# how much food will a feeder pig eat.



## burntmuch (Oct 14, 2010)

Just wondering how much a feeder pig will eat from weened piglet to butcher time. Im talking comercial hog feed. I know theres lots of variables, but I just need an estimate. Im trying to sell this idea to the wife. She wants facts & numbers.blah blah blah. I guessed four hundred lbs. But that was just a guess


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## CountryFried (Oct 14, 2010)

burntmuch said:
			
		

> Just wondering how much a feeder pig will eat from weened piglet to butcher time. Im talking comercial hog feed. I know theres lots of variables, but I just need an estimate. Im trying to sell this idea to the wife. She wants facts & numbers.blah blah blah. I guessed four hundred lbs. But that was just a guess


My pigs are 9 weeks old, about 24lbs.  I have 3.  Had my mom pick me up 200lbs of a custom mix from a feed store near her house, the owner said it would last me about 3 weeks LOL.  I've only had mine a week, but I've been feeding scraps and veggies in addition to the commercial, so I can't give you a real guess yet.


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## freemotion (Oct 14, 2010)

I seem to remember Storey's Guide having a chart or something....so many pounds of feed per pound of finished meat, or something like that.  I don't have the book, I got it from the library.

I haven't paid for feed since Sept 22 and will get through Oct.  We'll see how far into November.  Yes, I am bragging. 

Even with feeding commercial feed, hogs are a good deal, from what I understand.  Depending, of course, on how much you can do yourself, from constructing the pen to daily care to actual butchering, and how much it costs to hire out the parts you don't want to deal with.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Oct 14, 2010)

havent fed commercial feed since mid-summer but we do feed corn and supplement with our "free" protein from our farm (eggs and goat milk). 

we find that we can get a years worth of meat VERY cheaply - once you are set up and do your own butchering it totally makes sense...and cents. 

commercial hog chow around here is about $7/bag. you'd do well to call a local feed mill to get their pricing.

jmh is usually around here - he's good for stats and such.. buddy? you out there??


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## PattySh (Oct 15, 2010)

I think we used a bag of grain a week when we had growing piggies. Now we are feeding our boar and pregnant sow about 3 qts of grain each daily plus lots goodies.  daughter gets commercial kitchen prep trimmings(vegies, fruits)almost daily and leftovers sometimes like pasta, prepared meals, sandwiches, cookies and muffins (unserved leftovers only not off plates!). We also have goats so older and especially sour milk is relished. Pigs love sour milk ours can smell it when we make their pans of food and they go crazy. They also get the whey when we make cheese. So ours are cheaply fed. Get yourself a kitchen source!


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## burntmuch (Oct 15, 2010)

Sounds like I need to start looking for a kitchen source. Thanks guys


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## Calliopia (Oct 15, 2010)

My father fed his pigs for free from dumpster diving and sourcing free hay that had been field stored and letting them forage over about a 1/2 acre.


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## jodief100 (Oct 15, 2010)

My neighbor has a hog operation.  He works as a janitor at the local elementary school for the sole purpose of taking home the garbage from the cafeteria.  He sets up a separate garbage can at the end of the line and asks all the kiddies to scrape their plates into that one.  He also brings home the kitchen scraps. My Darling Hubby tells me has been doing it since before Hubby was attending the elementary school, 30+ years ago.


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## PattySh (Oct 15, 2010)

I would not give my pigs leftover plated food, too much chance for disease and illegal in most places. Food from the commercial kitchen is prep only, vegies trimmings and such.  I also use the wasted hay under my goats feeders for bedding for the pigs (they eat some of it)and give them a flake a day in their feeder as they enjoy chewing on it between meals. Fresh water very important at all times. In the midst of winter I actually put their "vegies" in a big pot and heat them up then add to their grain  for them to stay warmer.


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## jhm47 (Oct 15, 2010)

I have heard (and read) that it's against federal law to feed uncooked garbage (food waste) to pigs.  There is the possibility of infecting the pigs with trichinosis.  Even if the food has been cooked, it needs to be recooked and brought to a boil in order to be legal.  

I am of the opinion that pigs will do better, be healthier, and taste better if fed a good, well balanced commercial feed.  That way they will be getting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals.  If they are allowed to range on a nice pasture, they will still benefit from a balanced diet.  My grandfather used to say, GIGO (garbage in, garbage out).  Of course, he's been gone for a loooooong time now, but I never forgot that saying.


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## CountryFried (Oct 15, 2010)

According to Storey, page 81 in the 2009, from 40lbs to slaughter weight, a pig will eat 650-750lbs commercial feed.  I pay $8.75 per 50lb bag (no tax), so that's $113.75-$131.25 each, plus however much it takes to get them to 40lbs.  I can save 10 a bag if I buy it 500lbs at a time.  (I live in AL, but buy my feed in FL.  I usually take my van to FL, or my mom comes up, neither of us can haul 500lbs at a time, so I'm stuck at 8.75 a bag until I need to take my truck down.)


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## burntmuch (Oct 16, 2010)

Ive got a feed source lined up. $16 per 100 lbs, So  say the pig eats between 600 & 700 lbs of feed thats . Thats $90 to $120 per pig. I can live with that.. I would imagine they will get some scraps & treats , but %99 of their feed will be from the feed store.


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## rittert3 (Oct 23, 2010)

well at 700# of feed per head that $112
Current market here of feeder pigs is .85/# @ 40#s thats $34/ head
and if you want to hire out processing last I checked that was $135 
so purchase to freezer you're looking at $281 per hog
if you can get it to weigh 200 butcher weight that'll be about 160 dress out weight which brings you to about $1.76/#
Also It might be a hair cheaper to buy a cull sow and process her right away although the meat may not be quite as tender. Make sure any boar pigs are castrated or their meat will be sour and only good for heavily seasoned sausage. Hope this helps.


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## john in wa (Oct 24, 2010)

We just started are pig. we were feeding her all the table left overs and we have a lot plus all the extra veggies from the garden. She seemed to be growing slow. I then started her on pig grower and wow has she taken off. seems like she has almost doubled in size her back is now flat and wide her hams are growing nice. it was like night and day. we pay a little over $19 per 80# sack.


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