Author Topic: oats/barley (Read 7089 times)

langdon · « **on:** March 15, 2010, 06:05:04 pm »

is it suitable to give either of these to pigs as part of thie diet?
ta langdon

supplies for smallholders · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2010, 09:26:59 pm »

Hi,

Yes it is - but best if it is rolled - otherwise tends to be passed straight through without being digested.

They love both, but barley can put on a bit of fat.

Thanks

Gareth
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk

langdon · « **Reply #2 on:** March 16, 2010, 09:55:31 am »

well gareth out of 55 people viewing you are the only one who replyed!!
was it that silly of a question

thanks for the reply

SuzyJ · « **Reply #3 on:** March 16, 2010, 11:36:02 am »

We feed barley to our pigs as well as their normal pellet feed, they love it but I do boil it first to soften it otherwise like someone said earlier it tends to go straight through undigested.

I guess the reason we use it is because we can get loads relatively cheap as it's grown on village land and sold by the decare. Just put our order in for 2010. Oats, barley, maize and lucerne...hopefully we'll have a good crop this year.

supplies for smallholders · « **Reply #4 on:** March 16, 2010, 02:20:05 pm »

Quote from: langdon on March 16, 2010, 09:55:31 am

well gareth out of 55 people viewing you are the only one who replyed!!
was it that silly of a question
thanks for the reply

Hi,

No question is silly, questions are asked by people who want to know an answer.

If I can answer anyone then I will - I will never view a question as silly, or demean anyone for asking.

Thanks

Gareth

Malc · « **Reply #5 on:** March 16, 2010, 02:21:41 pm »

I give our adult pigs two thirds/one third bruised barley to pig rolls, having found the prepared ration a little too rich. I slowly introduce barley to the young ones from about 10 weeks. Make sure the pigs get enough water - you may find they are drinking more - or even soak the barley in warm water for a couple of hours first. This helps digestion. I've not tried oats, but I would imagine it's much the same.
We don't have a problem with them getting fat, but we're in Orkney and keeping weight on the pigs is a full-time job, so you may need to keep an eye on them further south.
And I totally agree with Gareth - it's not a silly question.

sausagesandcash · « **Reply #6 on:** March 16, 2010, 06:54:51 pm »

We have fed ours oats, barley and wheat (all rolled). I tend to soak it for about 12 hours before hand because of the digestion issues. All our feed is wet fed. Sometimes we also add flaked maize, as they love it. We buy in smallish quantities and keep everything in sealed drums to keep it fresh. The only thing we ever had issues with was beet & distillers (palatability). You must make sure though that your pigs are getting the right dietary mix if you're making your own feed.

Regards,

Morgan

langdon · « **Reply #7 on:** March 16, 2010, 07:52:18 pm »

na we not making our own mix they get their pellet food.
we just like to give them something different every now and again.
12hrs gosh!!!!!
is that boiled water or cold

langdon

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2010, 07:24:46 am »

Sorry I couldnt help, we feed a proprietary ration. Interested in the answers though.

YorkshireSmallholder · « **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2010, 12:31:40 pm »

We feed rolled barley & flaked maize which I soak along with a good scoop of dry complete pig feed (pencils) in addition to fruit & veg etc - seems to do the trick.

langdon · « **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2010, 12:38:52 pm »

does the water need to be hot when leaving to soak and for how long

sausagesandcash · « **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2010, 02:15:43 pm »

Cold water, it works for us!

supplies for smallholders · « **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2010, 08:20:26 pm »

Hi,

If the cerials are rolled they dont need to be soaked for digestion.

Thanks

Gareth

langdon · « **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2010, 08:31:28 pm »

mmmm interesting thats good to know

YorkshireSmallholder · « **Reply #14 on:** March 18, 2010, 01:18:22 pm »

We make up a large bucket full every few days with cold water so it gets a good soaking. As Gareth says, soaking is not essential but it makes it more pallatable to our pigs.

oats/barley - The Accidental Smallholder