# garden leftovers - can the pigs eat them?



## Runestone (Jan 7, 2007)

Hi, I don't have pigs so I don't know much about them. But my neigbhour does have pigs so here's my question.
Can the pigs eat the tops of carrots, turnips, beets? Are there any vegetable leaves ,etc that they can't eat?

Thanks


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## TSYORK (Mar 16, 2006)

Feed those scraps to them. It will cut down on his commercial feed bill. I'm not sure how much validity there is to it, but I've heard not to feed potato peelings to pigs. Can someone elaborate on this?


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

A pig can eat anything that you can eat and it is not particular. The 5 seconds on-the floor-rule does not apply.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

tomatoe leaves, rhubarb leaves are the onlt 2 i can thinkof. used to raise up pigs on scarp all the time, now feed it too broilers.


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## stifflej (Aug 11, 2008)

We feed them everything from the garden (except tomato plants), even some potatoes. From what I remember, you can feed potatoes, but to use them sparingly, don't make it a part of their regular diet. We do feed all of our potato peeling, and left overs from supper, but I wouldn't give them a 50lb bag every day...


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

agmantoo said:


> The 5 seconds on-the floor-rule does not apply.


my chickens and rabbits don't know that rule either :bouncy:


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

TSYORK said:


> Feed those scraps to them. It will cut down on his commercial feed bill. I'm not sure how much validity there is to it, but I've heard not to feed potato peelings to pigs. Can someone elaborate on this?


the green stuff on a potato is poisness , all the above ground stuff but when spuds are in contact with light the skin can start turning green and be toxic also so that may be where that comes from. if you where feeding them pounds and pounds and there where enough of that in there it may pose a problem though I think the risk of that is slim. of course who ever was peeling could nip that in the bud.


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## AnnieinBC (Mar 23, 2007)

We feed our pigs largely off our gardens....plus some grain. We have a separate garden for the pigs, the veggies grow and we cut them and feed them off to the pigs. 

We can lower the bill at the feed store considerably, using veggies. Lots of info over on our blog about what we do. They love it.

Annie


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

The green in the potato is only very slightly toxic. It would take a lot to have an effect.

Our pigs eat all the garden gleanings, cleaning out the gardens at the end of the fall. This includes the entire tomato and potato plants. We've never seen any problem. My mother who was a physician says it takes a lot to have any effect. YMMV.

They would eat the rhubarb but I don't let them in there as they'll dig up the perennial roots.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## joe shaw (Apr 25, 2009)

I feed tons of cull sweet potatoes in a year the pigs do great on them their rich in vitimans and the tops are full of proten the pigs do very well on them when i fill their troughs op with grain and throw the potatoes in they go for the potatoes first


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## BamaSpek (Aug 15, 2008)

I think some "old timers" I use to know let the pigs run through the gardens when they were finished picking for the year. Pigs ate the leftovers and fertilized the garden for a new crop down the road. Seems they grew corn one year and veggies the next rotating gardens. Could have been due to the pigs, but not sure. Wish I would have been smart enough back then to recognize the value of good sense and good people. 

Really wish they were still around.......I'd buy the coffee


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## freedomfrom4 (Jul 27, 2009)

After you turn the pigs loose in the garden I have heard only do a corn crop or you will have very big tomato plants and hardly any fruit. It is due to the change in the soil. If you look at your miricle grow you will see 3 numbers. One is nitrogen which affects plant foilage growth, one is phosphorous for fruit/flower and maybe root growth(?), The last number is potasium for root growth maybe? Not real sure but that is the basic concept. So the pig farmers I know say only grow corn the next year after turning the pigs loose in the garden or you will be disapointed in your crop due to the increased nitrogen level. I'm sure there is something else you could grow but that is what the pig farmers I know grow.


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