[WinslowPorker]

Hi everybody,

we are now proud parents to 6 GOS which are about 3 months old, my questions is that we are feeding them on a Heygates feed at the the moment and they are very happy with it, however we have 2 friends a baker and a fruit seller at the local market who have happily given us their produce in exchange for some much anticpated sausages in a couple of months time.

My question after much reading is do we still have to maintain a feed ration of 1lb per month of age per day -( i.e. 3 months old each pig has 3lb of food split into 2 meals ) or beacuse we are also giving them bread and cakes soaked in milk/water and a nice big selection of fruit and veg everyday whether we should be cutting down on the proper feed.

After reading many articles with some saying the pigs get no nutritional benefit from extras, to some saying be careful or you will have superfat pigs when they go for slaughter i am at a loss and would just like some advice.

This is the first pigs that we have kept and we are all loving it including my 3 yr old daughter, our dalmation and miniture collie, who all come in the paddock at feed time!!! highly recommended and can see that this will be a long term thing we do. Although i appreciate that i will learn a lot as i go on, any help would be great.

Thanks in advance

The Winslow Porkers!!!!!!!!!

[gavo]

Generally fruit and veg is fed at a ratio of 4lbs veg equals 1lb of meal so if they are getting lots you can reduce the meal.Watch out feeding bread and dairy[that's all i'll say] as i'm sure there will plenty of advice on that matter from others.

[WinslowPorker]

Thanks Gavo, why be careful of bread and milk - sorry if seems a silly questions but this is new and i really want to male sure the pigs are happy and healthy for teh short time that they are with us?

[dixie]

Hi if you feed a lot of bakery waste you will get fat pigs! Fruit and veg is great but just reduce the amount of pg food to allow for the fruit and veg, go easy on the bakery waste though, its fattening for pigs not just us!!

[HappyHippy]

We also get a healthy supply of 'waste' from our fruit shop   and reduce the amount of hard feed accordingly. The last ones that went for slaughter had a little fat, but not too much - I was really happy with how they turned out. I've never heard of them getting fat with fruit and veg - cakes and bread however would be a different matter. You're NOT ALLOWED to feed anything which has come from a residential or commercial kitchen due to possible cross contamination from meat products. Even taking veg into your kitchen to cook it up for them is a no-no I'm afraid. If I want want to cook stuff (they'll not eat raw potatoes) I use a camping stove in the garage - nothing for the pigs comes into the house. Maybe I'm super anal about it   But I'm taking NO chances.

[JulieS]

I'm exactly the same Karen.  Better to be safe 

[WinslowPorker]

Hi
I have read about those regs and totally agree however you would of though boiling something for a good while would get rid of any chance of cross contamination anyway? its a shame coz my cousin is potato farmer so i have free access to loads of old seed potatoes, but no means of cooking them outside or down at the smallhold.

why is it that the bad things for you are always the tastiest coz the pigs go mad for some bread soaked in milk with a few chopped up bananas in!!!

[dixie]

Our first batch of weaners were a bit to fat, we put it down to feeding them lots and alots of windfall apples but didnt reduce the amount of pig feed, we're careful now to be stricter and they always come back lovely!

[HappyHippy]

Hi
I have read about those regs and totally agree however you would of though boiling something for a good while would get rid of any chance of cross contamination anyway? its a shame coz my cousin is potato farmer so i have free access to loads of old seed potatoes, but no means of cooking them outside or down at the smallhold.

I agree that they're a bit over the top - but that's our government for you  Regulate everyone so heavily that it's too much hassle for most - then buy in cheap crap from abroad that's not got the same standards applied to it ! Madness ! But I'm not even going to get started  lol !
Is there no way you could get an old camping stove and a pot in a wee corner - seems a shame to let all those tatties go to waste !

[BadgerFace]

We used to have an old 'burco' wash boiler for boiling barley/linseed and potatoes, not seen one for years - apart from ebay where they sell for silly money  I now have a huge ex-MOD pot and gas boiling ring in the feed shed for cooking animal feed.

[WinslowPorker]

will just have to keep a look out for an old Burco or perhaps a stockpot and a camping stove, mind you dont want the piggies thinking i am knocking up a base for a pig stew  !!!

What i find really irritating is of the 3 main shops in the small market town where we live I know at least one person in each and they all have said the same that they have to throw away all of the gone over food, i have even said reduce it down to 5p and i will take it all and you are getting something or give it to me and i will put some money in the charity tin - but youve got it, cant do as it has to be 'wasted off' and put in a bin, sorry company policy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E  -  Thank god for landfill, which will contaminate the land for future generations and crops and livestock - Stop stop we are no descending into the rare realms of common sense!! rant over toodle-pip

[herdsman]

Every Friday(I think) our local Lidl put all the stuff that will go over date at the weekend at the end of the shop and give it away. Interestingly within a couple of weeks of doing this the local Sainsburys made a big noise in the local rag about how they were giving all theirs to charity. Hopefully it will spread.

[Gary]

I must admit that as my father and I are Bakers we feed our left over bread and cakes to our pigs and they havent put on fat we just ration it with there nuts and they always have fruit and veg. I also give my sows fodder beet as they will pick at it all day long I also place there food in different places around their ground giving them some exercise..

[Hilarysmum]

Our local supermarkets donate food about to go over to a charity which distributes to those on very low incomes.