HSF PIG GROWER MEAL

Young pigs do not have the capacity within their stomachs to eat enough pasture to meet their nutrient requirements for growth, health, and well-being. Pasture should be less than 10% of their daily diet and the rest a supplemental grain ration for best results. Mature dry sows can handle up to 50% of their diet being good quality pasture, but they still need to be supplemented with a grain mix to further meet their requirements. The same is to be said for lactating sows.

This depends on what the pigs are being grown out for. If they’re to be sold as porker/grower weight, then giving them access to a grower diet would benefit them until they are sold off. Large scale pig producers can have up to 6 different grain diets for 6 different groups, as all pigs need to be fed grain to meet their requirements. Pigs are monogastric animals (single stomach) and are inefficient digesters of fibre (only 50% efficiency), so really need that grain to balance them out.

Generally, No a pig will eat enough to satisfy its current cravings and then walks away. If there is feed available at all times, they will not eat when hungry, sometimes only a few bites, before wandering away again.

The worst disease that affects pigs and pig production is African Swine Fever Virus. To limit its prevalence, restricting the feeding of contaminated feed (swill feeding) is the easiest way. As it is documented that the majority of outbreaks occurred in ASFV-free zones due to feeding waste food products from infected pigs to susceptible animals, now, there is a strict ban on feeding swill/ram (Restricted Animal Matter) to any pigs as per the EU legislation. Most mills even have a declaration that they don’t hold any RAM products anywhere near the feed mill itself.

Pigs will eat whole grain, but it will pass straight through them and be seen in manure. Grain that is processed is more easily digested by a pig and therefore there Is less feed wasted. Use of roller mills breaks the grain to smaller particle size and increases the surface area enough for the digestive enzymes in the gut to be able to break it down.