[holz306]

...more questions from me!  What do you feed your new weaners - i got my Boyfriends father to pick up some pig feed for me when he was in town, in preperation for the piglet collection on saturday....  He got Harbro's Weaner pellets - £11.10 per bag....is this the right thing to give them, and when would they go on to a growers ration?  The piggies range from 5-9weeks old, depending on which ones we choose.   

[robert waddell]

£444 per ton they will need to do well on this feed              5 weeks is to small to get them  ideally they need to be at least 8 weeks old and separated from mother before collection
8 weeks they will be eating there mothers food at 5 weeks they will just be able to feed on nuts
i take it they are 22% protein in small pellet form
we just feed them sow nuts/rolls saves a lot of faffing about and the small pellets get lost and tramped into the ground

[holz306]

So really i should take the bag of feed back, and get a bag of sow nuts instead, and only go for older weaners from his collection?  Having only spoken to him on the phone, he said he had at least 30 to choose from, and that was the age range he gave (if they look too young or small, i definately won't take them!)....i just wasn't sure if they could go straight on to sow nuts when i got them? 

[holz306]

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/mvf/info/smallholders/Pig_Feed

in the bit in this link about the feed guide - is this accurate?  ie, one porker would eat 100kgs?

[Berkshire Boy]

more than that. If you say 4lb a day thats 28lb a week and you will have them for about 18 weeks thats 504lb which is 229 kg. Pigs eat a lot and cost a lot to feed.

[robert waddell]

pigs do eat a lot    they just dont fatten on fresh air
you want them finnishing in the shortest time costing you the least

[HappyHippy]

I would say that 5 weeks old is way too young to be away from mum 
As others have said, to get off to a flying start in life they really need to be with mum til around 8 weeks and then seperate for a good few days before they leave to make sure they're eating, drinking and developing normally - my weaners don't usually leave here til 10 weeks old.
I'd take a bag of whatever the breeder is feeding, and gradually swap them onto whatever you're going to feed - this will reduce the chance of scour or problems coming from a suden change of diet.
I'd expect each weaner to eat around 250Kg of food from weaning to finishing (except Kunekunes) and by the time you add in bedding, slaughter & butchery fee's and any 'incidentals' you're likely to be looking at a cost of roundabout £250 per pig.
HTH
Karen

[Bionic]

Berkshire Boy,

unless I am mistaken it doesn't come to 540lb as they don't eat 4lb a day all the time. 

I thought it was about 1.5lb at 8 weeks and 2.5lb at 12 weeks etc..

Can someone confirm I am correct as I pick up my weaners in 2 weeks time and don't want to starve them.

Sally

[Fowgill Farm]

For Gods sake people get a grip, if you're going to get piglets get a good pig manual and read the bloody thing!
A pound of feed per month of age so at 8wks they need 2lb, 3lb at 12wks, 4lb at 16wks and so on upto 6lb but you may find the max too much depending on breed and stay at around 5lb particularly if they're getting extras by way of fruit and veg.
Simples
Start them on a grower at 8wks then gradullly mix in sow/weaner nuts as they grow, don't take pigs at 5wks or i'll bray your lugs!
Mandy

[Berkshire Boy]

Hi BIonic
I was only working on an average, on average they will eat about 4lb a day over their life.

If you're not careful Mandy you will blow a gasket. I must agree with you though, there are too many basic questions on here that show people do no research before they buy pigs.
The forum is a wonderful thing but people must read up on what is involved before hand and not come running on here after the event. How many times do you see - I picked up my weaners this morning what should I feed them or whatever.

[holz306]

Good god mandy, calm down - i posted the link because i was sure it was incorrect and wanted someone in the know to clarify, thats all!!  Everyone on here has been great saying how much they give them etc - and i'm aware they eat a lot.  My question was what to feed at what stage, i have to buy my feed before collecting the pigs as the store shuts at 12am on saturdays -  basically, do i put them onto a weaner feed or a grower feed to start with, that was all!!  whilst its all very good to read a manual, you can't beat getting first hand knowledge from experienced people!   

[holz306]

p.s -  i promise i won't take any 5week old weaners....and i'll keep you updated on what i get, and whats available there.

[Fowgill Farm]

Good to hear Holz, sorry bit grumpy been up all night with poorly 5wks old piglet, found her outside comatose and blue yesterday after i finished work and in all that cold & rain we had, spent nearly 3hrs in vets warming her thro and rehydrating and then all night with her in my lap on the settee much to dog's and OH's disgust/depsair. She much better this morning think mum had flung her out the feed trough into wall and knocked stuffing out of her.
mandy 

[Bionic]

Just to add I have two pig manuals, Haynes and Getting Started in Pig Keeping - both read cover to cover. I have also been on a pig keeping course.  All of this done BEFORE I get my weaners.

The books give conflicting information on how much to feed and when Berkshire Boy came up with yet a different amount I queried it.

Sally

[Fowgill Farm]

Good Sally glad to hear you've been doing your homework.
I think the confusion arises when some books give kilos and some give pounds. 2.2lb=1kg and work on different ages. I base 1 month = 4wks regardless and ork in pounds and so on. Minly coz i'm a grumpy auld mare
HTh
Mandy