Author Topic: Feeding your pig (Read 10128 times)

pigsatlesrues · « **on:** November 29, 2007, 06:43:26 am »

Just a little tip to those like myself who have been discarding odd veg because the pigs wont eat it.

Ours will not eat parships or anything oniony like leeks. They can pick over a pile of mixed food and leave those, which considering the size of their mouths is amazing.

A little tip from my friend is to blanch the veg for a few minutes - just pop into the drained water of say the spuds, or just pour boiling water on them and leave standing.

It seems to work every time!

Kate

carl · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2007, 08:56:35 am »

apparentley pigs don't like raw parsnips because they have little hairs on the surface which are a bit stingy. also spuds have to be cooked and the peelings. so recycling the spud water and putting all your excess veg and peelings in to blanch for a while is a great idea. a sort of piggy veg soup.

AMunro · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2007, 10:50:08 pm »

Hello everyone!

OK, I'm a bit confused. Everything I've read (my book still hasn't arrived yet though!) tells me I should feed my pigs 1lb of feed per month of age up to 6lbs. My weaners are 2 months old which means I should be giving them a total of 4lbs a day (between them obviously). This seems like an awful lot of food - is this correct? If I'm feeding them vegetable scraps & fruit as well, should this be included in the weight? Apples weigh a lot more than pellets and surely an apple's weight shouldn't substitute the same weight of pellets? I don't want to overfeed them, but I don't want to starve them either!

Please help!

Alex aka The Virgin Porker
x

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2007, 08:07:24 am »

Actually at 2 months and in this weather they will need at least a kilo a day each, plus veggies, its not cost effective not to feed really well whilst they are this young, once they get to 4 months cut back to 2 kilos a day, plus veggies in winter, as weather improves feed a ratio of 4 parts vegetable replaces one part nuts, but always give a minimum of a kilo a day, bulking the food with as much veg, fruit, nuts and even a little bread. If they have plenty of room to run around like Kate, you will get well grown meaty pigs with a decent but not excessive amount of fat.

To conclude at this weight, having not long left mum and in this cold weather, providing they have access to outside feed them really well. If they appear to be a bit too fat, cut back a little. Its more a case of feeding by eye than the book. Its like children, some get more exercise, some eat masses and never put on weight, etc.

Its all a learning curve, a lot depends on where they are if its freezing, windy, etc. and on the protein level of the feedstuff. Dont worry, they will thrive.

HOpe the weather is better with you, we are dragging around bidons full of hot water 4 times a day just to allow them to drink, have doubled the feed intake and doubled the straw in their arcs (which they still eat).

pigsatlesrues · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2007, 08:56:49 am »

I totally agree with Hilarysmum - in this weather no book is gospel. They need to be bulked up and each individual pig will be different. When the warmer weather comes it will all balance out but in the meantime just look after them your way and make sure they are happy and warm with a balanced diet of what ever mix works for you.

Ours are also driving us mad at the moment eating their straw! We spent all afternoon yesterday getting around to all of them to make sure they were tucked up, and I see this morning it all needs to be topped up again. They are little tinkers!!

The big freeze is a nightmare with the stand pipes and we are also boiling the water and carrying around buckets to thaw it down. I don't know what is worse, walking around in sinking mud, or walking around in the frozen mud that is now all pitted with ours and their feet. It is cleaner but oh so painful!

Kate

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2007, 06:15:31 pm »

Ours dont just eat it, they pee on it as well. Then they complain because its wet. You just have to l ove them.

Rosemary · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2007, 06:29:18 pm »

Do any of you know how to condition score pigs? I CS my horse and should keep him at about CS3 (ha, some hope). I shoudl do the sheep to and I think there is something on the SEERAD site on this but I wouldn't know how to do a pig...

Petunia · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2007, 06:16:00 pm »

Hello Alex.
have your books arrived yet ? If not and you are still confused, there is a very good article on feeding pigs, written by Simon Long. He has been a pig stockman for in excess 25 years and knows more than most.
You can find Simons article, dare I say it, at www.pigsinfrance.com.

Good luck Janette.

AMunro · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2007, 08:29:07 pm »

Thanks Janette (& everyone else of course!) for your replies - I'll have a good read of that article tonight. My books still haven't arrived - bloody Amazon! I suppose Christmas might be to blame too.... I've just posted another day on my blog & I mention that the little 'uns seem to sleep a lot. Is this normal? Is it just because it's quite dark & cold & basically they're young? I'm not overly concerned, as when they're up & about, they're absolutely fine, but I just assumed they'd be scoffing their little faces all day if there was food lying around & they don't seem to be....

Do I need to worry?

Alex
x

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #9 on:** December 22, 2007, 07:50:48 am »

Alex that was my first worry with my first pigs, how much they slept. Its been so cold here even the most rumbustious pig keeps to his arc except at feed times. Yesterday was a little warmer they all appeared for a short time. Its back to below freezing today, back to dragging hot water for drinks, and warm food. Roll on summer, then its just dragging water cos they drink so much.