I am trying to decide on a base feed that I can tweak for my goats, swine, and poultry. All Stock Sweet is 12% protein and I can get it relatively inexpensively in 1000 pound increments. Calf Manna can be used to increase protein. How can I adjust/add to make it suitable for my swine? Taste wise they love it but then they're pigs. They eat anything. Thank you in advance.
Calf Manna is expensive. You might want to consider soybean meal for a protein boost, much cheaper. The problem I see if that you are mixing a pelleted feed, with a fine protein supplement. Make sure they eat it all or it won't work. Jena
Hi Jena, they are both pelleted. The Calf Manna is also used for my rabbits and goats so I'm content to pay a little more for it if I can save on the feed - for swine all I add is 1/8 lb per day, which is quite small an amount. Nevetheless I'll look to find a cheaper protein source for the swine. So you don't think I need to add corn or any other grain - not for protein but for "pigginess"? Thank you.
Tango The very best way to save money on feed is to not over feed. You posted on the big gilts you have and these would be a major concern for me! If you are going to breed them they should NOT be fat. The bigest single factor for livestock not breeding or having small litters is fat!! You want to maintain adult swine in good condition but not fat. Let your hogs have all the grass and green plants you can provide and only feed enough to keep them in good condition not fat and you will be doing them and yourself a big favor. Mr. Wanda Mike
Hi Mike, They're not fat. I found a few people to help me butcher one of them in two weeks and I'm going to add plenty of corn to her feed for the hams. Those girls are lean. They are just big and very long. But at any rate I'm more concerned with my gestating razorback sows- four of them- and giving them the proper nutrients. The two domestic sows won't be around much longer. I feed grass all summer long but it hasn't started growing yet. I'm going to snap some photos for you guys so you can see that they're just big sows not fat ones, LOL.
I don't know enough about hog nutrient requirements to help you out. I will be learning shortly, but for now, the two pigs I have eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast, chicken feed for lunch, dog food for an afternoon snack and whatever they can find lying around all day long They are in excellent condition and not fat at all, but I don't care anyways because they are just my pets. Jena
