Determining appropriate husbandry methods and energy levels for Co Binh Thuan sows
The study was conducted to determine the appropriate husbandry methods and energy levels for Co Binh Thuan sows at the Binh Thang experimental farm. A total of 30 gilts of pure Co Binh Thuan breeds aged 120 days were used to evaluate their reproductive ability, and 30 sows were randomly divided into 2 groups: in the treatment group: pigs were kept completely, cages with brick or cement floor with an area of 3.0 m2/ head. In the control group: pigs are raised in a house with brick or cement floor with an area of 2.5 m2/ head and a backyark on an area of 2.0 - 3.0 m2/head. The experiment to determine suitable energy levels was carried out on 27 Co Binh Thuan pigs with varying metabolizable energy levels of 2850, 2950, and 3050 kcal during pregnancy, and 2900, 3000, and 3100 kcal during the lactation period. The results showed that the comletly keep led to a delayed onset of estrus compared to the keep in the house with the backyark, with a difference of 4.53 days. The age at first mating was also delayed by 6.87 days. Similarly, the age at first farrowing in the keep in the house with the backyard was 8.23 days earlier than in the confinement method (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in first mating weight or conception rate between the two methods (P>0.05). For some reproductive parparameter the most indicators were higher in the the keep with the backyark method, particularly the number of live-born piglets and the number of weaned piglets per litter (P<0.01). The results for determining the appropriate energy level showed that a level of 2950 kcal during pregnancy and 3050 kcal during lactation yielded the best reproductive performance. In conclusion, the study suggests that Co Binh Thuan pigs are well-suited to the keep in the house with the backyark method and perform best with a dietary energy level of 2950 kcal during pregnancy and 3050 kcal during lactation.
