I read one post where one person suggested that chocolate was bad for pigs. Can anyone tell me for sure. I am being offered, for free, some throwaways from a bakery, which include chocolate donuts. Can I feed them to the pigs, or are they bad?
I am of the "natural" ilk. I don't believe in giving animals anything that they wouldn't be eating in nature, more or less, with improvements based on sound nutrition. I know one of our regulars here gives her pigs doughnuts everyday but they don't make up the base of their diet. Chocolate, if I had it spare one day, wouldn't be a bad thing, imo, but 30% of the diet? I wonder how long the study has been conducted and on how many pigs?
Thanks for the link. That was very interesting. I do not think I will ever have enough chocolate anything to make up 30% of thier diet, but a little now and then must be OK. I have been offered the weekend throwouts from a local store. I got 3 large trash bags this weekend, and have a lot of old bread and some sweets (cake, pies, donuts). I was hoping to help reduce the amount of feed I have to buy. I now need to figure out how much soy meal to add to this stuff to increase the protein to an acceptable level. Thanks again.
I work for a chocolate manufacturer & the majority of our waste goes for pig food. As for they wouldn't find it in their natural habitat well then no, not exactly. But the constituents of chocolate (sugar, milk, fat & cocoa) are all found in nature and would be potential pig food. After all pigs would never find pig nuts in the wild either. I have to say I wouldn't give my pigs only chocolate - same as I wouldn't eat only chocolate myself - but in moderation, there is no problem. I do know that chocolate is harmful to dogs and can be lethal. All dog chocolates actually don't contain cocoa (well they certainly shouldn't do). You do see in places about it being harmful to cats, but I would have thought that is more likely to be the lactose in the milk than the cocoa.
My pigs diffently dont get straight grain. 70% bread and the other is crack corn, veggies from the farmers market that is to old to be sold. My sows are not overweight and they clear land very well. If it wasnt for companies getting reed of bread or chocolate and other spoilage items alot of us probably not be rasing hogs and making some profit. The bread company I get bread from is all natural no perservatives and only has a week shelf life. I pickup two truck loads a week and they thank me for picking it up so they do not have a dumping fee. I do not grow them out to top hogs but sell weaners at two flea markets and normaly dont have any proublen getting 35 a piece for them at 8 weeks old.Arnold
I'm getting a little away from the original poster's question in a sense but not really. I researched this for my own curiosity. I thought the study cited was a bit odd in its results. Sometimes results that want to be found are found by manipulation of the experiment- our govt. does it all the time. At any rate to address your comment Carolinexxx, I respectfully disagree that these ingredients are found in nature. Chocolate is made with refined sugar, which is produced by chemical reactions removing all the fiber, protein, and minerals found in sugarcane or beets. Any nutritional value in sugarcane, and here in Florida I am certain our raorbacks are stalking the sugarcane fields, is removed. But what is worse the refined sugar is immediately absorbed into the bloodstream producing a jolt of insulin that produces a "fight or flight" response. That is a sugar high we see in some children behaving inappropriately after too much birthday cake. Were the pig to consume the plant, it would be eating complex carbohydrates that would be released slowly into the bloodstream without the need for the insulin jolt. I don't see why pigs should be exposed to refined sugar- mainly I am arguing the 30% number but I see stressful circumstances resulting in the feeding of refined sugars, especially to pigs kept in confinement where I am sure a lot of this chocolate goes. Confinement has no outlets for swine bursts of energy. I am aware that my methods and beliefs do not coincide with the other members of this board; they don't even coincide with the methods of family members who raised pigs in the past on the basis of spoiled human food. With my pigs I am going a more natural route. This is an interesting topic for discussion.
Making a little money is good. I'd love to be able to get some unmarketable fruits and vegetables for my pigs but others looking for extra profit have beat me to it around here. I hope I am not ruffling any feathers by arguing this chocolate thing
Very interesting posts. I have a source for bakery items which include bread and cakes and some chocolate items. I also have a restaurant that gives me there garbage. They would not give me anything that had been eaten by people and then left. They said they were told that pigs would get a disease from that kind of food. They do however give me lots of bread, rolls and occasionally some eggs (cooked) and veggies. So far, about a 5 gal bucket per week from them. One of the bakeries here will 'give' me what they call feed bread, but they want $8 per rack for it. Sounds like the rack would fill a pickup truck, but I am still trying for free stuff. Most stores in my area will not give their produce throwouts. They grind them up and get rid of them. Shame we have this wasteful mentality in this country. Thanks guys.
Hi All. Tango you havent ruffled any feathers I enjoy reading your post. About getting free stuff for pigs, Im lucky I dont get cakes pastry or alot of sweet stuff. All the bread I pickup has no perservatives and is all natural and alot of it is grain types. There are alot of bakeries here where you can by feed bread. Most of it is pastry type foods and alot of farmers dont want it. It to much fat and sugars. Guess What just like the chocolate. I do believe some of these products are benefecial in cutting cost but should not be the only feed. Im very fortunate here with the flea markets and the free veggies and bread. This cuts there corn intake to about 25% of there diet. If it wasn't for these I would not be raising sows to sell baby pigs. Thanks All Arnold
I have to say I am not an expert in this area, all I know is where our waste food goes & what I think. Don't worry, no feathers are ruffled here either!! I think it is a personal thing what you feed your pigs, kids & even yourself. I tend to eat what I like & completely ignore food scares. Personally I think anything to the extreme, in excess or omission has got to be bad for you. (ie no salt!!!) I agree with Arnold that all these things need to be in moderation. It is the same with things like birthday cake / chocolate in moderation are fine for most kids and adults alike. There are exceptions - but some people are lethally allergic to nuts, doesn't mean they are harmful to everyone. In moderation and as part of a balanced diet I donât feel they would do me or my pigs any harm. I certainly wouldnât eat 50% chocolate & 50% birthday cake â not sure I would have burst of energy â more bursts of illness!! You are right that the food is processed & not in itâs natural form. But I havenât seen many pig nut trees either  PS As for wild piglets â then I was picturing wild boars. What are baby boars called anyway?
