Description of Vietnamese pigs. Vietnamese pig breed description of appearance and breeding basics

Among all the breeds, the Vietnamese stand out bellied pigs, prone to rapid weight gain, making them the easiest. Breeding pigs provides the owner with a supply of meat.

The history of the breed

The name of the breed is the result of a historical error. Vietnamese pigs originated in Southeast Asia. But they came to Europe from Vietnam in 1985, so the breed began to be called Vietnamese. Vietnamese pigs were brought to Russia recently.

The work to improve the breed is not over. It is especially active in Ukraine, Hungary and Canada.

Complete correct name breeds - Asian herbivorous bellied pig.

Many confuse representatives of this species with Korean pigs, or believe that Vietnamese and Chinese are the same animals. In fact, Chinese pigs are popular decorative mini-pigs. Despite the huge external differences, they are really relatives of the Vietnamese folded belly.

Description and characteristics of Vietnamese pigs

Vietnamese pigs are large animals. In adulthood, an individual should weigh from 80 to 100 kilograms. Tribal representatives of the breed can weigh up to 150 kilograms. The pig gains mass during the first 5 years of life with high speed. But gradually this process slows down. In wild boars, fangs begin to grow at 6 months, and reach 10-15 centimeters.

Representatives of this breed do not differ in the variability of colors. They can be:

• black (mostly common colors);
• black and white.

Noticeable outward difference Vietnamese breed from others - drooping belly. It manifests itself from the first month of life.

According to the structure of the body, the animals are low, on short, even, strong legs, the shoulders and chest are wide, the head is large, with small erect ears, the muzzle is flattened, the patch is with folds.

Advantages and disadvantages of breeding Vietnamese pigs

The Vietnamese Fold is one of the most popular pig breeds for a reason. A number of advantages contributed to this:

• Rapid weight gain. Already in 7-8 months, representatives of this breed reach 80 kilograms.
• Early puberty. Females at 4 months are able to give birth, and in boars, the instinct for procreation wakes up at six months.
• Fertility. A female can give birth to 5 to 20 piglets, and produce offspring twice in a year.
• Ease of reproduction. Vietnamese Loose Belly sows are caring mothers who do not attack their piglets, unlike representatives of other breeds.
• Herbivore. This feature makes it easier for farmers to feed the animals.
• High immunity. Diseases inherent in pigs do not affect Vietnamese lop-bellies, so they do not need to be vaccinated.
• Memory for poisonous plants. The animal remembers what food harmed it and passes this knowledge through the genes to the next generations.
• Cleanliness. Pigs of this breed always relieve themselves in the same place, away from the sleeping and feeding area.
• Unpretentiousness to climatic changes. The breed easily tolerates extreme heat and cold.
• Peacefulness. Vietnamese pigs are non-aggressive, friendly, do not eat their piglets, do not bite, do not squeal, and are even capable of training.
• There is no unpleasant smell.
• Valuable meat. It is very gentle, with a low level of harmful cholesterol.

There are few downsides to the breed. These include:

• Susceptibility of animals to helminths.
• For Vietnamese pigs, drafts in the pigsty are of particular danger.

How to choose piglets?

There are a number of rules, adhering to which, you can acquire healthy and strong piglets with Vietnamese bellies:

• Get piglets at the age of 1 month, then they will quickly and easily get used to the new environment.
• Find out from the breeder the weight of the baby at birth and the dynamics of weight gain.
• Ask to show the parents of the piglet, the qualities of the offspring are determined by their appearance. Pay special attention to the sow, she should be thinner and with sagging milk lobes. This is a sign that her piglets are about a month old.
• The cub itself should have strong legs, pronounced muscles and a sagging abdomen.
• For brood, do not purchase piglets from the same farrowing and from parents-relatives. Their offspring will be sickly and deviant.
• Pay attention to the mood of the little pigs. In good health, they will wag their tails and actively play.
• When buying, ask the owner what kind of feed he gave to the piglets. It will be possible to transfer young pigs to any other food, but gradually, in order to avoid stool disorder.

Vietnamese bellied pigs are unpretentious, but if you plan a long-term breeding of this breed, then it is better to carefully prepare. To start building a pigsty:

• It should be strong and without cracks. It is better to make windows higher than the height of the pigs so that the air circulates, but does not blow through the animals. The best material for a pigsty is brick.
• The floor should preferably be filled with concrete. This will make cleaning up after the pigs much easier.
• The pigsty is divided by wooden partitions into machines. “Vietnamese” are small in stature, so they need small departments.
• In departments wooden floorings for a dream are put.
• Heating is recommended. This breed tolerates frost, but will gain weight worse. For a farrowing female and offspring, low temperatures can be fatal.

Vietnamese pigs go out all year round. Therefore, they need an aviary. It should be fenced, with a canopy under which animals can hide from heat and bad weather. It is recommended to dig in some unhewn logs that they will itch against and make a mud pool. Thanks to him, the pigs will be able to cool off in the heat and drive away annoying insects. The pool water needs to be changed at least once a week.

Feeding, products

Many inexperienced farmers, having learned that Vietnamese bellied herbivores, feed them with one pasture. Pigs do survive with this method of feeding, but the desired weight gain will not be.

In addition to natural grazing, which guarantees fresh grass in the diet, it is worth providing the “flip flops” with:

• clover and alfalfa hay;
• fresh zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, apples;
• boiled potatoes;
• vitamin supplements.

Representatives of this breed are well fattened with a grain feed mixture consisting of barley and wheat ground into flour. You can add a little legumes, oats and corn to it, but not more than 10% of the total mass. Otherwise, they will cause excessive fat formation.

The taste of the meat is improved if the pigs are fed wet food. To prepare it, the grain mixture with the addition of 5-10 grams of salt is steamed with boiling water.

Sows should be given milk, eggs, whey, fish oil and vitamins. Additives are introduced into the cooled cereal porridge.

Vietnamese bellied pigs have a small stomach and intestinal diameter, so they are not suitable for food:

• coarse feed;
• straw;
• fodder beet;
• foods high in fiber;
• an abundance of corn, oats and peas in the feed.

When caring for this breed, it is necessary to regularly give preparations for helminths.

reproduction

The most important thing in breeding lop-bellied pigs is not to let the boar cover your relative. The offspring will be sick, poorly gaining weight and possibly infertile. To prevent this, you need to know the signs of readiness for mating in the female:

• anxiety and nervousness;
• swelling of the genital loop;
• there is a discharge from the genitals;
• freezing in place with pressure on the croup.

