Extremely basic guide to feeding your show pig

Pigs are like us- they will eat anything however, like us, this does not mean that everything is good for them. It largely depends on what you want your pig to do.

To grow exceptionally well
	Provide a carefully balanced diet – this needs discussion with a nutritionist
	Modern hybrid pigs will grow from birth (1.2 kg) to 100 kg within 100 days
To grow acceptably well using more traditional rations
	From 40 lbs to 240 lbs a pig will eat 10 bushels of corn and 125 lbs of protein supplements
	Meats scraps should never be used because of the risk of Classical Swine Fever (Hog Cholera), but almost all other feeds are acceptable. Consult with your veterinarian or local government veterinarian for the local rules.
	Points to remember:
	Always use clean looking feed. If the feed smells or tastes foul to you, it is likely to do the same for your pig. Cheap food is not always safe food.
	Corn	Corn (Maize – Zea maize) can have a variable protein content – from 16 to 8% total protein
		Corn can be made available on the ear so note weight
		Pigs have an issue with digesting shelled whole corn so soaking in water (for 2 hours time) improves its palatability and digestibility
		Grinding or hammering the corn will also improve its digestibility
	Protein	Skim milk is an ideal addition to the corn
		Provide red clover (Trifolium pratense)
			This may be sufficient to provide for maintaining adults and late growing/finishing pigs
			On a pasture, pigs will supplement their intake with naturally taken insects, roots and small mammals.
		Soya bean products provide excellent protein sources. Mix 4 lbs of grain to 1 part hog forty provides a good basic growing/finishing ration
			Hog forty is a soybean meal with a 40% crude protein content already remixed with vitamins and minerals
		Fish meal - When available fish meal may be useful. Note fish meal can taint the meat if the pig is fed close to slaughter
	Bulk	To bulk up the diet add a bale of alfalfa hay to a ton of complete feed
	Lactating sows
		Lactating sows must be provided with a well rounded diet with access to copious amounts of water. Consult with a nutritionist

Other feed options
	Milk		All forms of milk can provide an excellent food source, particularly when the pig is young or sick.
	Boiled rice or potatoes		Carbohydrate sources from a variety of sources can be used, prepare them similarly for human consumption. Raw several contain mycotoxins or poisons which are destroyed by cooking
	Beer		Pigs love beer and beer products, but they can also get drunk so use with caution
	Yeast and corn by-products		Yeast by-products can also be used with caution and provide a taste the pig will relish
			Mycotoxins may be concentrated in some by-products
	Eggs including shells		Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Un-cooked eggs may be a salmonella risk. Egg shells are a source of minerals in particular calcium and phosphorous
	Vitamin sources		There are natural source rich in vitamins and minerals – for example: Sunflowers and almonds are good sources of Vit E.
	Table scraps		Note comments regarding mammalian meat as a potential disease risk.
			Ensure that the pigs have not access to any human garbage bins
Feed consumption
		Basic guide a growing/finishing pig will eat 4% of its body weight a day
		An adult sow will eat 1% of its body weight a day unless it is lactating when it appetite should not be restricted.
		Restrict feeding feed finishing pig to 90% of its appetite 4-6 weeks pre-slaughter may decrease the fat content, but this also decreases lean content but overall improve the carcass quality. Many modern breeds do not require to be restrict feed to improve the carcass, but some of the more traditional breeds carcass will benefit from restrict feeding.
Feed storage
		Only make sufficient for 2 weeks
		Store air tight – in a 55lbs trash can for example
		Keep bagged feed on pallets to keep bag dry and away from rodents
		Place rodent control station safely beneath the feed bag palate.
Feeders
Adults and pet pigs
		In the summer time scatter the feed on the floor/ground over a wide area. It is essential that the pig has to work for their feed.
Growing/finishing pigs
		Growing pigs must eat clean food and trough management is essential.
		Minimize waste – major part of economic control – avoid floor feeding
		Do not allow feed to go stale, only provide sufficient for the pigs to eat and not soil. Growing and finishing pigs should still ‘work’ for their feed
		Note trough length and position within the pen
Water – the ‘forgotten nutrient’
		Ideally water should be provided from a trough
		Water must be available at all times
		Ensure the water does not freeze over in the winter time