The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: cuckoo on February 04, 2011, 12:11:44 pm

Title: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: cuckoo on February 04, 2011, 12:11:44 pm

Hi,

Just after some advice -  I have 2 OSB gilts age 10 and 6 months. They get fed pellets.  I have recently come accross a source of free waste veg and gleefully collected some - mostly cabbages.  The pigs are not eating them. The veg is not mouldly or going off - it is just surpluss.  Do other people have problems feeding veg? The only thing I can think is that they are just used to eating pellets.  However, they do eat pony carrots readily - but they will be sweet I suppose.  I have for the last day or given them reduced rations in the hope they will eat the veg - but obviously I cant keep oing this if they wont eat the greens.

Any advice gratefefully recieved



Thanks

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: Fowgill Farm on February 04, 2011, 12:35:13 pm

I have some pigs who just don't like greens even when i shred them very thinly and mix with carrot or sugar beet, they nose out the greens or eat round them. Its very frustrating especially if you get them for free!!
Some greens can be quite bitter so my best advice would be to shred them and offer little at a time with their pellets.
HTH

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: shep53 on February 04, 2011, 12:45:58 pm

Feed all kinds of fruit and veg but the piglets learn to eat from mothers,i think your right they dont know what the vegs are depends how much you want them to eat them if hungry enough they should try. You could try choping the vegs very small and mix with the pellets or with carrots

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: Eve on February 04, 2011, 06:43:11 pm

I had some pigs that hated sprouts (spat them back out) and were picky about the rest of the cabbage family. The next lot hated peppers. ::)
If you keep on trying and they keep on rejecting it, they're just cabbage-haters  ;)

Do they eat any other fruit or vegetables?

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: Helencus on February 04, 2011, 07:20:52 pm

Mine just don't eat greens unless you cook them. Most don't I think.

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: ambriel on February 04, 2011, 07:33:47 pm

Ours love sprouts but won't eat the stalks. They'll also kill for carrots.

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: Anke on February 04, 2011, 07:54:49 pm

Our weaners this summer didn't like peppers either... but ate most other greens.

Title: Re: Pigs not eating veg
Post by: cuckoo on February 05, 2011, 07:17:30 am

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.  I have not tried shredding / cuttting up the veg - I will do so and mix it with their pellets.  They love carrots and also have eaten waste veg from our veg patch such as beet roots and spinach and carrot stems.

Am getting a small trailer of carrots today as well.

At least the rabbits now have plenty of greens even if the pigs dont eat them!