Description of Pietrain pigs
Scientists have always had an interest in breeding various breeds of domestic animals. As a result of innovations in the agricultural technology market, it became possible to create new species of animals. The Pietrain pig breed is one of them. It was obtained as a result of crossing several noble thoroughbred representatives of non-ruminant artiodactyls.
Pietrain pig breed
Multilevel breeding of local pigs in Belgium with Large White, Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs was the first step towards creating this hybrid. Inbreeding helps make this breed more perfect by improving meat quality and quantity.
Description
The breeding procedure for creating a hybrid of a pig implied the use of intrafamily crossing, which leads to an increase in meat parameters and the appearance of a meat type of productivity. The main feature is the absence of a process of accumulation of fatty deposits, therefore, a pig gain in weight means an increase in the amount of meat. At the exit, farmers receive a juicy meat product with a pleasant taste, endowed with dietary qualities.
Pietrain piglets have a unique constitution. The description says that mumps have the following traits:
- the muscular surface of the whole body, especially in the area of the sides, chest and back;
- the trunk is large enough in the form of a cylinder;
- dimensional sacrum;
- physically developed hams;
- small head;
- short ears;
- straight profile.
The light and delicate color of this breed goes well with small dark, sometimes even black spots along the entire length of the body. The ears are pronounced and always protruding. You can see what this breed of pig looks like in the photo above.
260-kg adult pigs have an average daily weight gain of about 500-700 g. The weight of sows sometimes reaches the same number, but in most cases their live weight is 170-200 kg. Female pietrains are characterized by low fertility and small volumes of milk when feeding pigs. Some childbirth ends with the release of babies in an amount of up to 8 pieces and no more.
What are the average costs of Pietrain pig feed? This breed of pigs have a good appetite, which requires large amounts of feed mixtures. Reviews of experienced pig breeders speak of an average feed consumption per animal of 2.5-4 kg per day, provided that the farmer adheres to meat-feeding.
Content
Despite the not too presentable and pleasant appearance, Pietrain pigs are popular in pig breeding. The meat type of productivity allows you to get a wonderful high quality product at the output with a large percentage of meat capacity. The hybrid practically does not have a greasy layer, which was proven when this species was crossed with greasy pigs.
What other advantages are distinguished by this representative of artiodactyls? Experts' reviews indicate the presence of such positive qualities of Pietrains:
- resistance to various diseases and infections, especially to the circovirus, which is incurable, and therefore kills hundreds of pigs every year around the globe;
- the meat yield is quite large in comparison with other breeds and amounts to 58-70% of the total live weight of the pig;
- does not have a predisposition to obesity due to low body fat;
- weight gain is very good and rapid; research results have shown that in 200 days a normal healthy pig gains about 90 kg in weight;
- good appetite, therefore pigs need to be fed frequently and in large portions.
The general characteristics of this breed are positive. Its meat on the agricultural market has a high value and price, because dietary pork is an infrequent occurrence.
Pietrain is often used in breeding activities to develop new, better breeds of pigs.
disadvantages
After long-term keeping of these animals, negative aspects of caring for them were revealed.
Demanding climatic conditions
According to experts in their scientific videos, these farm animals do not adapt well to new weather and climatic conditions, making the acclimatization process slow.
Due to the lack of fat, pigs are very sensitive to temperature changes, low and high temperatures. Piglets and adult pigs should be kept at temperatures between -5 ° C and up to 22 ° C maximum. Ignoring this condition has a bad effect on the health and productivity of the breed, therefore it is recommended to insulate the pigsties in the cold season and often ventilate in extreme heat.
Nutritional requirements
The second negative characteristic is the careful choice of feed mixtures associated with the finickyness to individual food products. The digestive tract of piglets and pigs Pietrain is very unusual, which provokes the need for high-calorie food. Doctors recommend diluting the animal diet with vitamin and mineral supplements from time to time. It is enough to diversify the diet with food waste, sugar beets, peas, soybeans, beans, corn, combined feed.
Piglets gain weight for a very long time and poorly. Even if you increase the number of meals, the increase will be small. This factor does not depend on the farmer, it is part of the genetics of this breed. But if you make an effort and increase the number of foods containing protein, you can achieve the desired result. These include:
- waste from fish and dairy products;
- boiled potatoes with skin;
- raw root vegetables, peeled or in their original form;
- ground grain crops or compound feed.
Feeding the young generation with oats, corn, and legumes can help babies develop fully.
Not all Pietrain piglets survive after birth. This is due to the small amount of milk in the sow. Studies show that she is able to feed a maximum of 6 babies.
Piglets
The number of negative characteristics does not scare farmers who breed this breed of pigs, popularizing it. Little pigs resume their usual worries on the way to the precious meat product.
Before starting pigs, you need to think carefully about whether it is possible to give the animals the necessary living conditions and equip the barn in such a way that they develop well.
Photos of experienced pig breeders show the nuances of keeping, living, feeding and breeding babies. Farmers advise not to mate representatives of this breed with each other. According to them, good-quality piglets are obtained by crossing Pietrain and Landrace pigs. In young animals, the growth rate rapidly increases, weight is instantly gained and the meat turns out to be low-fat and light.
Piglets after the interaction of Pietrains with Durocs come out no less good in meat quality.Without creating stressful situations for the pig and observing the principle of a balanced diet, you can get juicy marbled meat, which is in great demand in expensive restaurants.
Today, Pietrens are bred in large quantities in countries such as Great Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
An important nuance in breeding is that you need to use non-colored sows. You should also not feed animals too much, because their meat in too large quantities becomes light, tasteless, and a rapid oxidation process takes place.