Although females reach puberty at 4 months, and in some cases even earlier, they need to be knitted only when they have gained sufficient weight - 32-35 kilograms. Otherwise, the offspring will be frail, and the sow may not tolerate gestation and childbirth.

A pregnant female bears piglets for 114-118 days. In the first farrow she will give birth to about 5 babies. Further, on average, 10-12, but their number can reach 20 pieces.

5-6 days before giving birth, the female will begin to worry and make a nest of straw or hay. If the stomach sank, and colostrum appeared on the nipples, then farrowing will occur in the next 10-20 hours. You need to prepare for it:

• Clean the machine, put fresh hay.
• Fence off and insulate a place for piglets. In the first days, babies should be kept at a temperature of at least +20 degrees Celsius, and preferably at +30-32 degrees.
• Increase the overall heating of the pigsty.
• Make sure that the female always has clean water. She will not feed on the day of birth.

Many do not interfere in the birth process and do not touch the piglets for the first days. But this can result in the death of the cubs, especially during the first farrowing of the female. Babies are born very hungry, and if the sow does not have colostrum in advance or soon after farrowing, then they may die. Therefore, for the birth itself, you need to prepare in advance:

• backup option for feeding newborn piglets;
• diapers for wiping and wrapping;
• a clean flannel cloth to clear the eyes and airways of mucus;
• disinfectant (for example, chlorhexidine solution);
• scissors and thread to sew up the umbilical cord;
• iodine and cotton wool for cauterization of the wound.

The birth of a Vietnamese sow lasts from 3 to 5 hours. The end of the process is indicated by the exit of the placenta.

Raising offspring

Pigs are surrounded by mother's care, her milk gives them all the necessary substances for the first days of life. But strong babies can push weaker ones away from the nipples, this needs to be monitored, and everyone should be helped to access nutrition.

There is no iron in sow's milk. This often leads to anemia in piglets. Therefore, they are injected into the muscles of iron-containing preparations for animals, the dosage and number of injections are according to the instructions.

Additives are introduced into the diet for a week-old offspring:

• charcoal;
• calcium;
• phosphorus.

On the tenth day they are provided with a drinking bowl with clean water, by this time the weight of each baby should be at least 1 kilogram. On the twentieth day, porridge from feed with vitamins is introduced into the diet. A monthly pig is already being fed adult food. At this age, he weighs 3 kilograms and can be sold.

Weaning from breastfeeding should not be one day, but gradually, offering babies an alternative to milk. Otherwise, the piglets will have a food disorder, and the sow will have mastitis.

At the age of 40 days, anthelmintic procedures can be performed with piglets. For example, give the drug Brovadazole.

Breeding Vietnamese pigs as a business

The cost of a Vietnamese piglet pig is 3,000 rubles, and an adult is 8,000 rubles. For breeding, it is enough to buy 2 females and 1 wild boar.

In our time, the Vietnamese bellied pig has ceased to be just an exclusive pet. Livestock farmers are increasingly choosing to breed Vietnamese breed pigs.

vietnamese bellied pig

History of the Vietnamese breed

The Vietnamese Loose Belly pig breed was brought from Vietnam to Canada and Eastern Europe in the mid-80s of the last century. Over time, the fashion for breeding these pigs has spread to many countries: America, France, Hungary, Poland and other countries. The strongest breeding work is currently underway in Hungary and Canada. In these countries, breeders are trying to make the breed even more productive for breeding by increasing the size of the animal and the percentage of its muscle mass. In Belarus, this breed has become widespread relatively recently, livestock breeders are just starting to master the breeding of these attractive pigs.

Features of this breed

Pigs of the Vietnamese breed are distinguished by some features that must be considered when breeding them. Many of them are the trends behind the rapid spread of the fashion for keeping pigs.

One of the main features of the breed is the rapid maturation of animals. Already at 4 months, females become sexually mature, and boars are ready for breeding at 6 months. Moreover, caring for newborn piglets is not difficult, since the sow does not interfere with him and behaves quite friendly. She herself takes care of the offspring, having a developed maternal instinct.

Another feature of Vietnamese pigs is good immunity, they perfectly tolerate both hot climates and cold winters. These animals are only afraid of drafts, which are especially detrimental to small piglets.

Appearance of Vietnamese pigs

The bellied Vietnamese pig got its name because of the large hanging belly, which is especially striking because of the short legs.

Pigs can be white or black. There are individuals of a marble color that combines both of these shades. Because of the short legs, the belly of the pigs practically touches the ground. Their back is slightly concave, on the head are small ears. The stigmas resemble an accordion due to the large number of folds. Outwardly, the snout of these pigs is somewhat similar to the muzzle of a pug due to the large number of bends.

One of the differences is short legs

Pigs are able to grow and gain weight for the first five years, although this process gradually becomes progressively slower. The weight of Vietnamese pigs that have reached the year is about 80 kg. In the livestock market, individuals weighing about 100 kg are most often represented.

Breeding Vietnamese pigs

Vietnamese bellied pigs gained their popularity due to the following advantages:

• Low food costs
• The possibility of almost year-round (depending on the place of breeding) free range, since pigs perfectly tolerate low temperatures during the winter;
• They have tender meat with little fat and no veins. The low cholesterol content in the product makes it possible to eat it for people with vascular diseases;
• Compact dimensions that allow you to keep several individuals at once in one not too big machine;
• The animals are very clean, free from the specific smell inherent in almost all pigs of other breeds;
• Immunity resistant to diseases and temperature extremes;
• Early sexual maturity makes it possible to get the first offspring from a pig that has reached only 7-9 months. At the same time, animals that live for about 30 years are capable of farrowing throughout their lives. In addition, Vietnamese breed pigs are incredibly prolific, they bring from 12 to 20 piglets at a time;
• Calm and kind. They let the owner to the piglets, do not break the enclosures, they have the ability to train.

Vietnamese pigs have strong immunity

How to choose a pig breed?

