[MooMoo]

Hi

I fatten 3 weaners every other year and have decided this year to grow as much of their food as possible myself. I have a vary large veg plot that can give them extras and I know I will have to give them some pignuts. I would like to look in to growing mangolds and betrave (sorry I dont know the english for that, but they look like giant beetroot cross swedes). I live in France, and it is the norm to give pigs out here rolled oats and milk, but this has worked out expensive for me in the past. Can anyone give me any advice. I want them to eat well, but for me to produce as much as possible.

thanks

manda

[tomandbarbara]

Hello,

I was recently looking in to doing thae same thing a few weeks ago, I came across this site that sells old seeds.

The victorians used to feed a vegetable called mangold wurzel to pigs, its a member of the beet family and grows quite large.

Hope its helpfull.


http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/index.html

[sausagesandcash]

I have three weaners in half of a substantial veg garden we planted last year. I took some veg and then let it grow wild....within a week they had decimated it, so I hope your planting to pick and add to feed  The only veg the are unable to eat directly, due I assume to their young age is turnip, so I cut it into small pieces and they're happy enough. I'm soon to let them loose on the other half of the garden which has carrots, parsnips, some small swede and brussel sprouts...i'll let you know how long they take to clear that.

i did read somewhere that you should feed as normal for their age with pig nuts, and not count any veg you add...the more experienced might disagree. You can also add distillers at 1/3 of normal feed to pad it out a bit, you might make a slight saving by doing that. Hope this helps.

 

[gavo]

Hello All,

As a rule of thumb always treat fruit & veg as 1/4 the nutritional value of pig meal. Make sure to up their feed during the winter months (for outdoor stock). Our adults would go from 6lbs to 8lbs of pig meal a day during the winter.

Cheers

Gavin

[Hilarysmum]

Sausage and cash, perhaps dig up the parsnips first, as they are known to produce blisters in the mouths of pigs when eaten.  It may cause someone to think F&M.  Anyway best avoided if you can.  HM

[sausagesandcash]

Another little job for Saturday morning! 

[Hilarysmum]

sorry 

[sausagesandcash]

Dear, dear, dear.....not for me.....for my gaggle of little helpers! lol. It's better than the x-box, they just love getting their little hands dirty!

Morgan 

[carl]

I now have a mental image of smurfs digging up a veg plot

[sausagesandcash]

oompa loompas! 

[Hilarysmum]

Moo moo I think beterave (sorry cant spell it) are beetroot, beterave rouge are definitely the salad type beetroot.  The ones we sow are for animals and they do grow.  You could also try jerusalem artichokes.  I am sure I read on here somewhere that they can be planted for pigs.

[chickens]

Hi moo moo

Betterave fouragère is what we planted last year and we feed it to cows, pigs, sheep and goats but the pigs still need more protein - would jerusalem artichokes work because farine d'orge is so expensive;

[sausagesandcash]

Just had a look at the ingredients of weaner nuts in the local co-op...a lot of the ingredients are GM! It has pretty much what i'm feeding them anyway so I think i'll continue as is but I need to give more protein. Anyone heard of eggs being used before? I've only heard of unhatched incubated eggs being (scientific studies show that "swine are unique in their ability to digest raw egg albumin"). Any ideas? As I want to get as close to perfect with the diet as I can without having to resort to Gm foods.


The pigs are currently getting rolled oats + barley, beet pulp, distillers, assorted veg, stale bread soaked in milk and apples. They seem very happy with what they're getting, but any constructive criticism would be appreciated.

 

[brimaston]

You could always try growing kale - marrow stem is probably the best variety - and fold the pigs onto them or just cut the kale and feed it ad lib. Sow at about 2kg seed per acre. Jerusalem artichoke is also very beneficial and a splendid looking crop.

JB

[chickens]

Hi

So if I grown betterave fouragère (mangels), kale marrow stemmed, jerusalem artichokes could I cut out the oats (farine d'orge) that is costing me so much as I am seriously thinking I may have to give up with the pigs, but they are so lovely I don't want to, it just the cost 

thanks for advice