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Author Topic: Feeding sugar beet to pigs  (Read 16975 times)

sweet_lfa

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Pembs
Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« on: August 19, 2012, 04:34:17 pm »
I have about 1/4 sack of sugar beet shreds going spare (I worked out it was making my horse even more mental than usual, but that is a different story! :relief:), so I thought I would feed it to the kunekunes.  Can anyone tell me if I need to soak it first, or can I feed it to them as it is?  Thanks.
1 x WB horse, 1 x Sec A pony, 2 x Kunekunes, 3 x Embden geese, 2 x Fawn Chinese Geese, 4 x Dexter Cows, 1 x Springer Spaniel, 1 x Jack Russell, 1 x Light Sussex, 1 x Wellsummer, 2 x Pekins, 3 x ex-batt hens, 1 x pet boyfriend

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2012, 04:58:07 pm »
I think I would soak it first otherwise if one is a bit faster and greedier than the others and eats too much it will swell inside her and may cause problems :(

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2012, 05:25:49 pm »
Yes, definately soak it  ;)
They'll love it ! Just introduce it gradually and not too much or they will get pretty fat  :innocent: ;D
Mine had fresh sugar beet first and used to pick up entire roots and run of squeeling in delight (Rora even used to hide behind the arc to eat her's in peace  ::)) they'll eat the soaked stuff too though  :thumbsup:

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2012, 05:58:34 pm »
I always soak sugar beet, although I find 12 hours' soaking to be enough for cattle and pigs (it stresses on the bag that it must be soaked for 24 hours for horses.)
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: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2012, 10:46:13 pm »
You don't need to soak shreds or pellets for pigs. Don't think there's much nutrition in them but I've used them before to eke out expensive pig feed when I'd got the sugar beet cheap. I wouldn't feed them too much of it or for a long period though.

omnipeasant

  • Joined May 2012
  • Llangurig , Mid Wales
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2012, 10:53:07 pm »
We have been feeding soaked sugar beet to pigs. Why wouldn't you feed it for along period Hughesy?

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2012, 12:15:35 pm »
Why wouldn't you feed it for along period Hughesy?
Only for the reason that I don't really know what they're getting nutrition wise. How much do they need? Are they going to get fat? Just lots of questions that arise which aren't an issue if I'm feeding "proper" pig feed and I know exactly how much to feed. Same as any other non standard feed really. Some of mine have been getting rolled oats and flaked maize lately due to me having got it cheap but it's a nightmare knowing how much to feed them.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2012, 12:20:36 pm »
There's info to help work out the feed values of different feedstuffs in The Newcastle Document (link is the PDF.)
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

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2012, 12:32:08 pm »
they can get fat on proper pig food     more dependent on age and how much feed also the breed of pig
beet pulp can be an appetiser and it can flavour the meat if fed long term
grain has tendency to layer the fat on but is more breed dependant :farmer:

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2012, 12:42:32 pm »
Robert yes they can get fat on pig feed. My point was that I know how much "proper" feed to give them to regulate this but if I'm feeding anything else it's guesswork as to the amount.

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2012, 01:01:31 pm »
yes it is a bit of guess work    but to feed anything else you are effectively watering down the proper pig feed     and unless you are weighing them on a weekly basis you could just as easily be overfeeding as underfeeding  and by the time they go to slaughter it is to late  even if you can condition score by fingertips
also it does not matter if you are growing them for whenever they are ready if you cut back on proper food and augment it with cheaper variations  it could save you a bit of money :farmer:

hughesy

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Anglesey
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2012, 02:49:15 pm »
That's a fair point Robert and makes sense. The only reason anyone would use feeds other than routine pig feed would be to save a few quid and I'm no exception.

Sylvia

  • Joined Aug 2009
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2012, 06:06:47 pm »
That's a fair point Robert and makes sense. The only reason anyone would use feeds other than routine pig feed would be to save a few quid and I'm no exception.

And so say all of us :) :)

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2012, 06:31:22 pm »
I have always found that mine turn their noses up on shreds, and leave lots of them behind... Found that using home produced goats milk is better, and reducing proper pig feed a bit.

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: Feeding sugar beet to pigs
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2012, 09:17:00 pm »
we feed our nursing sows a good bucket of soaked sugarbeet along side there normal rations, just to top them up, they r not greedy with it, a bucket lasts them a few days.


 

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