All the advantages of this breed will be real only when choosing healthy individuals capable of producing offspring in the future. There is sometimes a Vietnamese bellied pig, reviews of which are not very good. As a rule, such animals weigh about 40-60 kg by the year, and the farm owner cannot even get offspring from a female for 10 months. This result is most often due wrong choice piglets. To buy an animal suitable for breeding, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• If the breeder has several sows and one boar on the farm, then it is better not to buy piglets in this place. Such animals will certainly be relatives from which it is impossible to obtain healthy offspring.
• In order to make sure that the age of the piglet indicated by the seller and its real value, you can ask to see the sow that gave birth to the animal. If the piglet is only a month old, then the pig should have sagging milk lobes, it should look thinner. Otherwise, the piglet is older than the seller says, or there is another sow in front of the buyer.
• You need to find out the weight with which the piglet was born. It is better if the seller also tells the growth dynamics of the animal at intervals of 10 days from the moment of birth.
• You can also determine a healthy animal by its appearance. Piglets should have well-developed muscles. Legs in healthy individuals are strong, widely spaced. An external sign of belonging to the breed is a kind of stigma, which has numerous bends of the nasal bones.
  If a piglet has a long head, a spindle-shaped body and legs in the shape of the letter "X", then such an individual is sick. In addition, these signs may indicate degeneration resulting from the birth of a piglet from relative parents.
  A healthy piglet is distinguished by a knocked down dense physique, even coat, shiny eyes. Such an animal is active, has a good appetite. The excellent mood of the piglet is evidenced by waving a thin tail from side to side. Color doesn't matter. It is predominantly black, but even in one litter there can be piglets of both white and mixed color.
• You can not buy piglets that appeared from the same litter.
• Having decided on the piglet, you need to ask about the food that the previous owner used. The transition to another diet should not be abrupt, otherwise the animal may get sick.
• If the litter has more than 12 piglets, then such animals may be weak. The choice must be taken very carefully.

Selection of a place for keeping pigs

Keeping Vietnamese pigs does not require much trouble. Due to their relatively compact size, the animals do not require a very large pigsty. It is best to make it out of brick, and make the floor concrete. So that in the cold season the pigs do not freeze on the stone floor, about 2/3 of the pigsty should be covered with wooden scaffolding. This area will be a kind of sleeping place for animals. The rest of the space will serve as a place for feeding and a toilet. The bellied Vietnamese pig is a clean animal, so you don’t have to worry that manure will be scattered throughout the pigsty. In addition, the animals do not dig the floor, which also simplifies the life of their owner.

vietnamese pig unpretentious in content

One pen with a size of about 4.5 m 2 can accommodate two adult pigs, one sow with piglets or a boar. When planning internal device a pigsty between the machines, you need to leave a passage sufficient for the passage of a cart, with which it will be possible to remove manure. The ventilation system must be well organized in the room. The lack of fresh air and the cluttering of the pigsty will adversely affect the health of the animals.

Despite the fact that the breeding of Vietnamese bellied pigs is possible even at low temperatures, which they calmly endure, you still need to worry about heating the pigsty for the winter. For the sow and newborn piglets, the cold can be devastating. In order for the offspring to be healthy, grow well and recover, it needs a temperature of at least 20 degrees Celsius. Heating of the room can be carried out by gas convectors, a Russian stove, and other heating methods.

How to prepare walking for pigs?

Daily exposure to fresh air in warm weather provides pigs with strong immunity and good mood. Less sick and well put on weight regularly walking Vietnamese bellied pigs. Keeping exclusively in captivity will result in breeding weak and sick animals.

On a paddock site, if trees do not grow there, you need to dig a few logs into the ground. Pigs love to rub against them. A light canopy that protects animals from rain and the scorching sun will not interfere on the site.

Pigs of this breed, who are very fond of swimming in the mud, will be given great pleasure, a kind of pool. Its role can be played by a small depression in the ground measuring 2 by 2 meters. The pit must be periodically filled with fresh water. In such a pool, pigs can get rid of annoying insects, as well as cool off in hot summer weather.

Feeding Vietnamese pigs

Proper diet is the key not only to the growth of a healthy animal and a good weight gain, but also to obtaining high-quality lean meat, which distinguishes Vietnamese bellied pigs. Feeding animals depends on the special structure of their digestive system. A small stomach and a small intestinal diameter, the rapid movement of food through the digestive tract make the use of coarse feed undesirable. The standard treat of ordinary pigs, such as fodder beets, straw, for the Vietnamese breed will not bring any benefit. Well digested in the gastrointestinal tract of these pigs is the young hay of grasses of the legume family - alfalfa, clover.

A good option- compound feed prepared in the form of thick dense porridge. Such food lingers in the mouth for a long time; Vietnamese pigs chew it thoroughly. Feeding food of this consistency contributes to the release of a large amount of saliva, under the influence of which starch turns into sugar. This simplifies the process of digestion.

Feeding pigs is an important part of their content

In order for food to be assimilated as best as possible, preference should be given to ground grain. Whole grain feeds mostly pass through the pig's digestive tract unchanged, without being digested.

The basis of compound feed is barley and wheat. Oats, peas and corn are also added to it. The latter should not be more than 10%, since this cereal causes obesity in pigs. If you add too much corn to the feed, then it will be almost impossible to get tender bacon meat.

Vitamin supplements have a good effect on the health of pigs. Piglets can be given fish oil, eggs, milk, and vitamins are added to the bucket of feed for sows. In its raw form, so that vitamins do not break down, you can give animals zucchini, carrots, pumpkins. If vegetables are still cooked, they should be cooked immediately before feeding.

Farrow

The main condition for the appearance of healthy offspring is the absence of family ties between the sow and the boar. Otherwise, the appearance of piglets with deformities, weak and sick is possible. In the future, such animals gain weight very poorly, often they cannot have their own offspring.

The bellied Vietnamese pig reaches puberty by the age of 4 months, the boar - a little later. You can determine that you can start mating by the state of the pig. She becomes restless, the genital loop swells. When pressing on the croup, the animal freezes in one place. If all these signs are visible, the pig can be placed with a boar for one day. The first farrowing of Vietnamese pigs is about 5 piglets, then up to 20 animals are born, most often about 12.

The pregnancy of a pig lasts from 114 to 118 days. A few days before giving birth, the animal begins to worry, to equip the nest, carefully crushing the hay. If colostrum appeared from the nipples, then the appearance of piglets will occur within a day. For farrowing, you need to carefully prepare. In the machine you need to clean up well, leaving only hay and a bowl of clean water. Separately, you need to equip a corner for newborn piglets. It should be warm in this place, in the first hours of life the temperature will be about 30 degrees.

The first farrowing is about five piglets

If necessary, the airways of piglets are cleared of mucus, then placed in a prepared place to dry. It is important to ensure that in the first hour of its life each piglet receives required amount colostrum. It contains a large number of nutrients, which are very lacking in newborn offspring.

Piglets at first feed exclusively on milk, which meets their needs for almost all nutrients. The exception is iron. To prevent anemia in offspring, piglets can be given injections of special drugs.

On average, by 10 days of life, a piglet reaches a weight of 1 kg, by 20 days - 1.5-2 kg. By a month, a piglet with a birth weight of 400-450 g should weigh at least 2.5-3 kg.

