If there is no foster-sow, rejected and orphaned piglets can be hand-reared using the following milk mixture: 2.5 litres of fresh cow’s milk, 150ml fresh cream, 125ml glucose, one beaten egg.
Hand-rearing piglets is tiresome and there is no guarantee of good performance, most especially when they don’t get access to colostrum after birth.
Therefore, introducing safe creep feeds like barbstar as early as five days may help you recover the piglets.
Vaccinate against pneumonia in the first days after birth and against porcine circovirus three weeks later.
The two vaccines are currently available in Uganda.
Provide creep feed at seven days. Keep the creep feed out of sow’s reach and maintain proper hygiene. Provide fresh creep feed every day.
Wean piglets at three to four weeks when fed with a weaner creep feed during suckling. Delay weaning for up to six weeks in case creep feed is unavailable.
Introduce starter formula feed either using the pig 5% or 25% concentrate from or until weaning. Continue feeding starter feed until 12 weeks of age.
Feeds can be got from reputable livestock feed companies.
