CATDOLL : How to buy gilts correctly: a comprehensive guide

In modern pig farming, purchasing high-quality replacement gilts is a key step to ensure successful farming. The selection of replacement gilts not only affects reproductive capacity, but is also directly related to the quality of piglets and the economic benefits of farming. Therefore, knowing how to correctly purchase replacement gilts is a skill that every farmer must master. This article will detail the precautions, selection criteria, and common misunderstandings for purchasing replacement gilts to help you make a more informed decision.

1. Clarify goals and needs

Before purchasing a replacement gilt, you first need to clarify your own breeding goals and needs. This includes the following aspects:

• Breeding scale : Determine the number of reserve sows based on your own breeding scale and economic strength.
• Variety selection : Choose a variety that suits your breeding environment and market demand.
• Reproduction cycle : According to the production plan, arrange the appropriate purchase time to ensure that the reserve sows can enter breeding in time.

2. Choose the right purchasing channel

There are mainly the following channels for purchasing replacement sows:

• Breeding farm : Purchasing gilts from a regular breeding farm can usually guarantee the purity of the breed and health status.
• Professional markets : Regularly held farmers' markets or livestock trading markets often allow you to purchase suitable gilts at relatively low prices.
• Online transactions : Using the Internet platform, you can easily find sales information from all over the country, but you need to choose carefully to ensure the quality of the pigs you purchase.

3. Selection criteria for replacement sows

After determining the purchase channel, the next thing to pay attention to is the selection criteria for replacement sows. The following are several important considerations:

• Health status : The health of the reserve sows is the primary consideration. Their body shape, coat color, mental state, etc. should be carefully observed to exclude sick pigs.
• Body proportion : Choose sows with good skeleton and well-proportioned body. Such pigs usually have stronger reproductive ability.
• Genetic characteristics : Understand the parents of the selected sows and their breeding records, and select individuals with excellent genetic performance.
• Reproductive history : If conditions permit, the reproductive history of the sow can be understood to determine its future reproductive potential.

4. Importance of Field Trips

When purchasing replacement sows, try to choose on-site inspections, which will not only help you better understand the actual condition of the sows, but also help you evaluate the reputation and management level of the farmers. When inspecting, you can pay attention to the following points:

• Breeding environment : Check the farm’s sanitary conditions, ventilation, water sources, and feed quality, etc.
• Feeding and management : Ask about feeding and management related information, including vaccination, feeding methods, etc.
• Farm certificate : Ensure that the farm has relevant business licenses and breeding pig certification.

5. Price factors and negotiation skills

When purchasing replacement gilts, price is not only an important factor, but there are many more factors to consider:

• Market conditions : Understand the current market conditions for gilts in order to make reasonable price judgments.
• Quality and price ratio : The lowest price is not necessarily the best choice. Quality and price should be considered comprehensively.
• Negotiation skills : bargain at the right time, propose a reasonable price, and try to reach a reasonable consensus between the two parties.

6. Management and breeding after purchase

After successfully purchasing the replacement sows, scientific management and breeding are equally important. Here are some management tips:

• Adaptive adjustment : Allow newly purchased sows an adaptation period to gradually adapt to the new environment and feeding system.
• Health monitoring : Regularly check the health of sows to identify and address problems in a timely manner.
• Nutritional feeding : Scientifically arrange feed to ensure that gilts receive adequate nutrition to enhance their reproductive potential.

7. Common Misunderstandings to Avoid

When purchasing replacement gilts, there are some common misunderstandings that need to be avoided to avoid negative impacts on breeding:

• Pursuing low prices : Low prices are often accompanied by hidden dangers, so don’t just look at the price when purchasing.
• Ignoring genetic factors : Genetic traits have a great impact on the reproductive capacity of gilts and cannot be ignored.
• Blindly follow the trend : Don’t blindly follow the trend because of market hot spots or other people’s choices. Make decisions based on your actual situation.

In summary, purchasing gilts is a meticulous and complex task that requires comprehensive consideration and decision-making of many factors. I hope that after reading this article, you will be more comfortable in the process of selecting and purchasing gilts, thereby improving breeding efficiency and economic benefits. Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope it will be helpful to you!