For a good weight gain, week-old piglets can begin to introduce complementary foods. It can be chalk, charcoal, other substances containing calcium, phosphorus. 10 days after birth, animals are given clean water. Two-week-old piglets can begin to feed thick porridge. A month after giving birth, the amount of milk in the sow is reduced, by this time the babies should learn to chew food on their own. In the same period, it is necessary to begin the gradual weaning of piglets from the mother.

Summarizing

Breeding pigs of this breed is a promising investment. Vietnamese bellied pigs, whose adult price is about 8,000 rubles, are very unpretentious, do not require expensive feed and special care. The decisive factor for profitable breeding is right choice piglets, the cost of which is about 3000 rubles.

The meat of pigs of this breed is very tender and tasty. It appeared on the market recently, but has already earned the trust of consumers. The meat of medium-sized individuals weighing up to 40 kg has especially good taste, although carcasses weighing about 100 kg enter the market.

Vietnamese pig piglets

The meat of Vietnamese bellied pigs contains little cholesterol, retains most of the nutrients in any way. heat treatment.

In order for animals to grow well, gain weight and bring healthy offspring, you need to follow the recommendations for keeping and feeding animals. Then breeding pigs of this breed will become a really profitable business.

Among American and European livestock breeders, Vietnamese piglets gained fame only at the end of the last century. In Russia, this variety of domestic pigs appeared even later, but interest in unusual animals turned out to be huge.

How do Vietnamese fold-bellied piglets differ from traditional ones, and the dignity of animals of this breed? Compared to older breeds of domestic pigs, the capabilities and potential of these animals have not been fully explored, and breeders are working to improve the available material. But it is already clear that the four-legged natives of Vietnam have a great future.

Characteristic features of the Vietnamese fold-bellied piglets

Asian or, as is often said, Vietnamese pigs stand out:

• precocity;
• stable weight gain;
• unpretentiousness in the choice of food;
• undemanding content;
• cleanliness.

Calm females are considered caring mothers, while quite prolific. Puberty in males occurs at the age of six months, and in females a couple of months earlier. On average, pigs produce two offspring per year, each of which can have up to 18 piglets.

At home, Vietnamese piglets live in a humid subtropical and tropical climate, but this does not prevent the animals from successfully adapting to the more severe climate of the Russian middle zone.

Pigs have excellent immunity, they easily resist common diseases of domestic animals, and with good care, Vietnamese piglets in breeding are even more profitable than many breeds that have already proven themselves. This is facilitated by the fact that the animals are distinguished by a strong physique, which speaks of a meat orientation, and their meat is juicy, the amount of lard is small.

What do Vietnamese piglets look like?

Vietnamese bellied piglets have a very memorable appearance. Among characteristic features breeds:

• predominantly black color of animals;
• wide chest, powerful back and strong short legs, making pigs stocky;
• shortened structure of the muzzle;
• small erect ears.

The breed owes its name to another feature - the voluminous hanging bellies that appear in the growing Vietnamese piglets.

Such a “decoration” in an adult boar can practically reach the level of the soil, which, however, does not prevent the animals from maintaining mobility and enviable activity.

The funny appearance of young Vietnamese piglets, as in the photo, sometimes attracts the attention of lovers of decorative animals. But in this case, you need to remember that, despite the cleanliness, piglets remain representatives of their own species, and miniature pigs quickly turn into powerful animals. By puberty, animals reach a weight of 30–35 kg, and an adult breeding boar or sow weighs up to 150 kg.

For ease of care, when breeding Vietnamese piglets, animals are assigned a dry, warm, ventilated room. The floor in the pigsty must be flat, durable, suitable for repeated cleaning and disinfection. It is best if it is concreted. A boardwalk is made on top of such a coating.

Compared to other breeds, Asian pigs are quite small, so they do not require a lot of space to house. Machines are made taking into account the possibility of their daily cleaning.

How much to keep Vietnamese piglets on the farm is decided by the livestock breeder himself, but for a corral with an area of ​​4 to 5 square meters there should be:

• a pair of adult females;
• one male;
• one sow with offspring.

On winter period in places where Asian pigs are kept, heating is equipped, it is especially important to maintain heat when small piglets appear, whose immunity and protection from negative factors external environment depend only on the receipt of mother's milk and human care.

In the warm season, animals are provided with walking. The yard must be protected from the wind. In case of rain, reliable sheds are sure to be arranged, boards are stuffed at the height of the pigs, on which you can scratch your back, feeders and water containers are taken out.

Catering for breeding Vietnamese pigs

The novelty of the breed gives rise to a lot of not the most correct information regarding, among other things, the nutrition of animals. Sometimes it is advised to build the diet of Vietnamese piglets exclusively on green fodder. Indeed, the volume of the stomach and the peculiarities of the digestive system of pigs allows you to absorb a large amount of grass, but in this case you should not expect good gains and quality of meat. Greens will force animals to eat huge amounts of feed and produce a lot of waste, but the effectiveness of such a diet is low.

How to feed Vietnamese piglets at home? In household plots, the diet of piglets bred for meat is built on high-calorie grain mixtures with the inclusion of green plants, which is especially justified in the summer. Instead of the roughage that pigs usually get, such as straw or root crops, Vietnamese piglets are offered hay.

Grain feed mix based on cereals is made with an emphasis on barley and wheat. They are highly digestible and provide a bacon-type body weight gain. These cereals should account for up to 70% of the feed volume.

Indigestible grains, such as oats, peas and corn, are included in the feed at the rate of 10% of the total:

1. All types of grain are pre-crushed and poured with boiling water to obtain a nutritious wet mixture.
2. For 8–9 liters of water, half the volume of cereals and a small spoonful of salt should fall.
3. After 10-12 hours of steaming, the food is ready.
4. For greater effectiveness of the diet, vitamin preparations, digestive stimulants, fish oil are added to food.

For sows in anticipation of offspring and those already caring for piglets, the menu is made more diverse by adding fermented milk products, skim milk, chopped boiled eggs to the mixture.

Good results are obtained by feeding Vietnamese lop-bellied piglets with thick grain porridge. In winter, pre-harvested pumpkins and carrots are introduced into the diet. Animals love vitamin hay based on legumes, such as alfalfa, vetch, clover. Up to 15% of the feed, especially in the cold season, can be boiled

Breeding Vietnamese pigs

Self-breeding of Vietnamese pigs requires compliance with certain rules. For mating, females older than 4 months of age, who have gained weight more than 30 kg, and males from six months are selected. In this case, animals should not be closely related.

You can plant a boar to a pig when it shows signs of hunting:

• non-passing anxiety;
• swelling or discharge in the area of ​​the genital loop.

