What to do with free grain???

1sttimemom · #1 09/20/12, 12:47 PM

So we have been given about 6 tons free no-strings-attached grain mix. It is a mix of sunflower, peanuts, millet, almonds, corn, dried fruits, other grains, etc. It is a mis-mix batch of bird food. It's about 18% protien and 30% fat. We are storing it in super totes on our shop. I've been feeding to chickens and even a bit to our goats. We were wondering if this might be suitable for hogs? Were thinking we could buy a couple weiner pigs and raise them for our family. Would they need anything else or would this plus some scraps, weeds, etc be enough? I'm not looking for max production but want them reasonable healthy, etc.

bruce2288 · #2 09/20/12, 12:57 PM

The fat content may be higher than desireable. I would call the colorada entention service and speak to the swine expert. Even if you had to buy some corn to mix with it you got a great deal.

1sttimemom · #3 09/20/12, 01:10 PM

I was wondering about fat%. I don't want pure lard altho some lard is good. Makes the BEST pie crust. LOL I was hoping to avoid actual hog feed since seems so expensive. Corn is high too but not as bad.

PD-Riverman · #4 09/20/12, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1sttimemom

So we have been given about 6 tons free no-strings-attached grain mix. It is a mix of sunflower, peanuts, millet, almonds, corn, dried fruits, other grains, etc. It is a mis-mix batch of bird food. It's about 18% protien and 30% fat. We are storing it in super totes on our shop. I've been feeding to chickens and even a bit to our goats. We were wondering if this might be suitable for hogs? Were thinking we could buy a couple weiner pigs and raise them for our family. Would they need anything else or would this plus some scraps, weeds, etc be enough? I'm not looking for max production but want them reasonable healthy, etc.

I would be selling it as fast as I could and if you would get in trouble for selling it then I would be vacuum sealing it in barrels if you are going to try to keep it. It will start degrading/going bad if you do not do something. When I buy alot of corn I put it in sealable 55 gal barrels and draw a vacuum on them.

TRAILRIDER · #5 09/20/12, 04:29 PM

Wow! That's wonderful. If I was close enough I'd try to buy some of it myself!

MO_cows · #6 09/20/12, 05:05 PM

That is a great score! That is higher in protein and fat than is good for most barnyard critters, cutting it would be a good idea. Maybe could find something even cheaper than corn, maybe soybean hulls or some other kind of byproduct to mix in and bring the levels down. With fruit in the mix, it likely will mold/spoil faster than just a grain mix. Hopefully your weather will cool down and help you with the preservation.

Maura · #7 09/20/12, 06:11 PM

Don't feed it to your dogs. I've kept sunflower seeds, wheat, corn, oats and millet over the winter with no problem because it freezes. We keep it in trash cans outside, mice cannot get into it. I'd add oats to the mix you have and feed it to the chickens all winter.

wwubben · #8 09/20/12, 06:47 PM

I would feed it to pigs with some oats added to lower the fat and protein a little.I would feed them a little hay along with it also.They would be in hog heaven.

Pony · #9 09/20/12, 07:06 PM

Wow! That IS a fantastic score. Congratulations!

I agree with those who suggest "cutting" it a bit. I think I'd mix in some cleaned oats or something like that.

fantasymaker · #10 09/20/12, 08:03 PM

Corn is high in energy . Your high fat content is lots of energy . Something like beet pulp perhaps?
It would be a great feed for lactating Ewes.

||Downhome|| · #11 09/20/12, 09:13 PM

Go with the pigs you could easily raise 8 on that 6 ton.

though fall/winter feeders sell much cheaper.

So I would go for twice that and harvest the stragglers in the bunch as suckling or small roasters.

Keep the fastest growing and/or biggest sow to breed and freezer camp the rest.

Sell off you piglets for the high dollar spring summer run. keep the best looking female one to raise out.

Recondition momma and either send her to camp or keep to breed again.

If you kept her breed her again and keep all the piglets for feed out select the best and the rest and momma go to camp.

Breed the first litter mate for next batch.

the money off the first litter should cover a good bit of the total feed bill.

**clovis** · #12 09/20/12, 11:39 PM

Wow...what a score!!!!! I'd be blending it with corn or oats, and raising as many hogs as I could on that free feed.

Keep an eye on those totes. I got the great idea to store antique wrenches in them. The first few days, they held up perfect...but the weight caused the plastic to distort and the lids to pop off, and the totes tumbled to the ground.

Paquebot · #13 09/21/12, 12:50 AM

Dried fruit? If it weren't for that, I'd suggest running it all through a hammer mill and feed it as a supplemental ground feed. Still might work if the percentage of really dry ingredients were enough to offset the gumminess of the fruit. If there were worries about something that rich being fed as is, could be ground with fresh corn cobs to lower the fat and increase the volume. Then the animals would not overdose on protein and fat.

Martin

Silvercreek Farmer · #14 09/21/12, 08:54 AM

Press it and make biodiesel? Bag it and sell it on craigslist? Seek out exotic bird breeders to sell it to? Gamebird farm? You might do some research on using dry ice CO2 preservation if you plan on storing it for a while.

ldc · #15 09/21/12, 09:28 AM

Sounds like human-consumption breakfast cereal to me...a LOT of it!!!

Silvercreek Farmer · #16 09/21/12, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ldc

Sounds like human-consumption breakfast cereal to me...a LOT of it!!!

I was thinking about adding salt and calling it trail mix!

Stiffchick · #17 09/21/12, 09:55 AM

I would contact bird breeders and sell it to them. I breed parrots here in AZ and I trade some of my hand fed babies to a store for credit twords 50lb bags of what you have. IF i didnt have the store credit, each 50lb bag is $60 bucks (or more since yours has fruit) just watch for mold and spoilage. (for 37 small birds, cockatiel and smaller, I use about 1 50lb bag every month) Just to give you and Idea of how far it goes. Im going to get some button quail to roam on the floor of my aviary to clean up what the parrots drop. some people use chickens. they will eat it no problem.

look for local bird marts (flea market for birds) Ususally bird clubs have them once or twice a year (sometimes you can set up a vending table real cheap at those and sell your food), specialty bird stores, and on ebay classifieds and find breeders selling babies to see if they would buy seed for their breeding stock. just be careful, some bird people are a little overboard, and will scoff at the idea of feeding their birds seed! (some use pellets only) I use it as a main staple because pellets are too expensive to feed alone for me. I just supplement the seed with any cheap or free pasta fruits and veggies I can find that are safe for birds.