The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: County Dangler on August 20, 2013, 02:10:35 pm
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How viable is it to grow the most part of your pigs fodder?
I am looking at getting a couple of wieners to fatten up this coming spring and the resarch i have done suggests that a large part of the cost is feed. I have plenty of room to grow fruit and veg but there must be a good reason why many don't grow there own? i understand that there has to be a change in diet come fattening time and was thinking i could make the protein part up with perhaps fish?
Is it worth the hassle of growing your own fodder and if so what should i be looking at growing?
cheers
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its worth looking at, you can grow fruit and beg which means you will get extra tasty pork.
The feed is expensive, but this last time i fed my pigs on a 'general mix' from the feed mill. This is generally fed to cattle but the pigs seemed to like it and mixed with a good amount of fruit and veg the pork has turned out fantastic!!
The cost of pig nuts in my area is about £8 per 25KG sack...the general mix worked out at half that.
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It's a good idea to grow fruit and veg and give the waste / spare to the pigs - they'll love it and you'll taste it in the meat :yum:
But in terms of growing and,mixing the entire ration yourself... You would need to look into the legality of using fishmeal as protein. You would also need a license for mixing your own feed.
Alternative protein sources include milk, peas, soya.
If you haven't seen it already, have a look at Prof Sandra Edwards' document on raw materials for feeding pigs. You can download it from the BPA here (http://www.britishpigs.org/feeds.htm)
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laziness is the reason we never grew much for them! as we have to garden by hand.
if we had a little harrow, tractor etc then i would love to grow an acre of tatties, greens, neeps etc for them.
simples
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Fruit and veg is a tasty addition but you wont fatten weaners on them alone. As I say a tasty addition to a weaners diet but the majority of their food will still have to be grain based.