WEANING SHOW PIGS

Here are some important tips that will enhance growth and muscle development of your weaning show pigs. The Lindner system of starters has been designed to maximize growth and development of your show pig. 

Lindner starters 600-603-606-612 and 648 are designed specifically for the exact stage of digestive development for your pig. Keep in mind that all simple stomach animals like pigs require specific types of feeds early on in development. Initially your show pig while on the sow will be highly efficient at digesting milk proteins and fats. Milk proteins are simple and highly digestible for newly farrowed show pigs. You can see in the chart below that Lactase enzymes decreases with time while Amylase and Protease increase. This is an important transition for a young pig, moving from sows’ milk to dry feed (more complex proteins and fats). Lindner feeds are positioned to match this transition in digestive enzymes for your pig’s stomach ensuring an easy transition to dry feed while maximizing the performance of your show pig.
 

WEANING SHOW PIGS RECOMMENDATIONS

Preweaning and weaning– feed Lindner 600 Neo Starter. Lindner 600 creates the proper transition to dry feed. Best if creep fed several days before weaning. 

Post weaning Transition –move your pig to Lindner 603. 603 will ensure that stomach enzymes are matched to maximize digestibility and gut health of your show pig.

Next step is 606 Blitz or 612 Starter –Once your pig hits 5 to 6 weeks and daily feed intake is aggressive transition your pig to 606 Blitz for sale bloom, or 612 Starter for pigs you are retaining to show or sell later. 

QUESTIONS?

1. Can I skip steps in this feeding program?
   • Skipping diets early on in a pig’s life will delay his development later and can even cause significant health complications. 600 and 603 are essential to proper development of the pigs lean gain growth curve. Shorting your pig at the early stage can reduce the guts’ ability to absorb nutrients resulting in permanent damage of your pig performance.
2. Transitioning challenged pigs good or bad?
   • Transitioning pigs is very important. Healthy pigs transition easily while challenged pigs struggle with changes in diet. Make sure that when you transition to your next diet pigs are eating aggressively and are active.
3. What diet do you recommend for receiving 40–50-pound pigs?
   • 648 is a great transition diet. High protein and the correct balance of amino acids. Palatability of this diet is excellent getting pigs transitioned and started aggressively in a new environment with new stresses. 
4. What is the economic and physical cost of cutting out starter diets?
   • A good rule of thumb is 5 pounds of lost gain in the nursery phase of a pigs life becomes 25 pounds of lost gain at market. Pigs are much more efficient at building muscle early in the phases of their life. As pigs mature the conversion of actual lean and muscle is much less efficient.