Author Topic: feeding pigs organically as cheap as possible (Read 3502 times)

farmers wife · « **on:** August 14, 2015, 10:01:52 pm »

What are the ways to feed x6 pigs - with grains - perhaps process them ourselves. Ive got grower from
Hi-peak at £8.14 per bag but the workings out on this is considerable to get these to December.

Has anyone recommendations on organic feeds which I can buy in less than 1t bags that I can mix myself that can work out considerably less than the £8 per 20kg?

Ive got orders for half an organic pig but at this cost £200 is going to be the price which people are going to drop out.

In in SE Wales can collect if viable.

heyhay1984 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2015, 12:18:39 am »

I don't know about mixing your own as I just feed bagged stuff for ease, though I must say I think I've read it wrong at £200 a half?! Sounds an awful lot!

We don't feed growers, all ours get normal Massey Breedsure which are sow nuts (I think, the other product is called turbo grow and we definitely don't want that!), no more than 1.5kg a day each topped up with pony carrots and whatever else they root up and what people bring in from their gardens and/or a share of the browse that's cut for the goats. The two we've got at the minute seem to enjoy hay whereas others have enjoyed a slice of straw each a couple of times a week. This is how we feed any rare breed pigs that we have, we have had pink commercial pigs once before which were fed growers pellets and got to 80kg by the age of 4 months which I found staggering!

oaklandspigs · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2015, 08:31:48 am »

many people do their own mix, but you will struggle to do this cheaper than bought feed.

Logically if you can buy small quantities of organic ingredients, transport locally, mix yourself using farm equipment for X, then the feed companies would simply be doing what you're doing and match your price.

But they can buy large quantities at much less than you can but small quantities, can transport using economies of scale that you can't match, mix using professional equipment that would be cheaper per ton than you, bag and transport the result through distributers, take a profit themselves and still come out much cheaper than many home mixes.

Not saying that it can't be done, but organic pigs are expensive and £200 a side for organic is quite good. prices for organic pork are £10-£17 a kg through the net (eg http://www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk/dept/eversfield-organic-pork-meat-boxes-online-uk-delivery_d0111.htm )

heyhay1984 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2015, 11:12:06 am »

Well you live and learn, I've never looked at organic as there's no way it would be do-able in our context, looks
like it must be very difficult to execute with those sorts of costs associated with it.

farmers wife · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2015, 06:15:21 pm »

Thanks Oaklands - it is the problem when you want less than 2t of feed. I agree whether the logistics would work out less by the time I sourced the food, transport then mixed it. The hi-peak is excellent price but concerned that the feed costs will push the finished pigs into a higher bracket. If I was feeding one pig for my own consumption then I wouldnt really care but seeing we have x6 for sale then its a bigger concern. If I could get hold of food waste that ok but hardly going to get organic food waste.

IretonsFarm · « **Reply #5 on:** August 25, 2015, 10:35:27 am »

We use Breedsure Nuts from Massey Feeds and if you buy direct (they have a couple of cash and carry outlets) it is £6.98 for a 25kg bag (£279.20 per t) or £120.50 in 500kg bags (£241 per t). There minimum delivery is 1t and I think they may still charge a little at that but still a lot cheaper than you're currently paying.