The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Tala Orchard on January 09, 2015, 11:08:26 am
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It may have been asked before, do pigs eat silage as a supplement along with rolls as grass is getting scarce?
Noticed how they are pushing under fence to get at fresh grass.
Thanks for any comments.
Phill
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They will eat a very little, but IME they chew most up and spit it out again :-\
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They will eat a very little, but IME they chew most up and spit it out again :-\
I fed pigs with a bit of silage along with their feed, they loved it and ate the whole lot. As a permanent feed well am not sure ???
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mine used to love it but yes they spat most out.
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I remember Blinkers on here saying she gave her pigs a bit of haylage in the winter as an extra. They had it anyway, and would give some to the pigs.
Beth
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As my pigs have turn the lot over.....I bought a big bale waste of money tbh they just stood on it cows liked it though
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I've offered my pigs hay and haylage and had it turned down even in the worst weather. Barley straw is eaten in moderation.
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My OSB and her Saddleback x daughter would eat just a little hay in the depths of winter. All pigs seem to love straw at any time, snuffling to get the grains and using the remainder for bedding. I've never offered silage or haylage, it hadn't occurred to me that they might eat it!
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Our Kunekune eat hay and haylage, they love it! (but are primarily grazers) haven't tried silage though.
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Pigs need roughage and between 14-17% easily assimilated protein in their feed.
Silage has been used and DEFRA have/had articles on this.
We have access to silage but instead feed our LB's sprouted barley. Weight for weight the same amounts as with pelleted pig feeds.
We sprinkle with diatomous earth 10g per kg body weight.
The water trough has rusty iron in it.
Sprouted barley requires a few grow bag trays, barley seeds we get from a local farmer as part of a barter but costs £90-116 a ton and yields six to seven times that amount in fodder. Feed on fourth day when shoots 4" long.
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Pigs need roughage and between 14-17% easily assimilated protein in their feed.
Silage has been used and DEFRA have/had articles on this.
We have access to silage but instead feed our LB's sprouted barley. Weight for weight the same amounts as with pelleted pig feeds.
We sprinkle with diatomous earth 10g per kg body weight.
The water trough has rusty iron in it.
Sprouted barley requires a few grow bag trays, barley seeds we get from a local farmer as part of a barter but costs £90-116 a ton and yields six to seven times that amount in fodder. Feed on fourth day when shoots 4" long.
Waterside, I'm interested to know how long you've been using this feed regime and if it has any adverse effects? (sorry, I'm really nosey!) what age/weight are your finished pigs and how are they for fat? Do you give any vitamin or minerals other than the DE? And lastly (sorry :-[) How are your litter sizes and piglet mortality rates?
I'm always on the lookout for sustainable alternatives to bought in feed so am genuinely interested to know.
Thanks :wave:
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Our pigs like haylage , we bed them up outside with old round bales it's cheaper than straw and they stand eating it quite happily