# What not to feed pigs.



## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

My husband and I had a nice time up at Levon and Lynn's farm the other day--they have lots of adorable babies. Sad thing is they won't have any piglets available for me until summer.

So, I can't wait, and when I am ready I am ready. Once I made my mind up that is it.

So in the interim, we are going to get a larger breed that might be ready to slaughter this summer. They are Poland China/Durocs. I plan to pick them up today.

I learned a bunch of things you can feed them, but what I need to know, what can't you feed them?

Citrus? I don't feed that to chickens or cows--so it goes in the compost, can pigs eat it?

Someone said they feed them chicken guts--we are processing some chickens tomorrow--I don't know how much of that kind of stuff I really want to give them.

They are 6 weeks old, and the plan is to get 4.

don't know if this link will work

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos...067224312_1188843243_32319844_693981305_n.jpg


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## BobbyB (Apr 6, 2009)

Well..... I have always just thrown them everything and let them sort it out. It's always worked for me.


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## Levonsa (Dec 17, 2008)

Karen, we enjoyed meeting you and showing you the animals. I am sorry that we didn't have any piglets left. When we process chickens, our pigs get all the remains. They eat the feathers and all. So far, the only thing that we have given them that have not eaten is raw onions. Good luck with your new pigs. We will let you know when we have more little ones.


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

Mine would never eat potato peelings. Everything else seemed fair game - extra chicken eggs, shell and all, were the favorite!


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I find they're not particularly interested in raw onions. Cooked they like them. They will learn to eat citrus. Break them open and they figure out in time to do it themselves. They're not fond of raw potatoes but they will eat them cooked or after a freeze thaw cycle. They're also not all that interested in peppers although they'll eat them if hungry.

Beware of feeding them things with a strong flavor you don't like as the flavor gets deposited into the fat. Primary flavor deposition is in the last two weeks to a month.

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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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

There were onions in what I gave them. Can't get anything to eat them I guess. I don't want the milk cows to get them--the others can but don't always eat them.

I picked up the monsters today. They went right to work on rooting and not eating the onions and carrots and feed. Then they figured out where their bed was and I found them all snuggled in the hutch in the hay.

It was not fun driving in the car with them--kind of smelled and were noisy. I tried telling them if they didn't knock it off, I was going to turn that car around--but it didn't work.


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## heavyrebel (Oct 6, 2010)

LOL...we just got our two, too. They are rooting and eating, but just their pig chow. Not interested in the slop yet....we'll keep offering it though! They love to root into the hay and snuggle in there. Every morning I almost step on on them!


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## HardBall (Dec 23, 2010)

Garbage feeding hogs is illegal in almost all states; (primarily any meat or meat byproduct) I would check your state laws before feeding "chicken guts" or any other animal protein that are not rendered before feeding.


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## happymainepigs (Jul 19, 2011)

Yeah the thought of feeding chicken guts to 6 week old pigs.. gross. Maybe if it's cooked? Here in Maine it is not legal to feed post consumer waste or garbage unless it's heat treated for a half hour and you have to have a license to do the heat treating. 
So depending on your local laws, that's what not to feed pigs.

My pigs won't eat raw carrots, potatoes, onions. They will eat any cooked veggies. I never feed any raw meat to them.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I would think the laws would pertain to any meat I intend to sell, and not for private consumption. 

I did save out some organs (lungs and kidneys) to give the pigs. I will probably cook them first. They don't seem to interested in their feed--later in the day they go for it.

I have 2 pallets of outdated pure Acai concentrate that I will try on them. I got it from a neighbor--his son had a truckload brought to the states and there was some problem with some of the jars, so he couldn't sell them. I don't really drink juice, and the chickens are not interested in it, so will try the pigs. (I just remembered the pallets because we were cleaning the garage where they have been sitting for a year or so.

My neighbor puts it in his compost.


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## enggass (Nov 23, 2011)

I thought potatoes, or potato skins, were bad for them. Poisonous. Is this not the case? I have spoken to a small, local, mostly organic restaurant that is willing to share their 'prep'(pre-consumer) scraps with me when I get my AGHs. I was going to ask them to try and separate out the Potato skins. Is this not necessary?


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## bruceki (Nov 16, 2009)

my pigs just won't eat potatoes in any form unless they're cooked. The loads of produce we get regularly include potatoes and onions and citrus, but the pigs just ignore it. 