Vietnamese pigs, when bred at home, are released from the burden after 114-118 days after mating. A few days before the event, the pig warns about the upcoming farrowing by restless behavior, attempts to crush the litter and cost the nest.

If the breeder pays attention to appearance females, he will notice signs of lowering of the abdomen, clearly defined milk lobes and enlarged nipples, colostrum leakage.

A decisive role in the success of breeding Vietnamese piglets is played by the care of livestock from the first days of life. At the time of farrowing and for newly born piglets, the temperature in the corral is 30-32 ° C. Childbirth in pigs of the Asian breed lasts from 3 to 5 hours. When the entire offspring has been born, it is important to wait for the afterbirth to come out. Piglets are cleaned of mucus, dried, the umbilical cord is processed and placed next to the sow so that she can feed them with colostrum. The sooner this happens, the more likely it is that the animal will grow strong and strong.

A good help for a novice livestock breeder who is interested in this unpretentious breed will be a video about Vietnamese piglets, their cultivation and breeding in a homestead.

Self-breeding care for Vietnamese piglets

From the first hours of life and up to about a month old, Vietnamese piglets receive mother's milk. But if at first it is the only product on their menu, then from the tenth day the animals are offered the first feeding in the form of drinking water, chalk, crushed charcoal and clay. Mineral supplements are designed to improve digestion and have a beneficial effect on bone health and immunity.

You can not keep Vietnamese piglets for too long only on milk. Rapidly growing young animals begin to lack iron, calcium, other trace elements and nutrients. Long-term feeding may not have the best effect on the health of the sow.

Therefore, from the age of 20 days, sucklings are introduced into complementary foods with thick cereals based on the addition of vitamin complexes. To prevent anemia, piglets receive injections of specialized drugs.

From the age of one month, young animals are gradually weaned from milk, transferring the regimen and diet of feeding to adults. By this time, healthy active Vietnamese bellied piglets weigh more than 2.5–3.5 kg.

Breeding Vietnamese pigs is not only a way to quickly and without much hassle to provide a family with healthy meat, but also a profitable business. Piglets are ready for slaughter by 3-4 months, however, to obtain a larger mass, you can wait up to six months, when the peak of animal growth has passed.

Keeping Vietnamese piglets - video

Vietnamese piglets became widely known at the end of the 20th century. The potential of bellied animals is still not fully understood. IN different countries world, work is underway to improve the breed.

At the end of the last century, Vietnamese bellied pigs began to be bred in Canada and Eastern Europe. Vietnamese breeders brought the new kind piglets, as one of the varieties of herbivorous Asian breeds. They came to Russia from Eastern Europe.

The largest breeding centers for representatives of the breed are open and successfully operating at present in Hungary and Canada. Their breeders are working to improve the breed by increasing the muscle mass of animals and increasing their size. In Russia, the selection of bellied piglets is still poorly developed.

Description of the breed

When choosing animals of this breed for breeding, it must be taken into account that they are bred in a country that is located in a subtropical and tropical climate zone. They are characterized not only by high temperatures, but also by high humidity. The practice of breeding Vietnamese piglets in Russia has shown that they have perfectly adapted to the climate of the middle zone of the country.

Breed characteristics

Vietnamese bellied piglets differ from most breeds in significantly smaller sizes. Adult individuals reach a mass of 60-80 kg. This disadvantage is compensated for by such qualities as precocity and fertility. Puberty in Vietnamese piglets occurs at the age of 4 months. The knitting of the bellies begins to be done in the fifth month of their life. Every year, Vietnamese pigs bring offspring from 10 to 20 piglets.

Pigs have tender meat with a pleasant aroma. It is classified as a delicacy. This is a bacon pig breed. The layer of fat in adult animals has a thickness of 4-5 cm. It has meat layers, as befits real bacon. The advantage of the representatives of the breed is a stable weight gain.

Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

Advantages	Flaws
Animals are compact in size, clean, do not have a specific smell characteristic of pigs.	They do not tolerate drafts well.
Growing Vietnamese fold-bellied piglets brings a good income.	Poorly digest roughage.
Almost 80% of the animal's diet is green food. This reduces the cost of growing.	Sows are overprotective of their piglets.
Vaccinated animals rarely get sick. They have good immunity.
A pig produces 2 farrows per year.
Pigs are calm. They make too much noise and do not cause much trouble.

Appearance

Vietnamese piglets can be distinguished from other breeds of pigs not only by their small size, but also by their drooping belly. This feature is characteristic not only for adult animals, in which the saggy skin can touch the ground, but also for young piglets. The muzzle of the bellied is much shorter than that of representatives of other breeds. Looking at them, it seems that they were slightly crushed by a patch. With their skin folds on the face, Vietnamese piglets resemble pugs.

The body of the animals is planted on short strong legs. The limbs of animals have fleshy hams. The back of piglets is long and wide. They have the same wide chest. Boars have stiff and thick bristles. The ears of pigs are small and very neat. They do not sag, as in most breeds of pigs, but always stand erect. Purebred "Vietnamese" have a black color. Spontaneous selection has led to the fact that at present representatives of the breed can be found in any color.

How to choose piglets

When choosing young animals, it is necessary to pay special attention to their parents. From them they inherit genetic features. There are several rules for selecting piglets for conformation. When buying, pay attention to:

• temperament of animals;
• no specific odor;
• compliance with the standards of external signs;
• healthy look.

The "Vietnamese" have a very calm disposition. Excessive excitement in them can cause some diseases. When buying young animals for breeding, it is not recommended to choose piglets of the same litter.

When purchasing animals, one should be interested in the dynamics of their weight gain in 10 days. It is worth paying attention to the legs of the animal. Monthly piglets already have well-developed leg muscles. The coat of healthy animals is even, and the body is elastic. Piglets should always be dry under the tail. They wave it from side to side, demonstrating their good mood and well-being. Weak piglets come out of a large litter.

Video - Mistakes when buying young animals

Keeping and breeding

The compact size of animals does not require large areas for their maintenance. Pig pens are made with an area of ​​​​4-5 sq.m. A pair of sows or a sow with a brood is placed in it. The boar is kept separately.

Video - Breeding Vietnamese lop-bellied

Requirements for the premises

Heat is perfectly preserved in brick and cinder block rooms. They have a wooden floor. Small gaps are arranged between the boards. In winter, wooden troughs for drinking and feed are installed in the pigsty. Vietnamese bellied pigs never defecate near them. This greatly simplifies the process of maintaining cleanliness in the room.

To facilitate the process of cleaning the pigsty, special bends in the form of grooves are made in it. Under the roof, you can arrange a small attic for storing hay. The size of the window in the room cannot be made larger than the area of ​​​​the stall. In winter, additional lighting is arranged in the pigsty. In the summer, pigs need walking. To do this, next to the pigsty, a small paddock is enclosed with a net or a fence.

