[sausagesandcash]

My two Tamworth weaners (9weeks old) wont eat any of the grain I give them (rolled barley, Rolled oats), I have even tried giving them distillers and they wont touch it either. The will eat apples, Potatoes and old bread. They are in last years vegetable garden and are rooting it up to beat the band, they seem to be eating the roots, but are ignoring the turnips, brussel sprouts etc. Should i be concerned as they seem very happy? They appear to have eaten pig nuts from the last breeder, are they just making the transition from indoors to outdoors?

Morgan 

[gavo]

Morgan,

If you have a garden shredder (clean) shred the veg with it and mix in the grain. Ours won't eat turnips or potatoes but they do once it's all been shredded and mixed.

Cheers

Gavin

[DavidnChris]

So, am I right in thinking that you are giving them grain that has been used to make beer?
This is something I was wondering if I could do when I get two Saddlebacks in about 2 weeks time when the farm comes off standstill.

[sausagesandcash]

Re: Distillers found this article on-line  http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/ , apparently distillers can  be used as a dietary suppliment. Distillers "can be included
at up to 30% of the diet of growing pigs without detrimentally affecting growth
performance".

Gavin is there any chance I could bring up some turnips and potatoes on Saturday and shred them in your machine? I'd like to see if it works before having the financial outlay...especially if it doesn't work for mine. If you don't mind i'd really appreciate it.

Morgan   

[Hilarysmum]

Morgan have you tried mixing a handful of propriatary pig nuts in with the grain, just until they get used to the change of diet

[doganjo]

I know its different species but i would always change diets gradually in dogs.

[sausagesandcash]

I'm going to try both, god willing, shredded veg...and pig nuts and grain. Thanks for the advice. What about making up some sort of porridge...would that be more appealing?

Morgan 

[Hilarysmum]

Never yet met a pig that did not love porridge

[sausagesandcash]

That's just what I was hoping to hear! Now if I can convince my good lady wife to give me a big pot!
 

[DavidnChris]

Re: Distillers found this article on-line  http://www.ddgs.umn.edu/ , apparently distillers can  be used as a dietary suppliment. Distillers "can be included
at up to 30% of the diet of growing pigs without detrimentally affecting growth
performance".

WHOOOOSH !  thats the sound of the above article going straight over my head.
Can anybody put it in simple terms?

[rustyme]

yeah... if they will eat it ? feed it them    ....I looked at the web site link ... I heard the same WHOOOOOSH you did..... ....I do feel a bit fick at times...... On a serious note though , I used to look after pigs on a farm , and the farmer used to get distillers grains/mash and feed it to the pigs , they loved it . They still had other food too . No bagged food , just stuff grown on the farm . Mind you I swear they got pi....er drunk sometimes !!!!

cheers


Russ

[sausagesandcash]

I'm not pig farming long enough to explain it right, I assume it can make up 1/3 of their feed to sort of pad it out, without affecting their growth...but i'm open to correction. I should ask my father in law...he delights in telling me when i'm wrong. (in-law...more like outlaw!)

Morgan 

[Hilarysmum]

Ideally they should have at least 1 kilo of pig nuts a day, plus all the other stuff which makes up the other 160 grammes of protein.  Pig nuts can be substituted for grain although I think it is necessary to know the protein content of whatever you are feeding them.  They also need all the vitamins and trace elements, a lot of which they will get from the soil or from other feeds.  Not being very up in nutrition not explaining this too well. 

[sausagesandcash]

significantly better then me, though!

Morgan  (smiling again!)

[Hilarysmum]

Thanks Morgan, thats extremely kind