Would like to phase out commercial feed

[WildHarmonyFarm]

Thank you all for the input. I didn't realize I had to subscribe to the thread to get notified of postings, so I am just now reading all of the wonderful suggestions. I'm going to check the feed for the lysine % when I get home today. I've also been reading a lot about fermented feed, and I just started fermenting the whole grain mixture of their feed. Still trying to find someplace that will mix up some grains so we can leave out the GMO corn. I might try fermenting the pellets, too, since the fermentation is supposed to make more nutrients from the feed available to the pig, and improve other aspects of the digestive system as well. (Thereby reducing feed input). We have also AI'd all 3 pigs, but we're still on the fence about who took and who didn't. Maybe I can post in another section and get some help on that question!

 

[jaasp]

Look into growing barley fodder for your animals. It's a complete food, is incredibly cheap to produce, and can be self-sustainable with a small barley plot on your homestead. Coupled with a small body of water that is heavy with duck weed (naturally 50% protein) you can eliminate soy based products, 100% greens for your animals, and removes the need for any outside food sources.

 

[Z's Farm]

Can pigs eat butter beans and butter bean seeds?

 

[koop]

You have to decide what's important to you when you raise pigs. Commercial feed is formulated to grow the pigs to market size as fast as possible, but the quality might suffer and the pigs themselves might suffer as they put on more weight then their bones and joints can handle.
I worked with breeding stock for about ten years, so my ideal isn't fast growth but healthy growth. I want to feed my pigs good feed and pasture. Next year we hope to get our pigs earlier and try to feed grain we buy and mill ourselves, I'd like to avoid corn and soy as much as I can as they just make the pigs grow fast = soft pork.

 

[misfitmorgan]

We buy corn from local farmers in gravity wagons, same with oats, then crack it together and bag it, then feed that out as their base fed mix. We also throw in differing amounts of layer mash, scratch feed, BOSS, raw eggs including shell, goat milk, vegetable scraps from subway, bread sometimes, any house scraps, old bean/vegetable can goods, peanut butter, powdered milk, garden extras, pumpkins/squash...basically whatever we have on hand that isnt meat. They end up with a pretty balanced diet i would think, the only thing they get on a daily basis that is exactly the same is the base feed of cracked corn/oats which atm is about 10lbs for 4 pigs at 3.5-4 months old. The dish of cracked corn/oats is never empty. Dont forget lots of water, like most animals pigs wont eat if they get to thirsty.

 

[19disbre]

Be careful with duckweed I have heard it has some natural growth inhibitors with a weird name like trypsin I think, do some research on that. Trypsin might not be the name of that. Soybeans have this or a similar growth inhibitor which is why they must be roasted before using

 

[19disbre]

butter beans and there seeds are good

 

[Baymule]

We buy corn from local farmers in gravity wagons, same with oats, then crack it together and bag it, then feed that out as their base fed mix. We also throw in differing amounts of layer mash, scratch feed, BOSS, raw eggs including shell, goat milk, vegetable scraps from subway, bread sometimes, any house scraps, old bean/vegetable can goods, peanut butter, powdered milk, garden extras, pumpkins/squash...basically whatever we have on hand that isnt meat. They end up with a pretty balanced diet i would think, the only thing they get on a daily basis that is exactly the same is the base feed of cracked corn/oats which atm is about 10lbs for 4 pigs at 3.5-4 months old. The dish of cracked corn/oats is never empty. Dont forget lots of water, like most animals pigs wont eat if they get to thirsty.

The eggs should be boiled. Raw eggs actually rob nutrients from the animal.

 

[misfitmorgan]

The eggs should be boiled. Raw eggs actually rob nutrients from the animal.

Good to know but how so? We were just using it as added protein.

 

[YooperFarmer]

What would a grain mix look like without corn or soy? Is that possible?