[Guest]

Every time I read a post about feeding pigs I aways start to question my feeding methods. This is what I have been feeding for the last couple of months to my 24 feeder pigs
In the morning they get one part 14% pre-mixed pig pellet and one part 17% corn gultin. In the evening they get soaked whole corn. and once in while I will throw in a hand full of tm salts in with there corn.
Here is the reasoning I came up with this formula.
The pre-mix pellet is said to be a whole ration meaning it has everthing a pig needs to grow out to finish. But the cost was just to high for all my pigs. So I studied up on whole corn a read that is a good feedstuff which is high in energy for pigs but is low in protien and lacks in the vit-mineral department. So to make up for the low protien I added the corn glutin which is high in protien but low in energy and vit-minerals. So I kept feeding the pig pellet for the vit-minerals they don't get from the corn and corn gultin and toss in alittle tm salts to pick up anything that is lacking. This keeps my feed down to about 9 dollars a day feeding about 5lbs. of feed per pig per day.

So what do Think? This is my first year raising pigs so and critisim is welcome. Would you change anything? I have wormed twice with the safegaurd and have'nt seen any worms. And I keep fresh water to them 24/7 with a 55 gallon drum with the watering nipples so the water stays clean. They all look and act healthy and happy.

sorry so long.
Thanks for any comments.
Travis

 

[GeorgeK]

My little pigs get pig milk from their mother and whatever they happen to scavenge. The clay here is high in iron. All my pigs are pastured, except for the ones I got tired of re-trapping, and are free range. They only get a daily bucket of corn scattered in the paddock, to act as a treat and train them to where I can catch/shoot one

 

[uncle Will in In.]

Hey Travis, is this another pig feed post??
If anyone is raising pigs with making a profit in mind the feed has to cost less than the value of the pig when sold. Hogs will eat nearly anything that don't eat them first. It don't mater how great the ration looks on paper, if it costs too much it's gonna loose you money. For those who are growing their table fare, you should feed what you feel will make the best healthiest pork. Granted it may cost you more than what you'd pay for a corn feed pig.
I saw a feeding trial at Purdue.
They had 10 pigs in each group. Some were in a dry lot and some were in one acre alfalfa plots.
They tried several different formulas and gave it to both groups. When the hogs reached 230 lbs average, the cheapest group were feed nothing but shelled corn with salt and mineral. They didn't feed out quite as soon, and their weight varied quite a bit. But charging rent for the alfalfa pigs on pasture still made them cost less per pound to than the drylot pigs. and letting them get their protien from the alfalfa was cheaper than putting any protien supplement with the corn.
Some old farmers didn't do very well feeding hogs. The neighbors would start harassing them when a group of pigs were getting pretty old but still didn't come close to being butcher weight. They always come back with, "What's Time to a hog?"
When it's your pig you can feed it whatever you feel like.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Uncle Will.
I get what your sayin.
Travis.

 

[Guest]

A lot of times if you arent paying attention you can spend way more buying a feeder and giving him bag feed than buying a fat hog ready to cut. same thing as chickens you can hardly raise them for sale prices at the grocer. From what i see the biggest cost savings for pork is to buy a butcher hog and have it killed or do it yourself then cut wrap grind and smoke as you see fit. If you are determined to feed one out you must buy bulk feed from a farmer who grinds and mixes or a mill to come out at all. around my parts we can buy a whole hog fully processed into hams bacon sausage ribs chops for aproxamately a dollar a pound. we can also buy a butcher on our own have them killed and chilled for about 20 and then do the rest at home. the best option is to use corn or other farm feeds you would sell to raise them that way you are getting the feed for the sell price rather than the buy price. Depending on the hog price and corn price most of the time there is only about 20 dollars of profit in a hog so with no vet bills and cheap feed you may make a few dollars for the time and trouble.