Glucose is the lowest-cost and most reliable health-support ingredient on pig farms.
But 90% of pig farmers use it indiscriminately, add it without proper guidance, or observe restrictions incorrectly: either it has no effect or it causes even more problems.
Today, we’ve put together a no-nonsense, fully practical glucose guide for pig farming that you can follow directly. It corrects all the misconceptions and provides precise dosages throughout. We recommend saving it!
The first rule of pig farming
Feed only feed-grade/food-grade glucose. Industrial glucose must never be fed to pigs; excessive heavy metals can damage the liver and kidneys!
I. Liver protection and detoxification: Address tear stains, dead skin, and suboptimal health in sows
Glucose does not directly detoxify, but it can quickly replenish liver glycogen, protect the liver, and reduce the metabolic burden of toxins. Suitable for pig groups with long-term medication use, high levels of mold in feed, severe tear stains, or dull skin and excessive dead skin.
Precision solution
Add glucose 20kg (3%–5%) per ton of feed + mix Fuzheng Jiedu San into the feed
Discontinue use for 7–10 consecutive days
Key point: It cannot replace a mycotoxin binder! Glucose is only used for liver and kidney repair and conditioning in the later stage; mycotoxin prevention and control still relies on mycotoxin binders and raw material quality control.
Two. Appetite stimulation: specifically addresses feed refusal, low body temperature, and postpartum loss of appetite
Pigs may eat less or stop eating altogether due to low body temperature, illness, postpartum weakness, or the bitter taste of medicated feed. Glucose quickly raises blood sugar and stimulates appetite.
Precise solution
Feed mixing: 2%–5% for short-term feed mixing; stop as soon as feed intake recovers.
Drinking water: concentration not exceeding 5% (high concentrations can cause osmotic diarrhea)
Three. Increase sow productivity: provide short-term enhanced feeding for thin sows to promote more ovulations and more piglets
Suitable only for: sows that have lost weight after weaning, and replacement gilts
Not suitable: obese sows (the more they are fed, the less likely they are to come into heat; increased risk of difficult farrowing)
Golden window (key focus)
After weaning—before breeding 3–7 days
Per head per day: 100–200 g of glucose, fed in two portions
Effect: Better follicle development, more ovulation, and a higher breeding rate
Correcting the biggest misconception on the entire internet
There’s no need to deliberately avoid sugar after mating!
The online claim that “feeding sugar after mating prevents implantation” is a rumor.
The actual principle: During the implantation period, control the overall feed intake and avoid suddenly feeding high-energy feed.
If the pig has a low temperature and won't eat after mating, a small amount of sugar water may help save it. There is no need to panic.
Four. Farrowing-room emergency care: saving weak piglets + piglet diarrhea and dehydration
1, emergency treatment for hypoglycemia in weak piglets
Newborn piglets are pale, undersized, weak, and unable to suckle
Standard procedure: administer 5% glucose 10–20 ml orally in small, repeated doses
(For extremely weak piglets, 10% may be used temporarily. Never give a large amount all at once, as it can easily cause diarrhea.)
2, universal oral rehydration salts for dehydrated piglets
1000 ml water + glucose 20 g + salt 3.5 g + baking soda 2.5 g + potassium chloride 1.5 g
For diarrhea and dehydration only; stop as soon as the condition improves. Do not use long-term as health water.
3, health care during lactation
A small amount of sugar water promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reduces indigestion and diarrhea.
Five. Stress resistance: maintaining herd stability during relocation, cooling, and seasonal changes
Large temperature differences, regrouping, transportation, and seasonal changes can easily lead to reduced feed intake, fever, stress, and illness.
Minimalist health care
Add 0.5%–1% glucose to the drinking water and use for 2–3 days
Stabilize the flock at low cost and reduce sporadic cases.
Six. Reconditioning weak and stunted pigs (do not use fattening agents on finishing pigs)
For underweight, recovering, or poorly growing weak pigs, use thin feed + a small amount of glucose.
Rapidly improve palatability, restore feed intake, and restore body condition.
Important contraindications
Adding sugar to fattening pigs over the long term is prohibited!
It will only increase fat thickness, lower the lean meat percentage, and raise the feed-to-meat ratio, making it counterproductive.
Seven. Improve medication mixing: mask the taste of medicine so pigs will willingly take it.
Tilmicosin and enrofloxacin are extremely bitter; when mixed into feed, they cause feed refusal and render the medication ineffective.
Method: Mix glucose in with the dry ingredients to perfectly mask the taste.
Key incompatibilities
amoxicillin, penicillin
Do not soak in sugar water for a long time! Mix fresh and use immediately. It will become ineffective if left for a long time in an acidic environment. Mixing the dry powder into feed has no effect.
Eight. Supports recovery from foot-and-mouth disease and reduces the number of stunted pigs.
The sick pig cannot stand up or eat, and is physically exhausted.
Plan: glucose in drinking water + amoxicillin
Note: Amoxicillin only prevents secondary infections; it does not treat viruses. Glucose supplements energy, promotes wound healing, shortens the course of illness, and reduces the number of runt pigs remaining.
Pig Farming Glucose · Ultimate Quick-Reference Checklist (Save This)
Liver-protective conditioning: mix into feed at 3%–5% for 7–10 days
Appetite stimulation: mix into feed at 2%–5% / add to drinking water at 5%
Sow productivity increase: weaning 3–7 days, 100–200 g/head
Weak piglet emergency care: administer small amounts of 5% glucose orally at frequent intervals
Diarrhea and dehydration: standard oral rehydration salts; stop once improved
Anti-stress: 0.5%–1% in drinking water, 2–3 days
Mixing with medication to mask the odor: mix in dry powder; prepare penicillin drinking water fresh and use immediately.
4 major taboos every pig farmer should remember
1, do not buy industrial glucose
2, do not add it at high doses over a long period
3, fattening pigs do not need sugar to promote weight gain, and overweight sows do not need sugar to induce estrus
4, summer sweet soups spoil easily, so the water must be changed frequently
Making money from pig farming depends on these low-cost tips!
Use glucose correctly to reduce illness, use less medication, and earn more.