The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: oink on August 10, 2011, 10:34:16 am
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Hello everyone,
I'm along way off as I planted 6 M25 rootstock cider apple trees 2 years ago. I figure I probably have another few years to wait until I start making my own cider but when I do will I be able to feed the left over pulp to the pigs. I was thinking I'd squeeze the apples for the cider then freeze the pulp in the freezer. By feeding it to the pigs they would be freeing up space in the freezer that they would eventually take up. The circle of life!
I already give my pigs quite a lot of apples that I get from neighbours and they absolutely love them but I'd guess with the juice squeezed out they'd be less nutritious? Or would they be more nutritious per lb as they've had the water squeezed out? Also, I'm assuming the pulp wouldn't ferment as it's frozen? Anybody have any experience of this?
Don't worry, I've got plenty of time to research elsewhere but if anybody on this forum does it already your experience would be most welcome.
Cheers
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We feed ours the pulp we get from a small-scale commercial producer. It's still fairly nutritious, but obviously low on protein. The adult pigs get about 1/3 of their feed as apple pulp, but the young ones and the lactating sows about 1/5 - 1/4. You have to make sure it's not started to ferment, though.