# Putting weight on pigs....



## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Jun 12, 2009)

My girls are showing 3 pigs in about a week at the local fair for 4-H.
Last night I did a tape weight on the pigs....According to that they are UNDER the minimum weight allowed....
They are on an 18% protein mix right now...Does that need to be increased/decreased??? They have plenty of food scraps given to the daily, along with clean water, hay/straw, have mud wallows, and everything a pig could want....
Between the 3 pigs they are eatting roughly 50 pounds of feed a day. 
They have been dewormed, even vet checked (required for the fair), and they are 100% happy and healthy pigs....

But I need to know if there is something I can give them to put on pounds quickly so that they make at least the minimum weight (need to gain about 20 pounds for that buy Thursday)....They can obvioulsy gain MORE...lol, but inorder to make the minimum they need to gain at least 20 more pounds. 

I did make there area a bit smaller so they have less room to run around as someone else suggested that....

Any help would be WONDERFUL.....

Thanks
Shawna


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## wynedot55 (Jun 12, 2009)

sounds like you need to increase their feed.are you feeding them any corn chops or waste milk.if my memory is right they need tobe 240lbs at fair time.according to the tape how much do they weigh now.


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Jun 12, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> sounds like you need to increase their feed.are you feeding them any corn chops or waste milk.if my memory is right they need tobe 240lbs at fair time.according to the tape how much do they weigh now.


They are getting a mix made from the feed mill, I do give them food scraps, milk replacer, bread scraps from a bakery (they sell off flats for pig/animal feed and or bear bait).....The weight tape says they are roughly 200 pounds, but need to be a minimum of 220 for weigh in...
I know the weight tape isn't 100% dead on with the weights, but I don't want to take chances on them not being under weight..
is 50 pounds NOT enough feed for them....they seem to get filled up each feeding(the feed is left out 24/7 for them)....but inbetween feedings they always have some left in their feed buckets.


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## wynedot55 (Jun 12, 2009)

you are feeding them real good.is the weigh tape for pigs.


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Jun 12, 2009)

wynedot55 said:
			
		

> you are feeding them real good.is the weigh tape for pigs.


yeah I even double checked that as I also have one for cows...lol

Friends of ours also have pigs(they have 6 we have 3) that there kids are taking to the same fair....those pigs are HUGE compared to ours, but I wonder if some of it is the fact that ours were in alot bigger area (until I just closed off half of it)....Plus ours have cement under them when they are inside (outside is all dirt/mud)....I know the weight tape doesn't account for muscle, so I am really hoping ours are very muscular and tone, verus more fatty!!! 
This is Abbys first time showing Pigs and I feel horrible that they might not make weight....I don't want her to be disappointed....She has taken such wonderful care of these pigs... Out there every single day playing with them, getting them used to her, even having some of them lay on her lap for belly rubs...They are 3 of the funnest pigs we have ever had (we've had plenty--but never for the fair-4-H..)


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## gaited horse (Jun 12, 2009)

did they walk the pigs enough I did'nt make weight either by 20 lb


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## jhm47 (Jun 14, 2009)

Don't mean to be negative, but gaining nearly 3 pounds a day is nearly impossible for a pig.  A good rate of gain is 2 pounds a day.  Sounds like you are doing everything else right, your ration sounds good, and your care seems to be excellent.  Some pigs are just not genetically able to grow as fast as others.  Where did you get the pigs?  Were they typical "show" pigs, or run of the mill pigs?  Often people buy a couple feeder pigs at a local auction, and have no idea of their genetic makeup.  They then wonder why the pigs don't grow well, even though they are fed and cared for correctly.


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## Farrier! (Jun 14, 2009)

Feed a high fat sweet feed for horses or try straight ground corn for the time left. Also add salt for the last three days to try to get enough water weight to make the minimum.

Any commercial pig feed is balanced to make a lean pig without much fat. You need to feed more like the old days for a bit and get a bit more fat on them.


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Jun 14, 2009)

jhm47 said:
			
		

> Don't mean to be negative, but gaining nearly 3 pounds a day is nearly impossible for a pig.  A good rate of gain is 2 pounds a day.  Sounds like you are doing everything else right, your ration sounds good, and your care seems to be excellent.  Some pigs are just not genetically able to grow as fast as others.  Where did you get the pigs?  Were they typical "show" pigs, or run of the mill pigs?  Often people buy a couple feeder pigs at a local auction, and have no idea of their genetic makeup.  They then wonder why the pigs don't grow well, even though they are fed and cared for correctly.


I understand what you are saying...No I didn't take it negatively....

Yes these are 'show pigs'. Friends of ours have been getting their fair pigs from the same farm for 3 years. They got 6 pigs from the same group, and I konw theirs will definately make wait...We have had plenty of pigs over the years for butching---but none for 4-H before. I am hoping ours are just lean and muscular so the weight is actually there, just not able to get a correct reading off the tape....fingers crossed...


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## laughingllama75 (Jun 14, 2009)




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## jhm47 (Jun 14, 2009)

If these are truly "show" pigs, with the large, muscular hams, and thick, meaty loins, your tape will likely not be accurate, and your pigs might make show weight.  

I was a 4-H leader for nearly 20 years.  I had 4 children that showed nearly every type of livestock.  My older son had grand champion market hog at the local county show for 5 years in a row.
His hogs also won rate of gain several times.  The best one gained 2.23 lbs/day.  This was good enough for 2nd place at the state fair, where nearly 1000 market hogs were shown each year.  Of course, this was nearly 25 years ago.

I was glad when the last child graduated from 4-H, but now I miss it dearly.  Wish some grandchildren lived close enough so I could experience the fun again.


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Jun 16, 2009)

jhm47 said:
			
		

> If these are truly "show" pigs, with the large, muscular hams, and thick, meaty loins, your tape will likely not be accurate, and your pigs might make show weight.
> 
> I was a 4-H leader for nearly 20 years.  I had 4 children that showed nearly every type of livestock.  My older son had grand champion market hog at the local county show for 5 years in a row.
> His hogs also won rate of gain several times.  The best one gained 2.23 lbs/day.  This was good enough for 2nd place at the state fair, where nearly 1000 market hogs were shown each year.  Of course, this was nearly 25 years ago.
> ...


I am hoping because of the muscle they are truely making weight, but the tape doesn't show it...
yes the hams are huge on these pigs right now (or at least the part I can see....  ) We always seem to get monster hams outta the pigs. I think some of it is nerves(on my part). I want my kids to beable to show them, with all the work they have put into them, I don't want to see them not beable to show because they didn't make weight....I would be happy if they JUST made weight...lol And my kids know it's not the color of the ribbon, or the $$ they make off the auction that counts. It's what they have done to get the pigs there, the work they did, and the fun they had, along with the learning they got outta it... (although its sounds WONDERFUL what you said about how your kids did....that would be the very nice as well....)


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## LavacaW (Jul 9, 2009)

Hey Run-a-Muck....Don't leave us hanging!  When is the show and how are the pigs doing?


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