Pet not Pork: am I feeding her enough

[Teylah]

hello. just wondering if I am feeding my little ruby enough.
she is 7 weeks old & not for slaughter!! so I'm not trying to fatten her up! just keep her happy & healthy.

I feed her three times a day with a few snacks here and there.
I feed her half a cup of soaked barley, half a tomato, half a cup of zucchini, half an apple & a table spoon of yoghurt (x3 a day) sometimes the vegetables vary, but the amount stays to same... ??

 

[Teylah]

Here is what ruby had for breakfast

 

[BrownSheep]

She's eating better than I am. I don't raise pigs so I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Baymule]

While she is growing, you might want to feed her a balanced pellet feed to ensure that she gets enough protein and minerals. You can always give her the veggies as treats.

 

[jk47]

I would feed her a grower for 4months of age.then switch to a sow or maintenance diet
for rest of life. feed half a red coffee can each feeding per pig.work up to one full can. in tell
200pounds then switch ration and feed a little less then half can .
if you want I can check the books and give you exact rations for breeder replacement pigs

 

[M.L. McKnight]

Go to Tractor Supply and pick up a copy of "Storey's Guide for Raising Pigs" by Kelly Kloeber. It'll answer questions you didn't even know you had.

If she is getting that amount of food three times a day then she is getting plenty to eat but I'd include some milk and eggs in her ration. If you don't want to feed her pellets that is fine but she'll need a more complete diet than what you are giving her at the moment.
In addition to farming, I'm also a Chef Instructor. I have taken umpteen hours of nutrition classes (interesting but pretty dry material if you ask me) and I'd recommend that you find a guide that breaks down the nutritional components of food. There are endless internet guides, just bear in mind that those a just averages. I don't want to come off as being a smart arse, but a example would be the tomatoes that you feed your pig. Tomatoes allowed to mature on the vine are going to have a different nutritional value than tomatoes that are picked green and ripened in the window. The amount and type of fertilizer further affect it.
Forgive the rant, I'm a bit of a food nerd.

 

[blbreeza2910]

How do I post a question of my own?

 

[jk47]

blbreeza2910 to post a question go to the section you wish to post in and at the top of the page below the ad to the right of the screen theres a thing that says post new thread

 

[blbreeza2910]

Does any one know about calves? Need urgent help!!

 

[Sumi]

@Teylah tomatoes are fine for pigs, but they are very acid and should be fed in small amounts, even cooked/processed.

If I remember correctly piglets need 35% protein in their food for the first few months.I can't remember the extract time frame now. Your best bet would be a formulated piglet ration from a feedstore and feed her as much as she can eat (enthusiastically) in 10 minutes, twice a day. You can feed her some snacks in-between. Just watch she doesn't get fat. Pigs are little greedy guts and will eat more than they need if given the opportunity.