Features of feeding

The “Vietnamese” are fed 3 times a day in winter, and 2 times a day in summer. The feed of an adult pig should include:

• protein - 12%;
• fiber - 15%;
• fat - 2%.

The consumption and type of feed depends on the weight of the animal, the purpose of breeding and the season. With a piglet weighing from 35 to 50 kg, the daily feed intake should not be less than 250 grams. Underfeeding the animal leads to weakness of the pigs, and overfeeding to their obesity. In pigs of normal weight, the ribs can be felt, but they do not protrude from under the skin.

Of the grain crops, lightly roasted and ground oats are best suited for the “Vietnamese”. Pigs eat it with special pleasure. It greatly accelerates the growth of the animal. The stomach of Vietnamese pigs is poorly adapted to the digestion of roughage, so grain feed can only be given to them in ground or boiled form. You can replace oats in feeding with rye or wheat.

They feed the "Vietnamese" in small portions. They do this in order not to overfeed the animals. When obese, they produce a large amount of fat, which disrupts the work internal organs. During the period of expectation of the offspring, sows include fermented milk products and boiled eggs in the diet.

Feeding babies

On the 7-8th day of life, piglets can begin to give them a small amount of ground barley steamed with boiling water. From the 2nd week, the young begin to be fed with wheat porridge.

In the first days of life, they feed on mother's milk. During this period, they are given only warm water to drink every day. On the 5th day of life, cow's milk can be introduced into the diet of piglets. Before feeding it is diluted with water. It is good to add some sweet syrups to milk.

On the 7-8th day of life, piglets can begin to give a small amount of ground barley steamed with boiling water. From the 2nd week, the young begin to be fed with wheat porridge. Weaning them from mother's milk begins after they reach the age of 1 month. From this moment on, young animals begin to be given chopped fresh grass, fruits and vegetables.

At the age of 2 months, protein food in the diet of piglets should be 20%. After 4 months, this proportion increases to 40%. Together with herbs, vitamins are added to pig feed.

Prices for popular models of grain crushers, feed cutters, grass cutters

Grain crusher-forage cutter-grass cutter

Step-by-step instructions for preparing porridge for feeding piglets

Step 1.

For the preparation of porridge that is nutritious and healthy for piglets, barley groats and crushed corn are taken in a ratio of 2: 1.

Step 2

Drinking water is poured into a clean saucepan and brought to a boil, after which corn is poured into it, stirring constantly, and boiled over low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 3

After the corn is cooked, barley groats are added to it, everything is slightly salted and boiled, stirring the porridge, for another 10 minutes.

Step 4

Before feeding, the cooked food is cooled.

Prices for premix for pigs

Premix for pigs

Features of seasonal feeding

During the summer, the main share in general composition feeding is grass and vegetables. From the moment the grass begins to wither, rice flour brewed with boiling water is included in the diet of piglets. In winter, the amount of grain feed and compound feed is increased for animals. They are mixed with vegetables. It is good to include legumes and hay in the winter diet of feeding the “Vietnamese”.

Breeding

Home breeding of "Vietnamese" is a responsible matter. Females for mating begin to pick up after they are 4 months old. A mandatory selection criterion is weight. The pig should not weigh less than 30 kg. Boars for mating are chosen older than 6 months. The boar should always be older than the female. It is unacceptable to cross a pig and a boar, which are consanguineous.

The boar can be planted with the female when she shows signs of hunting. You can determine this condition in a mumps by not passing anxiety. During this period, she has swelling or discharge in the genital loop. In order for the mating to take place, the boar and the pig are placed in one pen for 1-2 days. You can determine the pregnancy of a female by a number of external signs:

• the pregnant female calms down and stops her sexual search;
• the pig becomes shy and actively begins to defend its territory;
• the female has a significant increase in body weight.

Pregnancy in Vietnamese bellied females lasts 114-118 days after mating. By the end of pregnancy, the pig resembles an inflated ball of elongated shape. During pregnancy, the pig must be given vitamins. It is best to add Kalfostonik to food, and Chiktonik to drink. It is strictly forbidden to water the pig while it is waiting for the offspring with cold water.

The proximity of the start of farrowing can be determined by outward signs. In sows, the belly sinks to the ground, colostrum secretions appear on the nipples. Shortly before farrowing, the sow begins to prepare a place for herself to give birth. With her heel, she shifts the bedding into a large pile. It is also necessary for a person to prepare for the survey in advance. The enclosure needs to be cleaned and disinfected. Clean dry straw is laid on the floor.

The farrowing of sows must take place under human control. Before it starts, it is necessary to prepare clean rags and burlap for wiping newborn piglets. They are used for heating infrared lamps. In addition, you will need:

• scissors;
• iodine and "Oxytopin";
• several buckets of warm water.

The air temperature in the room where farrowing takes place should be at least 30 degrees Celsius. Sometimes sows can give birth to dead piglets. You can try to revive them. For this, a piglet's heart massage is done. At farrowing lasting more than 7 hours, the sow is given an injection to stimulate uterine contractions.

Sow care after farrowing

After giving birth, the sow loses her weight and strength. During this period, she needs enhanced feeding. Premixes can be included in his diet. They contain essential nutrients. A deficiency in the body of an animal leads to the development of iron deficiency anemia in it. Daily sow teats are treated with wound healing emulsions.

Care of newborn piglets

On the third day after birth, piglets are given injections of preparations containing iron. They are a good prevention of iron deficiency anemia. Babies are fed every 20-40 minutes. The degree of survival of piglets depends on the quality of nutrition in the first days after birth. It is very important to ensure that the kids do not starve.

Weight of Vietnamese bellied pig and meat prices

Piglets gain slaughter weight by 4 months. During this period, the "Vietnamese" weigh 30-35 kg. They begin a rapid set of muscle mass. The yield of gourmet meat is up to 80%. This is 15-20% more than in pigs of other breeds. The taste of the meat of the bellied piglets is intermediate between pork and turkey. A thin layer of fat has a marble structure.

After 4 months, the growth of piglets noticeably slows down. Weight gain occurs due to the accumulation of fat, so it makes sense to keep further piglets only for further breeding. By 6 months, the weight of piglets reaches 50-60 kg. In large farms industrial slaughter of "Vietnamese" is done at 7-8 months. Their weight by this age reaches 70-80 kg.

