Feeder pig diet.

[Baymule]

Mangel beets, pumpkins, summer squash, daikon radish, watermelon, cantaloupe, plant peanuts and let them root them up for harvest. I'm just throwing out ideas. Farmers used to raise mangel beets for winter feed for the animals.

 

[firebob]

Most of the silage I make is a mix of corn, millet, and cow peas. It should have the protean needed for the pigs. I have read a lot on apple silage with pigs. If i could I would feed 1/3 apple silage, 1/3 silage, and 1/3 chopped hay. I know the haylage I make would not work very well as a primary feed source, but I did try feeding them some and they eat it just fine.

I planted turnips as we still have a few more frosts to deal with and they should due fine. 9 days ago I woke up to a dusting of snow and looks like were freezing tonight with a possibility of snow.

I'm in a water shed with a lot of nutrients runoff issues. I have used a few grants over the years to help with infrastructure cost. I don't want to ruin the possibility of getting more grants by putting animals out to pasture. I'm also getting paid from a multi year study a collage is doing.

We do deep bedding, compost it for 90+ days, and then spread to our fields. We never buy fertilizer and the need for lime is dropping off. We do some vertical tillage when needed, but do our best for zero till. I'm able to get 100 yards of course shavings delivered for $250.

 

[firebob]

It hit 30* last night with rain.

I'm picking up 4 tons of winter squash, cabbage, carrots, apples, and potatoes this morning. This afternoon I have to drop off around 2 tons of compost at the bosses house.

 

[Baymule]

It hit 30* last night with rain.

I'm picking up 4 tons of winter squash, cabbage, carrots, apples, and potatoes this morning. This afternoon I have to drop off around 2 tons of compost at the bosses house.

Score!!! That's awesome. How did you run up on this?

You are in a water run off situation? Do you have earthen swales to slow the water run off? Here in our area, there are many swales, built by the C.C.C in 1934. There are a couple on our 8 acres, plus I put them up in other areas of water run off.

 

[firebob]

I'm an OK acquaintance with a manager at the restaurant produce company about 10 miles from me. I let him know when everything was shutting down I would take stuff that was old, but still had a few days before it was inedible. I traded him 2 dozen eggs and 2 live chickens for 7 cases of potatoes delivered a few weeks ago. He says in a week or so they will have more for me.

The fun part was sorting everything they gave me. I ended up making eighteen 55 gallon drums of silage slop so nothing went bad. I'll be able to feed it to the pigs in a few weeks.

All my runoff goes to a managed wetland and into a retention pond. The pond dose overflow about every 3 to 5 years when we get rain for days. My property was part of a larger farm that was mismanaged that had a bunch of issues years ago. The only runoff I don't catch is around my house and front yard.

The grants I have gotten overt the years have paid around 1/3 of three 4,250 sq' live stock buildings, 5,000 sq' compost shed, four 120 yard covered bunkers, and the managed wet lands with pond.

About twice a year they will bust a farm near me for there runoff and it bankrupts most farmers.

 

[Baymule]

That is a great deal on the produce. It's nice that it goes to being useful instead of in a dumpster.

You have it all figured out with the drainage and water retention.

 

[firebob]

That winter squash is some hard stuff. I did not know I was getting into a full on work out with that stuff.

The runoff in the ponds have been tested a few times a year and always tests good.
With out have animals outside, not spreading manure, we compost under cover, and we do not put down fertilizer we reduce our chances of nutrients runoff.

 

[Baymule]

That winter squash is some hard stuff. I did not know I was getting into a full on work out with that stuff.

Whack it with an axe.

 

[firebob]

I ended up using the cleaver that I use when I butcher animals.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

We ended up with 100 weaned pigs to feed out this year. It's our first time with more than 2 pigs. They will be kept indoors on a large wood shaving type bedding.

There currently about 2 months old. Were feeding them 1/6 dry brewers grain, 1/3 silage, 1/3 cheap hay, and 1/6 chopped potatoes. I don't want to feed them any grain and I'm down to about 5 cases of potato seconds I need to get rid of.

We have plenty of drums of silage, cheap hay, and about 3,500 pounds of ground apple silage. I can get "used bread" cheap, but it's a lot of work. I know they don't eat most green chop.

What would you feed them and what mix?

Feeds should fulfill the needs of the animal for nutrition, development and reproduction. Good pig feed contains enough strength, protein, minerals and vitamins. Corn bran, broken corn, maize, soybeans, cassava, vegetables and residues of distillers are also used in pig feed.