# Lookin for Feed Recipe



## pekin84 (Feb 18, 2005)

We've been raising a half dozen pigs at a time for the kids' 4H projects. They need to meet a weight requirement by fair time. We are not out to win,not interested in special "show feeds," and we will be eating a couple of these pigs ourselves.

The first couple years we fed pre packaged pig grower. Meat was good. Last year, in order to save money, we had some feed ground at the local mill, mostly corn. Meat was very fatty.

Does anyone have a recipe for a higher protein feed?


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## 1Travelingon (May 1, 2005)

pekin84 said:


> We've been raising a half dozen pigs at a time for the kids' 4H projects. They need to meet a weight requirement by fair time. We are not out to win,not interested in special "show feeds," and we will be eating a couple of these pigs ourselves.
> 
> The first couple years we fed pre packaged pig grower. Meat was good. Last year, in order to save money, we had some feed ground at the local mill, mostly corn. Meat was very fatty.
> 
> Does anyone have a recipe for a higher protein feed?


I'm surprised nobody has responded to this, and I wish I could help, but am new at raising pigs (just for butchering).
I have an old timer up the road that says to ferment barley at the end of raise to pack on the weight as well as flavor... however we have not tried this yet.
Hopefully someone with experience will put their two cents in soon. 
4H is a great club for children/teens in an era when too many of them can only relate to video. Best wishes.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/Pages/ADVS/EC509.pdf 
is a good site. Read page 7 particularly.
Mixing feed is not all that simple since the quality and the source of the feed varies. Using good soy meal and a quality premix is essential IMO.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

Here is a generic recipe. It will vary if you have barrows or gilts.
Gilts tend to be leaner than barrows. Barrows will put on fat faster.

Here is the gilt recipe.
Corn  1620#
Soybean meal 46.5% 320#
Monocalcium phosphate 25
Limestone 19
Salt 7#
Vitamin premix 3#
Trace mineral premix 3#
synthetic lysine 3#
this figures to a 14.3%ration. You want a higher protien for barrows.
The "show feed" companies also produce lesser priced commercial premixes. 
The mixing instructions are on the bag. Just because it is cheaper, doesn't mean it will cost less to feed them out. We have been there done that so to speak. We have tried lesser priced feeds, custom mixes, etc...it did not cost any less to feed them that the years we fed "show feeds". It takes less feed to feed the good stuff. The meat is just as tasty and good if you have a hog with no stress gene. But my philosophy is "if you going to put out the hard work to do it, you might as well try to win". It differs from other peoples. It will cost $160/hog to feed moormans show tec and we will end up holding them because we get 3 plus pounds a day with it. 
hope this helps


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## gladetop (May 10, 2005)

This is what I feed and had great tasting meat and not to fatty.
50% whole corn (soaked in water)
25% premix pig grower
25% corn glutten

The whole corn and corn glutten cost the same and is about half the cost of the pig grower. The whole corn is about 8% protien the glutten is 17% protien and the grower is 14% protien. I also add a little trace minerals every now and then.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

How long did it take to get the hog to market weight at that? If it works and they gain fast, it sounds economical.


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## gladetop (May 10, 2005)

Well we fattened 24 pigs last year. The biggest half of the pigs went to the butcher at 6 1/2 Months at around 250+ pounds (mostly barrows and extra big gilts) the smaller half (mostly smaller gilts) went at 7 months at 225 to 235.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

I can raise a pig from a 50 pound weiner to a 250 pound hog in 4 months by feeding nothing but slop from the local restaurant.

I understand that the best pig barns take 15 weeks to do the same job.

My last two were butchered at 275 and 280 pounds and I got 15 pound of fat between the two pigs! I wanted more to make venison pepperettes.

Why would you pay for food?

Pete


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

Because in Colorado, and many other states, it is against the law to feed garbage. My customers like to know I am feeding legally, and my kids like winning in the show ring. It is pretty simple.

Misty Gonzales
www.geocities.com/gonzalesshowpigs


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

Itâs tempting to think that you can make money from pigs by feeding them kitchen scraps and garbage. Pigs will love this diet, but they wonât grow and reproduce as well as when fed correctly balanced diets. 

Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) has now made the feeding of garbage a very high-risk business, and thereâs a high chance it will be banned. Industrial garbage is supposed to be cooked to kill possible diseases, but this is now left to the operator to control, and not licensed and inspected by MAF like it used to be. There are large quantities of bakery waste that are low risk, but any waste that has animal contents is risky. 
So until regulations are clarified, feed you own home scraps to pigs but avoid waste from other sources that you donât know anything about. 
Garbage is a very variable feed and can include such hazards as broken glass, cutlery and excess ingredients of all sorts. 

www.geocities.com/gonzalesshowpigs
www.geocities.com/buckshotboers2003


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## djuhnke (Oct 7, 2004)

buckshotboers said:


> Here is a generic recipe. It will vary if you have barrows or gilts.
> Gilts tend to be leaner than barrows. Barrows will put on fat faster.
> 
> Here is the gilt recipe.
> ...


