[DavidnChris]

2 pigs a million questions.
My pigs came with a bag of feed which they've now eaten, I've just been and paid £9 for a bag. This is in fact a one off because I'm getting feed from the chap I had the pigs from at £5.50 but can't get that 'til next week, I digresse, (sp?)
They tell me pig feed is expensive because they have to make it in a separate mill from the cattle and sheep feed and it has to be stored so many feet from the other feeds because of cross contamination.
What the hell are they putting in it if this is the case?
Does anybody know anything more on this?

[carl]

I have to say I am unaware of anything like that. I buy my feed direct from a feedmill and it is only ever stocked on the same rack as other feeds. next to sheep and horse feed. £5.50 seems a good price, is it for 25kg bags?
p.s. my wheelbarrows are cheap when I havn't got any.

[Hilarysmum]

No idea why, pig food does contain a lot of copper dont think its that.  I did hear that the EU commission were thinking of allowing animal products to be used again in pig feed.  The day I find it in mine I will mix my own.

[DavidnChris]

Thanks for your reply Carl, yep these are full size bags and the .50p bit goes to the chap who I had the pigs off so his are even cheaper at £5.00
The £9 bags of which I had one to see me through to when I pick the others up are in fact the most expensive I came across. My new found 'friend' is in a co op and they get all their feed through that for sheep and pigs. I thought I was being a bit cheeky asking him if I could get mine through him but he was only too happy. He's added .50p on to cover him fetching them which I'm only too happy to pay.
I've done a search on the net and found this re storage of pig feeds.
The distribution of oxytetracycline hydrochloride in two batches of 4,000 kg of pig-rearing pellets (400 ppm) was studied. The stability of oxytetracycline in this feed was also determined. The concentration of oxytetracycline in the feed was determined by high pressure liquid chromatography. The premix contained more oxytetracycline (27 per cent) than the proportion stated. The results show that the first 1,000 kg of feed contained less (350 mg/kg) oxytetracycline than the other 7,000 kg (435 mg/kg). After producing 8,000 kg of feed with oxytetracycline, 4,000 kg of feed not containing oxytetracycline was produced. Still, this feed was found to contain 13 mg/kg of oxytetracycline. When the feed was stored for 150 days at a temperature of from 1 to 2 degrees C and again for 270 days at 20 to 25 degrees C, it contained 86.5 per cent of the oxytetracycline present after production of the feed.

There goes that WHOOSH sound again as something goes completely over my head.
I think this may be down to the supplier trying to justify an expensive product.

[MrRee]

Oxytetracycline is a product of the metabolism of Streptomyces rimosus and is one of the family of tetracycline antibiotics.
Oxytetracycline diffuses readily through the placenta into the fetal circulation, into the pleural fluid and, under some circumstances, into the cerebrospinal fluid. It appears to be concentrated in the hepatic system and excreted in the bile, so that it appears in the feces, as well as in the urine, in a biologically active form.

So they're adding anti-biotics to pig food now? Is this to benefit the pigs or to inhibit the growth of bacteria whilst the food is being stored? Don't think I'd want to eat the liver or kidneys of any animal raised on that stuff...... Ree

[sausagesandcash]

Has anyone else considered seaweed preparations. I was looking at seaweed for animals:
"1. The animals levels of both immunity and
disease resistance are increased.
2. The high levels of Iodine can help reduce
the risk of Thyroid/Pituitary/Adrenal
conditions
3. Iodine can also act as an antibiotic killing
germs.
4. The seaweed also contains a broad
spectrum of naturally occurring Minerals
and Trace elements in addition to Amino
Acid Vitamins and growth factors.
"
Seems like a healthy, cost efficient way to give a little helping hand, the natural way. If you need more info on it let me know.

All the pig pellets for sale locally (in Ireland) are made with GM ingredients, thus my reluctance to use them, and my willingness to go to the extra hastle of making my own feed.

Morgan 

[carl]

i remember the schooldinner delivery van driver taking away vats of slop to feed his pigs. i suppose people used whatever came in handy to bulk up a pig. would you have to treat seaweed to make it suitable for pigs. being about as far away as it could be possible from the sea it would be difficult for me to try. i did consider picking loads of acorns, but i was not sure if they needed any milling or anything.

[Hilarysmum]

Carl pigs love acorns, they love all the nuts available from British trees.  In the autumn I scour the hedgerows for blackberries.  They will eat some wild mushrooms, but are very selective.

[sausagesandcash]

 ...I should probably have mentioned that the seaweed is a commercial, dried preparation, marketed as an animal feed supplement. I'm not just dragging it in fram the beach and trying to feed it to the pigs .... seeing as I live in the Irish lake District .... this might cause some logistical problems. Also, i'd hate for anyone to think that i'm experimenting with any 'ol craperoo. I'm just doing a lot of research into what's the most benificial for my animals.

Morgan 

[sausagesandcash]

Can improve growth rates in lambs
Increase wool production in sheep
Increase milk yields in cows, sheep and goats
Pigs put on less fat and more meat, and do not feel the cold so much!
Chickens breed better and grow fat and fast if have 5% seaweed in their diet, especially if yeast is added as well
Defence
Benifits of seaweed preperations....

"Can reduce intestinal parasites in pigs
Can reduce incidence of mastitis in cows
Reduce loss of lambs to white muscle disease
Seaweed fed to horses reduces the incidence of inflammation in tendons and nerve sheaths and prevents cracked hooves (Left this in for you Hillarysmum)
Mineral and iodine deficiencies in animals can be remedied by feeding seaweed

Gives higher iodine levels in eggs and milk
Gives brighter coloured egg yolks
Gives healthy hooves and coats in horses
Increases fertility"

All in all sounds rather good, methinks!

Morgan 

[DavidnChris]

Going back to my original bit just briefly, the £5.50 bags are 20kg and the £9 ones are 25kg. even so it's a hefty difference in price.
Thanks Mr. Ree for your explanation, I found the quote at random really from the net, I couldn't say if oxy thingies are generally in animal feed.
I've said for a long time, when things go t*ts up in farming because of something in the feed the farmer gets blamed, it should of course be the feed manufacturer who carries the can because "how the heck are we supposed to know".
Ultimately I suppose government should bear responsibility.
I remember that van for school dinner, I sent a lot of rhubarb and swede, hope the pigs liked it because I certainly didn't.

[carl]

I have just done some phoning round, and have reduced my pig grower nuts from £7.15 per 25kg to £5.90, from a local mill, if I take any 10 bags mixed . Goldthorpes in Penistone. ( yes, a funny name, I have to drive through dungworth, thurgoland and cheesebottom to get there). It was one of those moments when a local farmer decides to let you in on a bit of knowledge. " I've noticed you have feed bags from argo, have you tried goldthorpes, same town ,same family, better prices.". at these new prices I can almost justify a few more additions.

[sausagesandcash]

Carl, Would you let me know what ingredients are in their bags, and whether any are GM....Please.

Morgan 

[carl]

sure thing, I will check this out before buying. last supplier was natural, ie non gm.I would hope this new one is similar. the price of there corns is much less also, and in bigger sacks. Hope it's not too good to be true

[sausagesandcash]

Fingers crossed for u!

Morgan