# Pig feeding questions - scraps and such



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

I have read they do not need salt, but do they need loose minerals like the cows and goats do? Also, when it comes to feeding them scraps, what about stuff that might be a bit moldy? Like the mushrooms in the fridge that I didn't eat before they fuzzed over? I admit I give them to chickens but I figure chickens are disgusting and will eat anything, but I'd never give anything moldy to the goats. Would it hurt the pigs? They seem to want to eat so much ... what I about potato peels? I have 200# of Yukon golds to process and I won't peel them all but I will peel some. I also have a source for some old sweet potatoes-can I give them to the pigs? Should I cook them first? Can I give them too many potatoes? Do the eat egg shells? What about peelings from onions? Or watermelon rinds?


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

Hi Shannon,

My husband and I just started raising hogs this Summer. If you are giving them feed, make sure it is the right percentage of protein for their age. The feed should take care of the minerals and vitamins they need. Ours get fed feed as a supplement to foraging clover and alfalfa.

From what we have read, here are some NO's:
-Salt (can be deadly)
-Nightshades (so I would say no to the peels. We haven given cooked sweet potatoes to our pigs, they love them)

What we do feed ours in addition to their feed and foraging:
-Eggs and the shells
-Milk, yogurt, sour cream ( a friend gives us Goat's milk that is starting to sour, we started freezing some for them for Winter. From what I have read the more sour the better )
-Fruit. They love grapes, bananas, apples, pears, berries, peaches, plums (Just make sure that you remove any pits from stone fruit), melon & rinds
-Squash, cucumbers, pumpkin (the seeds are a natural de-wormer)

I have given them some produce that is starting to mold but not full blown, I save that for the compost pile 

I know that Walter, Gerold and others could probably fill you in way better than I could try.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Pigs, like all animals, do need salt but don't feed them salt. They'll get enough in their diet as long as they have some variety. It would be a pretty extreme diet that didn't have enough.

A bit of mold isn't an issue for grower pigs. The only time I would be concerned would be gestating sows because the fetuses are sensitive to mold toxins that won't hurt the sow or even grower pigs. Still, I wouldn't give a huge amount of moldy stuff - compost it. Use your judgement. Would you eat it? If no then your pigs probably would. 

Potatoes, onions, citrus and such are better cooked than raw. More palatable and more nutritiously available. No need to peel any of these.

Eggs are fabulous food for pigs. If you cook them it doubles the available protein. Eggs are cheap. We keep about 300 to 500 laying hens for their organic pest control. Much of the year they eat insects and pasture - we don't buy them commercial grain/hen feed. In the winter we feed the chickens meat - pastured pork in fact. They eat the slaughter scraps and thrive. In turn the hens produce tens of thousands of eggs which we feed to our pigs - free pasture based feed for the pigs. I tend to concentrate the eggs towards the weaners and upward as they benefit from them the most. Bigger pigs are better at grazing than little ones although the little ones start grazing long before they wean. Yes, you can just feed them the egg shells - no problem.

Dairy is another great food for pigs. We feed whey mostly. It is a great complement for pasture/hay.

I don't feed meat to our pigs. The reason is because we sell pork. If you're just raising for your own family then this isn't an issue although frankly I would rather not teach the pigs to eat meat. Speaking of which, don't fall down and pass out in the pasture. Pigs or chickens will eat you. If they don't the mice, crows, ravens, coyotes, bear, etc will cleanup. That's the reality of life. It isn't Disney folks. :}

We feed a lot of pumpkins, sunflowers, sunchokes, kale, rape, turnips, apples, pears, etc. We grow these in our winter paddocks and in the lines between fields.

My suggestion on diet for pigs is to base it on managed rotational grazing. Pasture is the first and majority component. Feed scraps, etc as above. While you're learning, buy commercial pig feed and give it in the afternoon. As you become more experienced you'll be able to wean off costly commercial feed. The commercial feed will get you to market the fastest at the greatest cost. The pasture, dairy, etc will get you to market perhaps a little slower, or perhaps just as fast, but the meat will taste better and be a *lot* less expensive to produce.

While you're doing all this, get your soil tested. Selenium is one thing in our area that may be missing and can be an issue. I know that our incoming winter hay is low in selenium. Our soil has excellent selenium levels. So I feed our soil to our pigs in the winter when we're up on top of snow pack and I also feed kelp at times - another good source of lots of things. Don't over feed kelp as it does have salt in it. It only takes about three tables spoons or so per grower pig max to give them the minerals they need. Do not free feed it like some sources will suggest.

We free feed dairy, mostly whey, as available. I find that the pigs need about 20% additional water for the dairy they drink. Having fresh water available is critical. Pigs can die quickly for lack of fresh water. Note that they'll enjoy water you consider muddy and filthy - it's like us and tea.


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## Pig in a poke (Mar 27, 2013)

No nightshades?
They ate the tomatoes right up. Is that bad for them?
They wouldn't touch the raw eggplant, but any left-over fried eggplant, they will eat. 
Bad idea?


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

I am by no means an expert and am just learning. I have read that tomatoes are okay but the plants, stems, etc. are not.

Here are a couple of links where I got the information from:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/357783-what-not-feed-pigs.html

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/pigs/179134-what-shouldnt-they-eat.html


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Many nightshade family plants are not a problem. A few are. I've never seen a problem I've traced to nightshade, tomatoes or potatoes. My mother, a physician, says that foxglove and other toxic things taste bad so critters avoid them. Our pigs eat the tomatoes, stems, leaves, etc. That is not all that they get - variety may be key.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I feed a lot of every thing on the homestead to the pig just like I feed me . I also feed a commercial pig feed and plenty of diary (I'V got a milk cow ) the main concern is in the last 6 weeks before butchering feed a lot of corn to clean em out and firm up the bacon


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

What do you think is giving you soft bacon?

We feed pasture, dairy (whey), apples, a little spent barley, no bought corn, no commercial feed and get nice firm bacon and fat. Your pigs's diet is similar to ours so I'm curious as to what might be causing soft bacon for you.

-Walter


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## Greyrooster== (Sep 9, 2013)

If you can get pigs to eat raw white potatoes you're one up on me. I can't.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I find that the pigs will eat raw white potatoes after the potatoes freeze and thaw.


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## petaddict (Apr 10, 2009)

We just moved our 3 pigs to clean up a garden that needs to be put to bed. There are lots of mangel beets, corn stalks with old corn on them, winter squash, rotten watermelons, etc. Do you know what they seem to be liking the best? Fingerling sweet potatoes that were just too small for us to bother with. Who would have thought they'd choose them over the other stuff first?


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## HerseyMI (Jul 22, 2012)

highlands said:


> Pigs, like all animals, do need salt but don't feed them salt. They'll get enough in their diet as long as they have some variety.
> 
> I don't feed meat to our pigs. The reason is because we sell pork. If you're just raising for your own family then this isn't an issue although frankly I would rather not teach the pigs to eat meat. Speaking of which, don't fall down and pass out in the pasture. Pigs or chickens will eat you. If they don't the mice, crows, ravens, coyotes, bear, etc will cleanup. That's the reality of life. It isn't Disney folks. :}


We throw a trace mineral salt block in the pasture and the pigs chew it when they need it. Mostly they rub on it. We tried a selenium salt block and they literally buried it.

Don't put toddlers or any children in with any size group of pigs... ever.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Highlands- Funny yoou should mention foxglove. It is the most used plant for modern medicine. It would be a very valuable plant except for it's abundance and ease of growth.


Wade


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