If you’re thinking of adding pigs to your farm, you might be wondering, what does a pig eat? Like us pigs need a variety of foods, and it’s important to provide them with proper nutrition to ensure they’re healthy.
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Pigs seem to have a bad reputation when it comes to nutrition. You usually wouldn’t associate pork with a healthy diet. What you feed your pig has a lot to do with the quality and nutritional benefits of their meat.
Below are some considerations to help answer the question “What does a pig eat?”
What does a pig need?
Pigs are naturally omnivores in the wild. Like us, they enjoy a variety of plants, roots, minerals, and protein. Historically pigs are known for being a clean-up crew. They’ll happily eat any scraps you give them from the kitchen.
Dairy is especially great for pigs. If you own a milk cow, pigs will happily take care of any unused milk, or whey leftover from cheese making.
A growing pig initially needs 18%-22% protein. Too much protein will cause the pig to develop a lot of fat. Depending on what type of meat you want from the pig, you should reduce the protein percentage to 14%-16% as the pig reaches around 130 pounds.
Pig feed will contain a mix of corn and oats, with soybeans and whey for protein. It should also contain various minerals the pig needs.
A pig’s diet will vary depending on the breed, and the way they are raised. For more on specific breeds of pigs, check the best breeds for the farm.
What does a pasture pig eat?
Pigs raised on pasture have more of an opportunity to choose things they would naturally eat in the wild. They will graze on grasses and legumes, as well as root for grubs and minerals.
Pigs also love to be in wooded areas where they can eat fallen acorns and other tree nuts. While they do eat a substantial amount of forage when they are raised this way, you’ll still need to supplement them with feed.
The breed of pig will also affect how much they forage. Some breeds will graze on pasture better than others. If you are interested in the types of grass, or how to raise pigs on pasture check out my previous post.
Pigs raised on pasture or in wooded areas tend to provide healthier meat for their consumers. The pig takes in more omega 3 fatty acids unlike a pig that’s fed an all grain diet whose meat tends to be higher in omega 6s.
Pigs raised outdoors naturally take in more Vitamin D, and get more exercise. This makes for a leaner healthier meat, than that of a pig that is raised indoors in a confined area.
In short, pigs raised in this way provide a much healthier product to the consumer.
What does a pig eat on a commercial farm?
Generally in a commercial growing operation, the pigs are entirely grain-fed. Often pigs are limited to 6-8 square feet per full-grown pig, which means they are likely to develop more fat than a pig raised in an open outdoor environment.
Feed is specially formulated for maximum growth in a shorter amount of time. The grain will begin with a higher protein percentage and taper down as the pig reaches market weight.
Pigs grown commercially indoors also need a good bit of supplemental vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, Biotin, Folic Acid, and Riboflavin.
Whether they are grown commercially indoors, or pasture-raised all pigs need access to unlimited clean water to grow and develop properly. I love this pig waterer we made. It holds plenty of fresh water for our pigs and helps minimize the mess they make.
Providing young pigs with continuous access to food with an automatic pig feeder will help them to maintain a steady weight gain.
Things Pigs Should Not Eat
Pigs can eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and protein. However, there are a few things you should avoid feeding your pigs.
Like chickens, avoid raw or unripened vegetables in the nightshade family. This includes tomato vines, leaves, and blooms, and raw potatoes or plants.
Pigs also don’t need as much sodium as other animals, so avoid feeding them scraps that are very high in sodium.
While pigs can eat day-old pastries, giving them too much sugar will not be good for their health. It will also cause them to gain too much fat.
The seeds, vines, leaves, and roots of the broccoli, turnips, and cabbage plants are toxic to pigs.
Some research suggests giving pigs too much fruit is harmful too. Again, fruit is high in sugar which isn’t good for them. They can enjoy fruits but in moderation.
Lastly, if you have pasturing pigs, Death Cap mushrooms are highly toxic and can kill your pig.
Be cautious with eggs too. My pigs share a pasture with the chickens, so it isn’t uncommon for them to happen upon a freshly laid egg. However, eggs can prevent the pig from absorbing biotin and the shell can damage their stomach and intestine. Egg shells are a great source of calcium, but be sure to crush it up before feeding it back to the pig.
Calculating a Pig’s Weight for Feed
To calculate your pig’s weight measure the girth of the pig in inches right behind the front legs. Next, measure the length of the pig in inches from behind the ears to the base where the tail starts. Calculate the weight of the pig using the following formula: Girth X Girth X Body length/ 400 = pigs weight in pounds.
A growing pig will eat around 4% of its body weight every day. After the pig reaches around 130 lbs, you should switch the pig from grower feed with a higher protein to feed with a lower protein and a higher nutritional value.
I made the mistake of keeping my first pigs on a high protein grower feed until they reached market weight. This produced a lot of lard in the pig. I don’t mind some lard, but would have preferred a leaner meat.
So what do pigs eat?
Pigs enjoy a variety of fruits, vegetables, forage, minerals, nuts, roots, and insects. Pasture raising your pigs is ideal if you have the setup for it. This allows the pigs to consume a more natural variety of forage and minerals.
Whether you grow a pig in a confined space or out on pasture, they’ll benefit from a high protein grower feed and a nutrient-dense finishing feed.
Pigs will also enjoy leftover produce from your garden. Just be sure not to feed your pigs moldy or rotten food, and review the plants that are toxic to pigs.
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