Heh, knew it wouldn't take long before I had a question. I've read lots on feeding slop to pigs but how young can they be when you start? I'm not sure how old my pig is but it weighs 20 lbs. and I have it on starter feed. The feed store said to use this one bag of starter and then use grower feed. I take they eat everything basically. I've read chocolate, mistletoes, poinsettas are poisonious to them. Anything else I need to know..... mljjranch
It is ok to feed pigs scraps from a garden or left over veggys but I would be warry of feeding any meat scraps. Meat scraps can tant the flavor as well as make the pigs sick. You run a higher risk of worms too. We feed a grain mix or NON-Medicated grower at around 40lb. And we supliment with veggys, fruit, fresh cut clovergrass, and sometimes nuts from the farm. They love older pumkins, apples, wallnuts, acorns, veggy peals and scraps and stail bread. But I would stay away from potatos, meat, wild cherrys, and exesive black walnuts. We have had great luck with our pigs health and taste. Good luck with yours.
You can start them now. Nothing wrong with meat either (we don't feed it raw though ... cook it first) but stop with all meat at least 30 days prior to slaughter (at least that's what I do) to keep from having tainted meat. If you use too much scraps, you might want to add some soybean to their ration. It's good to keep the protien around 16-20%. Mine won't eat raw potatoes. I have to cook the peelings from dinner before they'll eat it ... usually in the gravy or drippings from the main dish!!
My Great-Great-Aunt usd to feed slop, I am told. She would put into it the vegetable tops and peelings, scrape the plates into it, dump in excess skim milk, and so forth.
Thanks for the answers. I knew potato skins were bad for chickens but I can't find anything about potato skins bad for pigs. I called my 85 year old Grandma last night.....she is the expert on raising animals in our family. She says to feed all your vegatable peelings including potato's to the pig. She said that she kept a bucket by the backdoor and would throw all the scraps in it after dinner she would mix either milk or water in the scraps, stir and take it to the pig. She swears the pig knew exactly when dinner was over because he would be waiting for the slop to be thrown in. I took a couple pieces of bread soaked in milk and tried to feed the pig last night but it wasn't "hog wild" about it. I don't think it has been eating dry food for very long so we might have to wait a bit before it gets a taste for slop. mljjranch
The vines are what is poison on potatos and other night shade plants but the potato it self is ok. But we feel strongly about no meat for feed at our farm. In the wild pigs will eat every thing they can but you arnt rasing them for taste and health eather. It may be ok most of the time but by not feeding them meat you lower your chance for sickness and worms. We have never had a sick pig or wormy organs after butcher and it is in part dew to how we feed them.
