replaced by root crops, and the amount of concentrates in the diet is also increased.
Content
Pietrain is a breed of pigs , for which the barn must be dry, clean and, most importantly, warm. After all, Pietrens do not tolerate cold. Even in winter, the temperature in their barn should not be less than + 16-18 degrees (for adult pigs). Otherwise, the pigs will certainly fall ill and possibly even die. Also in the pigsty you need to arrange good ventilation. If the air temperature in the barn in the summer exceeds +30 degrees, animals can get heat stroke. In any case, they will not develop well under such conditions.
What to consider when designing a pigsty
It is not difficult to warm the barn in winter. It is much more difficult to make sure that the air temperature in it does not rise in the summer above +30 degrees. Therefore, the windows in the pigsty pigsty should not be arranged on the south side. To build a barn should be from poorly conductive materials. It can be foam concrete, timber, log. In addition, you should insulate the barn with a sufficiently thick layer of mineral wool. This will not only protect the interior of the structure from the cold. Vata will protect the barn from overheating in the summer.
The floor in the pigsty should be done with a slight bias. Subsequently, this will greatly facilitate cleaning. Pietrain pigs are quite resistant to various diseases. However, to keep clean in their machines is, of course, necessary.
How to equip a pigsty
Inside the barn, as with the feeding of many other breeds, it should be divided into three parts:
Young growth usually contain 30 pieces. in one machine, boars - ten individuals. For sows, Pietrain in winter is desirable to equip a separate, well-insulated house.
In all pens, it is necessary to put feeders and drinking bowls. Attaching them to the structures of the barn is not worth it. Pigs - animals are not particularly clean and can easily spoil them. It is quite difficult to wash the fixed feeders and drinking bowls.
The floor of the pigsty is covered with straw. Depending on climatic conditions, Pietrain piglets can be kept according to the method:
Pietrain is a breed of pigs that does not tolerate heat and cold too well. Therefore, it is grown more often by the second technology. Walking for piglets of this breed is usually equiped only in regions with a relatively mild climate - in the Krasnodar Territory, the Stavropol Territory, etc. In this case, for the piglets, a canopy is arranged so that the animals can hide from the sun. Arranging a walk, it should be borne in mind that pietrens, like almost any other pigs, love to dig. The net enclosing the patio should therefore be dug into the ground by about 50 cm.
Pietrain, breed of pigs: reviews of farmers
Of course, there are many shortcomings in representatives of this breed. Not many farmers keep such pigs because of the capriciousness of weather conditions in Russia. However, reviews about this breed on the Web are still pretty good. The meat of the breed is tasty, they are bought well. With proper feeding, these pigs gain weight quickly enough.