Great recipie. Is there any one mix/feed that contains the minerals, lysine & vitamins (i.e.a one a day)? Just wondering. Thanks!

Dan


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## gladetop (May 10, 2005)

Buckshotboers,
I forgot to add that that is from farrow to butcher not weined pigs to butcher.
And I raise doroc, Hamp, and Yorkshire cross. So I believe thats fairly quick feedout.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

We prefer to butcher our own at 280-290#. We will finish a hog at those weights or more in 5 1/2-6 months. We usually end up holding the kids pigs for fair. They almost always go over.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

djuhnke said:


> Great recipie. Is there any one mix/feed that contains the minerals, lysine & vitamins (i.e.a one a day)? Just wondering. Thanks!
> 
> Dan


Your feed store or coop should be able to order vit/mins from Land O Lakes, Hi Pro or whoever they go through.


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## 2story (Apr 6, 2005)

tell the mill what percentage of protein you want 14 for the last half of life and they can mix it for you. I use 14 percent by the bag once i get over 100 pounds, i buy crimped corn to cut cost, I have a feeder that holds 600lbs. I will buy 300lb feed 300lb corn and mix in the feeder, cut cost and gets the job done, i also feed scraps, apples what ever produce i can get my hands on.
50-275lbs just under 5 months


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## lodestar (May 19, 2005)

Okay...I'm an admitted idiot.

But I've raised pigs on corn meal and goat's milk with additions of apples and acorns in the fall...not to mention all the compost from my kitchen and garden waste...

My pig meat is second to none...

Pancho and Lefty are about to start on a similar regime in the next few days..I'll report back in the fall.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

"I can raise a pig from a 50 pound weiner to a 250 pound hog in 4 months by feeding nothing but slop from the local restaurant."
(quote from Pete)...........................................

You are feeding different. The corn meal provides the energy, the goats milk the protien plus all the vits and min. The apples provide extra energy plus probably flavors the meat some. And most importantly, it is not slop that you have no idea of where who etc has been messing with it. 
I just think feeding "slop" is gross. The risk of disease is high. Plus, I am curious how much fat Pete cuts off his pork when he butchers. Are the roasts full of fat?


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

The subject of what to feed always brings out a variety of responses. Pigs do well on many different diets and they can "get by" on poor diets. We used grain (mostly soy and corn; they don't digest oats) and kitchen vegetable scraps. I fed offal from freshly butchered chickens occasionally as well. When my time was scrunched I would buy a sack of hog meal for $6.00 per 50 lbs and they loved that stuff but it fattened them up and wasn't my preference. Having raised pigs I know how picky they can be about their area and their diet. Some people give them no choice at all and so the pigs resign themselves to garbage and dirty pig pens. But pigs are pretty fastidious if allowed to be. I personally feel a humane responsibility toward any animal I raise for meat. Some people feel differently - that is why the beef one buys at the supermarket was fed dirty chicken litter. I can't morally agree with feeding garabage to an animal that is giving his or her life for my family or keeping him in a small dirty enclosure where he is forced to cool off in his own urine.


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## Siryet (Jun 29, 2002)

Tango said:


> The subject of what to feed always brings out a variety of responses. Pigs do well on many different diets and they can "get by" on poor diets. We used grain (mostly soy and corn; they don't digest oats) and kitchen vegetable scraps. I fed offal from freshly butchered chickens occasionally as well. When my time was scrunched I would buy a sack of hog meal for $6.00 per 50 lbs and they loved that stuff but it fattened them up and wasn't my preference. Having raised pigs I know how picky they can be about their area and their diet. Some people give them no choice at all and so the pigs resign themselves to garbage and dirty pig pens. But pigs are pretty fastidious if allowed to be. I personally feel a humane responsibility toward any animal I raise for meat. Some people feel differently - that is why the beef one buys at the supermarket was fed dirty chicken litter. *I can't morally agree with feeding garabage to an animal that is giving his or her life for my family or keeping him in a small dirty enclosure where he is forced to cool off in his own urine.*



_*well said and I agree*_


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## Brad549 (Jun 14, 2005)

Personally I just goto the feed mill and tell em what percent protine I want and they get it ready for me. Most of these guys ( and girls) have been around and know what to put in. Pig starter is great for the little ones 20# or so once they are around 35 to 40 # I start them on 18% protine and cut back to 16 to finish. Yes its a little more expensive but I think its worth it. Just went to get 500# of feed cost me 48$ for 18% so a little less than 10 cents per pound if you get 1# gain for 3# feed (and I do a little better sometimes thats still not to bad


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

What you feed your pigs is not some kind of moral testament!

My pigs have a HUGE pasture, more food then they can eat and as much water as they want to wallow in!

The pork is delicious, the pigs happy and healthy and the bank account fat...

Who could ask for more?

Don't even start with the moral judgement about the poor pig that gives his life for my family!

Pete


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