Fat lovers fatten piglets up to 10 months. Their weight by this period reaches 80-90 kg. The maximum weight that pigs reach with a long-term content is 100-110 kg, and boars 120 kg. Buy the meat of Vietnamese lop-bellied piglets in retail can be from 200 to 300 rubles per 1 kg.

More and more breeds of pigs are now being bred for industrial purposes. One of them is Vietnamese piglets. Reviews about them are very good, because they have many positive qualities, for example, they grow quickly and gain weight, and they also have good fertility. About this breed, about caring for piglets, about what farmers liked them for, read the article.

History of appearance

The Vietnamese bellied pig, which is otherwise called the Asian herbivore, first appeared in Southeast Asia. Only in the year 85 of the last century, it was brought to other continents from Vietnam. That is why she received such a name, although it is more correct to say: Asian bellied pig.

Initially, the breed was recognized only in Canada and the United States of America. Only after a while, farmers from European countries started breeding Vietnamese pigs. Only after this breed was recognized in Europe, it came to our country.

In Russia, the Vietnamese bellied pig appeared relatively recently, but it immediately gained popularity among domestic farmers. Currently, it is increasingly bred in our country.

Description

Vietnamese bellied piglets, the characteristics of which are given in this article, are not very large animals. Their height at the withers is no more than half a meter. They weigh from five to seven dozen kilograms. However, according to American standards, boars and boars can weigh even 90 kilograms. Despite the fact that these pigs are herbivores, the fangs of males reach a length of 10 or 15 centimeters.

Concerning appearance, then pigs of this breed are very funny. They have short legs and a wide body. The stomach hangs, and it is very pronounced (hence the name). Their ears are small and erect.

Most often, bellied Vietnamese piglets, reviews of which demonstrate their excellent commercial qualities, are black in color. However, this does not exclude other color combinations. The bristles can be silvery, white and even red. Sometimes several colors are mixed on the bristles at once, and this is the norm.

One of the features that can accurately determine this breed, is an elongated bristle along the ridge, which in appearance resembles a kind of mohawk.

Health

Asian pigs have some health characteristics that must be considered before breeding these animals. Note that their immunity is very good. They are almost immune to various diseases.

The disease that most often affects these animals is helminth infection. However, this can be avoided if hygiene is observed in the places where they are bred, and if preventive measures where the Vietnamese lop-bellied piglets live. They don't really need any vaccinations. At least in large quantities. Deworming should be carried out regularly not only to protect the pigs, but also to protect yourself, since the helminths of piglets can be very dangerous for humans.

Another problem is the reaction of the body of piglets to drafts. Small pigs are sensitive to strong gusts of wind, which can cause them to suffer from colds.

Nutrition

According to reviews, representatives of the Vietnamese breed are very picky about food. They don't take anything that comes their way into their mouths. Piglets tend not to taste poisonous plants and strange or spoiled foods. However, you should watch what pigs eat, because the wrong diet can lead to weight gain and an increase in the layer of fat.

Feeding bellied Vietnamese piglets, as experts advise, should be done twice a day in the summer. If they graze and have free access to fresh grass, then it is enough to simply feed the animals with grains, vegetables and fruits. Vietnamese piglets are fed three times a day in winter. Top dressing during this period is represented by beets, pumpkins and carrots.

Products

What to feed the bellied Vietnamese pigs? Since they are herbivores, you should regularly give them grass. It is the basis of their diet. In winter, it is replaced with hay. You also need to add apples, zucchini and pears to your food. They contribute to the full development of animals.

In total, the proportion of fruits and plants in the diet of lop-eared pigs ranges from 50 to 70%. The rest is cereals such as wheat, rye and barley. Corn, according to experts, is a product that can lead to obesity, so it should not be given to piglets in large quantities.

In winter, fresh grass is replaced with hay. It is best to harvest it from clover, sweet clover or alfalfa. These plants are very tender and juicy, so they are easily digested by pigs. Dry hay and straw are contraindicated for them.

Another option is cereal porridge. It is very useful for small piglets. Top dressing in winter is vegetables that should be given raw. The absence of heat treatment will preserve all the vitamins. 10 days a month, fish oil should be added to the feed in the proportion of two tablespoons per bucket.

As numerous reviews say, bellied Vietnamese pigs eat and feed. With it, you can quickly fatten pigs. It can be purchased at ready-made, and cook yourself. In the mixtures that are sold in stores, all the ingredients are in the optimal ratio, which ensures a balanced diet. If the food is cooked at home, then you need to know how many ingredients are added to it.

The share of barley in compound feed is 40%, wheat - 30%, peas, corn and oats - 10% each. However, compound feed allows you to quickly gain weight, so you need to carefully monitor the nutrition of piglets in order to prevent their obesity.

To grow a pig, whose meat will be used for the preparation of bacon and other products of this kind, according to the advice of experts, you need to feed it with compound feed from barley, oats, peas, corn and wheat, combining all this with fresh herbs and vegetables. This will allow growing an individual weighing as much as a hundred kilograms already 4-5 months after her birth.

It is known that Asian pigs easily adapt to the Russian climate. They are unpretentious in content. However, it is important to know some points that will help to properly equip the pigsty and prevent any problems.

Here pig farmers advise the following:

• The content of Vietnamese fold-bellied piglets is to create a pigsty that is comfortable for them. This means that it is necessary to allocate a room with stone or brick walls for them, to concrete the floors in it. Then you need to make a covering of wooden flooring or a thick layer of straw in the area where the piglets will live. And in the place where they will relieve themselves, hold low tides and provide free access for the cart for manure removal to the “toilet”.

• It is important to ensure the availability of a spare room, because sometimes it becomes necessary to separate some individuals from each other. For example, a sow with newborn pigs should be in a different pen, and not where the rest of the Vietnamese bellied piglets live.

How many individuals to keep in one pen does not matter. Since representatives of this breed are quite friendly and sociable, you can arrange them in twos.

Activity

Judging by the reviews, Asian pigs should move as much and as often as possible. This is necessary so that they do not gain excess weight. A sedentary lifestyle will cause the layer of fat to increase. Therefore, it is necessary to provide them with a platform for walking. It should be located near the pigsty.

Within this area, a medium-sized hole should be dug and filled with water. Mud baths will help the pigs cool off during the hot season and keep insects away. It is necessary to provide a tree or log on which the piglets could scratch their sides, as well as their backs.

reproduction

The sow's pregnancy lasts for three months, three weeks and three days. There are only five to ten piglets in the first litter, but the next time there can be up to 20.

Vietnamese bellied piglets, whose newborn weight is no more than half a kilogram, are growing rapidly.

Before farrowing, it is necessary to prepare a warm and draft-free place. By the behavior of the pig, you can understand when her birth comes. She worries, in some cases refuses to eat, collects hay in a pile and prepares a nest from it.

