Author Topic: Will pigs eat leeks?  (Read 7334 times)

Azzdodd

  • Joined Apr 2012
Will pigs eat leeks?
« on: December 08, 2015, 10:22:43 am »
I have been offered basically an unlimited supply of leeks for the pigs I can't seem to find anything on the web about pigs eating them? I don't mind cooking them I have big metal barrels an often boil spuds up in them with some barley

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Will pigs eat leeks?
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2015, 10:38:04 am »
Not raw they won't - they don't like any members of the onion family.  I don't know about cooked - you could try them with a bit before giving your answer.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Will pigs eat leeks?
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2015, 11:58:18 am »
We have a supply of all sorts of fruit and veg from a friendly wholesaler. There are a few things most pigs won't eat though some pigs will eat stuff others won't. We've had pigs that will eat onions, leeks etc but most won't. A strange one is mushrooms. You'd think a pig would recognise a mushroom as food but most don't in my experience. Most fruit is good but they generally don't like citrus or peppers.
I'd suggest giving them some leeks and nothing else one morning when they're hungry. They can be taught to eat things if they're hungry enough. It might work.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Will pigs eat leeks?
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2015, 12:26:59 pm »
My GOS are very happy to eat leeks.  I think the idea of giving them some when they're hungry is a good one. Like all foods I'd introduce a small amount at first.  I personally wouldn't give a mature pig more than three large leeks a day as their nutritional value isn't that great.  I'd give just a handful to growers and none at all to weaners.

IretonsFarm

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Will pigs eat leeks?
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2015, 10:45:58 am »
I get fruit and veg from a local shop so they see everything you can think of and apart from onions, lemons, and orange peel they eat everything.

Even spring onions, its just the round normal onions they don't touch.

 

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