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Feeding Pigs
Getting it just right
Linda McDonald Brown looks at getting the balance between fat and meat just right ...
Feeding a pig correctly so that it has just the right amount of back fat , when it comes to taking it to the abattoir , isn ’ t the easiest thing in the world to achieve . You could be lucky and achieve a very commendable quarter to half inch back fat first time , but more often than not its trial and error and developing an eye as to the condition of the pig .
To ensure your pig stays healthy , it must receive the correct balance of vitamins , protein and fibre . The easiest way and most popular way of feeding your pigs is to buy compound pig food from an agricultural merchant .
In the wild , pigs will eat little and often , neither gorging nor leaving their stomach empty for too long . Feeding in this way is not possible when your pigs are confined and the most usual method is to feed twice a day morning and night . Some owners feed once a day , but unless they are on decent grass , this is not ideal as it is leaving the pigs too long without
food . Pigs such as the Kune Kune can actually do quite well on grass alone during the summer months providing it is of decent quality and there is enough of it .
If possible , you should start feeding piglets ad-lib from three weeks old . A small hopper filled full of food and left in the creep area will enable the piglets to eat little and often . Creep food should be the best you can buy and should be sweet smelling and free from dust .
Compound food comes in different types and for all stages of a pig ’ s life , although I personally move my piglets from creep onto sow and weaner pellets at about 6 weeks old , and keep them on this until they go to the abattoir at 6 months old .
“ A healthy pig must recieve the correct balance of vitamins , protein and fibre .”
The different types of compound food available are as follows :
Creep Food Tiny pellets , usually given from three weeks onwards ad-lib . High in protein , at least 18 % to 25 %.
Grower Larger than creep food but smaller than sow nuts . Still very high in protein . Mix with the creep food , gradually increasing the amount ratio daily until you are feeding all growers . Start feeding this about 2 weeks before weaning , so the piglets are settled with it before they have the stress of weaning . Grower food can be fed right up to the finishing stage ; although some finishing units feed specialised finisher pellets .
Sow and Weaners Nuts Ideal for the in-pig and a sow feeding piglets .
Ordinary Pig Nuts Large nuts , usually fed to dry sows and boars . Suitable for feeding loose on the ground if dry enough .