# Molasses



## northeastcallin (Mar 11, 2013)

I've heard from a few local (now former) dairy farmers that they used to give molasses to their cows at times. Wondering if there is any benefit to adding molasses to my feeder pigs' diet (or what the general consensus is on molasses in general).

Pigs currently eat fish leftovers from a fish market, spent grain from a brewery, and pasture. Occasionally corn ( we are getting more now that our first two are close to slaughter weight and we are removing the fish from their diets)

Thanks.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Molasses stimulates appetite. Mixed in feed, the pigs will eat more, if that is a problem. I think it is best used to keep your loose mineral mix evenly mixed in the feed.


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## CJBegins (Nov 20, 2009)

I used molasses in milk when the pigs were sick to get them to drink more and add energy to their diet. It worked. I don't think any pig that lived lost weight.


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## cshire (Feb 1, 2011)

I mix dry molasses (about $12 per 50 lbs at the feed store) with the spent brew grain for my hogs. I found they weren't too fond of the spent grain alone.

I also mix cracked corn about 50/50 with the grains. 

Waiting for the weather to warm up so I can get oats, turnips, beets, etc. started and back off the feed store corn.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

cshire said:


> I mix dry molasses (about $12 per 50 lbs at the feed store) with the spent brew grain for my hogs. I found they weren't too fond of the spent grain alone.
> 
> I also mix cracked corn about 50/50 with the grains.
> 
> Waiting for the weather to warm up so I can get oats, turnips, beets, etc. started and back off the feed store corn.


Don't the minerals settle to the bottom? What do you use to increase the protein without soybeans?


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## cshire (Feb 1, 2011)

The spent brew grains are not dry distillers grain, but wet grains that were cooked that day in the brew process.

The load of grain in a pickup bed will leave a puddle under the truck if parked for more than 5 minutes as the excess water drains out.

I mix in an open top 55 gallon drums. Here is the recipe:
4 shovels of wet brewers grain (makes about a 3" layer on the bottom of the barrel)
sprinkle with 1 scoop dry molasses - probably 2 lbs?
3-4 scoops cracked corn - eyeballing for a 50/50 mix or maybe a bit less by volume.
stir it up.

Add layers until i get 3 drums full - that will last for a week for 3 hogs as main feed and a 5 gal bucket per day for the cow & calf.

The final mixture is still pretty moist and packs together a bit as it settles. The molasses sticks to the wet grain and doesn't settle out.

I used to mix in a 50lb bag of commercial finisher feed in as well, but have stopped that as the brewery is giving me more grain than I can use now.

Any leftover brew grain gets dumped in pile for compost and for the chickens to pick thru.

All I have read shows the brewers grain at around 20% protein. The corn provides the carbs to balance the protein and the molasses provides sweet flavor and minerals.

Probably not a scientifically balanced diet, but everybody seems healthy.


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