Author Topic: Help - Which & where pig nuts ? (Read 3690 times)

CarolW · « **on:** June 03, 2012, 09:27:01 am »

Help please !We collected our 2 piglets yesterday they are 11 weeks old and are settling in really well already.
Can someone please help with what we should be feeding them on. We bought a bag of Sow & weaner slim nuts which is what they've been fed on.
Should we be changing to a different feed, if so what and where can we buy pig nuts which aren't the
fast growing ones ?
I've been googling for a few days and looked back quite a few months on here to see if there was any info but I couldnt find anything
.
thank you

arl · « **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2012, 09:32:10 am »

Contact a local feed supplier and ask for sow nuts thats what i feed my osb"s and they grow and finish fine on them
Cheers
Arl

CarolW · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2012, 09:42:56 am »

Thank you, I'll google now

Berkshire Boy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2012, 09:48:51 am »

Don't take this the wrong way but don't you think you should have thought about this before you got the pigs.

robert waddell · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2012, 10:08:02 am »

i would be critical as well but i read the post again
what brand/breed of pigs is it you have bought
what is the percentage of protein that they were getting fed on and what is the protein level of the feed you have bought
why are you not wanting them to be fast growing
and what housing /area of ground is available to them

CarolW · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:20:33 pm »

I realise my request may have sounded like we hadnt put much thought in, but we have. I got a touch of the colly wobbles when someone (who'd never kept pigs before questioned their feed -it's Sow & Weaner slim nuts -which is what they're used to)

We had been on a pig keeping course a little while ago so I also contacted them to check if the nuts they were on when we bought them were fine to continue and they are,the protein is 18%.
They are GOS/Middle Whites.
They are in a field 17x17 metres, at the moment it's still grass !

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2012, 02:07:41 pm »

Carol
put them on 16% sow nuts if you wnat them to grow slower which if they are GOS/MW they will need as they tend to put down fat. Farmway, Thompsons of York etc keep them.
HTH
mandy

CarolW · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2012, 08:06:39 pm »

Hi Mandy,
Thats a great help thank you I really appreciate it
Carol

Beewyched · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2012, 09:55:31 pm »

Hi Carol

I agree with Mandy's recommendation - if you're raising for meat, go with the lower protein. BUT change them over slowly from the feed they've been used to to avoid upset tummies. I would advise to keep them on their original food for a few days, then gradually change over by introducing the new feed over about a week to 10 days.