The birth of a Vietnamese sow lasts for three and a half hours. It is important that at this moment the owner is nearby. As soon as they are born, piglets need to get colostrum. You need to give it within an hour, because piglets are born with a very small supply of nutrients.

Breeding

Raising Asian pigs is not a very difficult task if you know how it is done. Piglets reach puberty at the age of four months, which means they are ready to breed. True, there is one caveat - on the advice of experts, by the time of mating, the pig should weigh at least 30, or even 35 kg. So it's better to wait a couple of months and mate at the age of six months.

Breeding Vietnamese piglets is carried out with two goals. One of them is getting pigs for meat. In this case, they are knitted at an early age, and there are no special requirements. However, there is a second option - breeding.

To get a strong, strong offspring, you need to make the first mating at the age of eight, or even ten months. The fact is that by this moment the bellied pig not only grows, but also matures. Her mammary glands are fully developed, which means that it becomes much easier for her to feed offspring.

Castration of Vietnamese bellied piglets is carried out in the first one and a half to two months of life.

Raising offspring

Vietnamese bellied pigs are excellent mothers, according to their owners. They take great care of their offspring and try to feed every piglet. However, they do not always have enough nipples for everyone, so small pigs are fed from ordinary baby bottles regularly, every hour and a half. Both cow's and goat's milk are suitable for these purposes. However, they cannot be taught to feed from a bottle with a nipple, and feeding should be added already in the second week of life. Be sure to put drinking water where the piglets are - they need to drink regularly.

How to feed newborn vislobelly? As pig farmers advise, ordinary grass, as well as hay, is suitable for these purposes. You can lightly toast corn, wheat, or barley grains. In this state, the grain acquires a sweetish aftertaste and is liked by animals. There is another plus of such food - piglets are accustomed to solid foods, and their gums are massaged.

Porridge is an essential food that little Vietnamese lop-bellied piglets should eat. The diet of these animals includes cereals from oats and barley. First they are cooked with milk, and then with skim milk. The older the piglet gets, the more feeding it should consume. The amount of milk, on the contrary, must be reduced.

Weaning offspring from the female should be done at the age of 2.5-3 months. If you continue to feed piglets with sow's milk, this can adversely affect their health. Immediately after weaning, you need to start selecting feed. The proportion of protein in them should be at least 20%, fat - from five to six, fiber - only three. By the age of 4 months, the protein content should be increased to 30 or 40%. It all depends on the size and development of the piglet.

Since some pigs are raised for lard, others for meat, and still others for offspring, it is necessary to draw up a diet for each. This will achieve the desired results. But in any case, there are foods that all piglets should consume. These are compound feeds consisting of bran, oats, corn and barley, root crops and other vegetables, as well as grass.

Judging by the reviews, piglets should in no case be supercooled, as they can get sick. Therefore, every effort must be made to keep the temperature environment was over 25 degrees.

Differences from other breeds

Looking at the pigs about which in question in this article, it is impossible not to notice that they are very different from their other brethren. However, this is not only about appearance. The breed of Vietnamese fold-bellied piglets is smart and calm. What else are the differences? First of all, in character. Their disposition is very accommodating, they do not make noise for no reason. Their attitude towards offspring is also quite different. The sow never eats her piglets, and also feeds the offspring without any problems.

Another difference is cleanliness. Vietnamese piglets and pigs clearly separate the living area and the place where they need to relieve themselves in the pigsty. They are very easy to train to go to the toilet in certain place. They grasp this information just as quickly as cats. In addition, the suffocating smell that comes from an ordinary pigsty never appears where Vietnamese piglets live.

Advantages over other breeds

There are a number of advantages that bellied Vietnamese pigs have. Reviews about them, as a rule, contain the following information:

• Pigs have innate immunity, which is why their survival rate is much higher than that of other breeds.
• The female is prolific. On average, she brings about 12 piglets at a time, but sometimes their number can increase to almost two dozen. The Vietnamese pig gives birth twice a year.
• Asian piglets grow faster, their reproductive activity begins at four months of age.

• The meat of Vietnamese bellied pigs, unlike the meat of their counterparts, contains several times less cholesterol. It is more juicy and tender, suitable for people who suffer from heart disease. In addition, it can become one of the dishes on the diet table.
• The meat of Asian pigs is about 70-80% of the weight of the entire carcass. This means that an individual weighing 100 kilograms can produce at least 70 kg of meat. Impressive figures, isn't it?

How to choose a Vietnamese pig?

In order not to be deceived when buying a Vietnamese pig, you need to follow the advice of experts. This will allow you to select the healthiest pigs, as well as save yourself from further problems in breeding them:

• It is necessary to examine each pig in the litter and select the most developed individuals in physical terms. It must be strong, knocked down. Their limbs are most often widely spaced.
• The head is wide, the pug has a specific bend of the nasal bones, which makes the piglet look like a pug. The bristles of the pig are even and smooth, the eyes are shining, the pig is very active and cheerful, she has a good appetite.
• It is also necessary to examine the piglet along with his sow. In a month, he weighs about three and a half kilograms, and the female feeding him looks emaciated, her milk lobes are sagging. If this is not the case, then either the piglet is older or it is not its sow.

However, it is not enough to know what to do when choosing a piglet. You need to know what not to do:

• Buy two piglets (female and male) from one litter. This can lead not only to diseases of their offspring, but also to degeneration.
• If there is only one boar on the farm, then the probability of inbreeding increases to almost one hundred percent. It is better not to buy a pig from such a farm.

After the choice is made, it is important to find out what he was fed on the farm. It is impossible to change the diet abruptly, because the animal may feel bad.

Raising Asian pigs for business purposes

Black Vietnamese piglets, as well as other varieties of Asian pigs, are fast-growing animals whose meat is highly valued. No wonder they are bred for business purposes. However, having decided to engage in such activities, it is necessary to study the rules of the pig market.

Firstly, the weight of individuals that are planned to be sold must reach more than one hundred kilograms. Smaller animals are nearly impossible to test for any disease, so bulk buyers won't take the risk. At the same time, carcasses weighing up to 50 kg contain more meat and, accordingly, less fat.

Since Vietnamese piglets have delicious meat, from which bacon, all kinds of cuts and barbecue are prepared, they can be sold in stores natural products. If the farm contains not only pigs, but also birds and, in addition, grows vegetables, then it is possible to open your own business.

Interestingly, the maintenance and care of Vietnamese lop-bellied piglets fully pay off one year after the start of sales of individual individuals or their meat. So this, judging by the reviews, is a very profitable business.