Bruce / ebeyfarm.blogspot.com


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## enggass (Nov 23, 2011)

If potato peels were to be mixed in and they were to eat some, is it bad for them?


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

enggass said:


> If potato peels were to be mixed in and they were to eat some, is it bad for them?


Some potato peels that have been exposed to the sun turn green.
Chlorophyll, an alkaloid. The green sprouts and skin are poison for 
hogs. Also not to good for humans. Potatoes are a part of the 
nightshade family. 
My hogs never eat raw potatoes. they cross the potato patch all the time and never root in it. I did worry about that when i first got the hogs but watched them and they just walk across the potato field and never touch the potatoes.


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## wwubben (Oct 13, 2004)

Many farms around here had fifty gallon or larger cast iron pots that potatoes were boiled in to feed the pigs.These pots are hanging in yards as a decoration now days.Milk products work well for pigs.My friend used to get all of the outdated milk products from the local stores and fed to his pigs.Feeding raw meat to pigs can be risky.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Karen in Alabam said:


> I would think the laws would pertain to any meat I intend to sell, and not for private consumption.
> 
> I did save out some organs (lungs and kidneys) to give the pigs. I will probably cook them first. They don't seem to interested in their feed--later in the day they go for it.
> 
> ...


That would be a correct statement, but since the law is there for a very real reason, why subject your familiy to potential disease?

A few years back, it was thought safe to feed animal fat to cattle. Now we know it is a stupid thing to do. I don't think it is worth the risk,IMHO.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

haypoint said:


> That would be a correct statement, but since the law is there for a very real reason, why subject your familiy to potential disease?
> 
> A few years back, it was thought safe to feed animal fat to cattle. Now we know it is a stupid thing to do. I don't think it is worth the risk,IMHO.


I just had to smile at the last statement--yes it was as stupid thing to feed cattle dead cattle--not just animal fat---but the same people that did that, and you would think have smartened up just find more stupid things to feed vegetarian animals--like chicken poop (and what every dead chicken happens to be in it).

Pigs are not vegetarians though. From what I can tell they are pretty much 4 legged chickens--a little on the gross side, and eat everything and anything. I wouldn't want my pigs to have a big diet of chicken guts, I would think too much might give it a gamey taste.

When you think of animals of prey--we don't eat them. At least I don't. We eat the more vegetarian type animals, or at least omnivores. 

I was also thinking you always hear the mob raises hogs--and that they feed people to them.


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

Karen in Alabam said:


> I just had to smile at the last statement--yes it was as stupid thing to feed cattle dead cattle--not just animal fat---but the same people that did that, and you would think have smartened up just find more stupid things to feed vegetarian animals--like chicken poop (and what every dead chicken happens to be in it).
> 
> Pigs are not vegetarians though. From what I can tell they are pretty much 4 legged chickens--a little on the gross side, and eat everything and anything. I wouldn't want my pigs to have a big diet of chicken guts, I would think too much might give it a gamey taste.
> 
> ...


"Harold, feed him to the pigs" Bricktop the movie "Snatch"
He went out to poop and the pigs ate him (one of my paternal grandpa's favorite sayings)

If I was going to feed meat to a hog (or some veggies, like potatoes), I would be sure to cook them first. I mean, I don't want my hog getting a taste for chicken, I have enough problems with raccoons!


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

we feed our pigs the chicken entrails, carcasses, and anything left over.
The chickens are gone and the pigs will be too so it doesn't matter if they get a taste for the birds.....


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I've never used my critters as my garbage disposals. What I raise is food for me and the bones go to my dogs after my meal. What I don't use goes in the trash.


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## DavidUnderwood (Jul 5, 2007)

Cook it good and its like anything else from your kitchen.
Worms, germs and parasites all dead.


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## teethdoc (Feb 24, 2012)

Karen, did you get the pigs from a guy in Ft. Payne? I just picked up 4 from him this weekend. I'm hoping to get some heritage pigs from Levon at a later date.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

Yes, got them from Jason (I think his name was) in Fort Payne.

The little monsters got out this afternoon while we were away. Found them making a mess by the chicken coop under the rose bushes. They went pretty easily back into their pen, of course I had their dinner there.

I am also thinking of getting some later form Levon when they have some ready.


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