In the past few years, rapeseed cultivation has increased dramatically in the European Union, especially in countries like Germany, where renewable sources of energy are becoming important to national interests. Rapeseed oil has been proved to be one of the best sources for biodiesel, and an increasing amount of rapeseed meal has raised the level of interest among nutritionists and producers alike. In general, rapeseed is considered a good replacement, if only partially, for soybean meal in most animal diets.
Water is the single nutrient that is required in the greatest quantity by swine and should be closely monitored. Pigs require water for most metabolic functions, to control body temperature, to transport food and waste products throughout the body, for the production of milk and for growth and reproduction. Water usage is also a very good predictor of health issues. Pigs consume the majority of water by drinking, but some water is ingested through the feed or is generated through metabolism. Pigs excrete water via the urine, feces, respiration and evaporation (skin).
How would you feel if one day – seemingly out of the blue – someone took away your favorite beverage and replaced it with something they said was good for you? Would you scream frustration? Would you refuse to do anything? Would you sulk? If you said, “yes”, you agree with most weaning piglets: Change can be hard, writes Dari Brown, Purina.
Foot lesions can bleed away profits on swine operations, but many foot problems can be prevented by proper trace mineral nutrition in sow diets. Copper, zinc and manganese are the three trace minerals most demanded by sows. Feeding the right amounts of these minerals is essential to the longevity and reproductive success of sows.
One recent estimate suggests that the average number of finished pigs per sow in Vietnam is 12.3 pigs per sow per year (the same source estimates the performance of modernised pig farms in Vietnam at 20.5 pigs per sow per year). Note also that these figures do not take account of the ratio of muscle to fat that is probably much lower in Vietnam's average carcass profile.
In the modern era of farming and animal rearing, the introduction of chemicals in our food has caused numerous ailments for humans. As a result, the meat of wild pigs has gained popularity since these pigs are raised in a half-wild state, and their diet of vegetables is all organic, creating much leaner, tenderer pork, with less fat compared to the meat of other pigs, says Van.