# turnips



## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

So I was offered about 10 (pickup) truckloads of turnips-we have to harvest them. My pigs will eat the greens. Some of the sows and our boar will eat some turnips raw, but they will only eat some. The smaller hogs and pigs wonât touch the turnips unless we cook them.

So we are going to cut off the greens (and feed) cook the roots outside in 55 gallon drums, but I donât think we will be able to use all the turnip roots in a reasonable timeframe, especially since I suspect a turnip only diet for a few weeks wonât be good for finishing hogs and gestating sows.

Being that spring is just about here in SC (I am already planting) any suggestions on storing and/or feeding these turnips out in an efficient manner.

Thanks.


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## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

I should have mentioned in my first post that at present I have 3 sows, a boar, one litter (10) about to be weaned and 6 pigs in various stages of growth (60-180 lbs) to distribute the turnips and greens to.

Thanks.


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## monkeybackfarm (Apr 22, 2010)

Turnips will store reasonably well, I would just figure what they would eat in a weeks time, cut the amount in half,cook that much and mix with what you regularly feed. Say half roots and half feed mixed together.In other words stretch out the supply of roots and cut your regular feed bill somewhat. After they are aclimated to the new diet they will eat more with each passing week.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

What we find is that the pigs graze the tops during the warm season leaving the plants to continue growing. Come winter they will eat the roots, the turnip proper. Part is an issue of availability. Additionally there is the factor that like with potatoes, when the turnips freeze and thaw they become more digestible.

We don't harvest the turnips but rather set the pigs to doing the job.

Kale and Rape are also very good field crops out on pasture.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa


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## wildfrogs1 (Jan 25, 2011)

Turnips are great.

I would not spend the time and money to cook them.

Highlands is right they will eat the green and leave the root. If your sow is in an area without veg. she will eat the root. Weight gain is slow on turnips only and you are right they need other food source ( corn/soy and mineials if you are finishing).


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## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

Thanks for the help. Turns out we got about 12 truckloads of turnips and this week will get another 4, plus some radishes and mustard greens (don't know how much).

I finally decided to simply distribute them evenly between the pens. All the greens get eaten and some roots. One thing I like is that it looks like most of the pigs are up eating most of the day.

I don't know how much I should cut back on their other feed (commercial grain saturated with milk). I guess it depends on whether it is breeding stock, gestating sows, young pigs or hogs I am finishing. 

Thanks for the advice.

Jim


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## Mikey_B (Mar 16, 2012)

Rockfish said:


> Thanks for the help. Turns out we got about 12 truckloads of turnips and this week will get another 4, plus some radishes and mustard greens (don't know how much).
> 
> Jim


Hi Jim

What are you using to chop the turnips? I'm raising my own, along with beets but I can't find ANYTHING small, like the old fashioned hand crank kind.

Mike


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## eruehr (Feb 22, 2007)

You probably don't HAVE to chop them - but sometimes it helps to mix in some ground feed. For the cows and goats I mix their feed with the turnips and chop them using a spade in a rubber tub. Just takes a minute. They eat the whole ones fine, but chopping helps mix the grain with the veg. and gives them an edge that they can bite onto.


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## Rockfish (Feb 24, 2009)

Generally I donât chop the turnips unless I am cooking them. The larger turnips go to the larger hogs if possible. If chopping them, I simply put a piece of plywood on the tailgate of the pickup truck and use a standard cleaver to cut them into 2-4 pieces.


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