# what would you grow during spring/summer in pig pen?



## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

We only keep one pair of feeder pigs - get them early fall, butcher mid-winter.

Their pen area is not used when we don't have pigs. I'd like to plant something in it that they would enjoy eating. What would you plant? Semi-shade to slight shade, dense clay soil that can stay wet if we ever get rain.

A few winter squash and some tomatoes grew there this year thanks to kitchen slop. Why not be intentional next year and plant something for the pigs to eat?
thanks,
Cathy


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Paul Wheaton, permaculturist (if that is a word) recommends sunchoke, AKA Jerusalem Artichoke. It is hard to kill and produces lbs of tubers per sq ft.


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## Mulligan Man (Oct 10, 2012)

Potatoes.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

sunchokes for the pigs to eat? I'm pretty sure that the potato greens are poisonous to the pigs (same with tomato greens) and I thought most pigs don't like raw potatoes?

I bet I wasn't clear - growing food for the pigs to eat when they are in the pen. As a treat. Totally get that I will providing 98% of the feed from elsewhere.

thanks!


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## Mulligan Man (Oct 10, 2012)

cathleenc said:


> sunchokes for the pigs to eat? I'm pretty sure that the potato greens are poisonous to the pigs (same with tomato greens) and I thought most pigs don't like raw potatoes?
> 
> I bet I wasn't clear - growing food for the pigs to eat when they are in the pen. As a treat. Totally get that I will providing 98% of the feed from elsewhere.
> 
> thanks!


I've never heard of that but they won't be green anymore anyway.

I have never met a pig that wouldn't eat a raw potato.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

cathleenc said:


> sunchokes for the pigs to eat?


yep, that is what Wheaton says is the number one priority food for homesteaders, pigs, and chickens. i have no first hand experience with them so I'm just relaying his words


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Too many raw potatoes aren't good for pigs. Sunchokes are a different family altogether, I believe they are related to sun flowers.


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## TimG (May 13, 2009)

Mulligan Man said:


> I have never met a pig that wouldn't eat a raw potato.


I've got two and am sure I've read on this forum that others have encountered this as well.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Things we grow for our pigs include:
Clover
Alfalfa
Rape
Kale
Turnips
Beets
Pumpkins
Squash
Sunflowers
Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Corn (not very well here)
Millet
Other things I'm not thinking of at the moment...

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Sugar Mountain Farm | All Natural Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids in the mountains of Vermont


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

A word of caution, in the book, _The Good Pig, the extraordinary like of Christopher Hogwood_, a restaurant gives a 5 gal bucket of left over tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes or some similar mostly tomato product to the good pig's owners to feed 700 - 800 lb Christopher. Chris consumes the whole 5 gallons in one sitting and nearly dies. The vet tells them that pigs can OD on tomatoes; i forget the exact issue. So tomatoes are a fine feed, just don't make it a 100% day's ration.

That book, BTW, is very entertaining. At first I was turned off by the vegan, liberal owners; they even insist the the pig be vegan. But the pig was so entertaining and the book so well written that I loved it. The author includes photos, one is of a 9ish yr old kid laying down on top of a 800 lb hog of similar age and both of them are loving it. That's not a practice I would recommend with your average porker, but you can't help but smile when you see it.


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## Mulligan Man (Oct 10, 2012)

TimG said:


> I've got two and am sure I've read on this forum that others have encountered this as well.


OK. What would I know.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Mulligan Man said:


> I've never heard of that but they won't be green anymore anyway.
> 
> I have never met a pig that wouldn't eat a raw potato.


For some reason my yorks will not eat raw potato. They walk through the potato patch and not touch or root out any potato's. I threw a couple to them one day and they just played with them. Never did eat them. Guess they have to much wheat, etc. pasture to feed on. If they were hungry they may eat them. 

Best,
Gerold.


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

I think I'll dig in sunchokes and then top seed with a mix of greens and rootie things next spring. thanks for helping me think it out!


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

I've looked at seed for "food plots" for deer hunters to lure deer into their sights. This one Hancock's Deer Greens Mixture - 5 lb. bag Hancock's Deer Greens Mixture - $25.00 : Hancock Farm & Seed Company - Lawn, Pasture and Turf Grass Seed has turnip, rape, and kale.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Laura Jensen said:


> I've looked at seed for "food plots" for deer hunters to lure deer into their sights. This one Hancock's Deer Greens Mixture - 5 lb. bag Hancock's Deer Greens Mixture - $25.00 : Hancock Farm & Seed Company - Lawn, Pasture and Turf Grass Seed has turnip, rape, and kale.


I went to a wildlife food plot seminar last year, put on by the U of Florida extension, and they said the last thing you should buy is the deer or turkey seed mixes. The packagers put in so much cheap stuff that it is a waste of money. According to UF, buying separate packages of the useful constituent items could save you more than half. haven't tried it myself, so I'm just relaying what they said with the standard warning of buyer beware.


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## Laura Workman (May 10, 2002)

CesumPec said:


> I went to a wildlife food plot seminar last year, put on by the U of Florida extension, and they said the last thing you should buy is the deer or turkey seed mixes. The packagers put in so much cheap stuff that it is a waste of money. According to UF, buying separate packages of the useful constituent items could save you more than half. haven't tried it myself, so I'm just relaying what they said with the standard warning of buyer beware.


Interesting. How else would one get 5 or 10 lbs of a good mix? Can you recommend sources? (I'm always interested in a better deal!)


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

Laura Jensen said:


> Interesting. How else would one get 5 or 10 lbs of a good mix? Can you recommend sources? (I'm always interested in a better deal!)


well we were talking about 50 lbs and well up from there. Quantities as small as 5 or 10 lbs might be just as well bought at your local garden store. As to what to plant, my notes from that class are at home, 2 weeks away from here and we were concerned with Florida's near year round growing. Your needs are probably vastly different.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Our pigs dug everything out of the old garden patch and left any potato they encountered untouched.
They really seemed to enjoy knocking down corn stalks and chomping on the leftover ears of sweet corn.


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## hogsongrass (Sep 30, 2012)

Things we have tried and result:

buckwheat - quick to grow and germinate needs warmth
oats - needs cool moist soils, pigs love it in the milk stage 
rye - grows well all winter but not palatable to pigs
turnips - very quick growth in cool soil but pigs only ate the tops
clover - you can't do better but seed is pricey
barley - like oats but needs lighter soil to do well

would like to try:
radishes, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa other perennials 

Pigs love to harvest their own corn, pumpkins, squash but they cost a lot of labor to plant, only thrive in warm weather and take too long. Look around and see what seed is cheap and does well in your area and try that first. 

Reference "Feeds and Feeding" free book on books.google.com 1915 edition

Owens Farm - Grassfed Meats & More
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Owens Farm


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Laura Jensen said:


> Interesting. How else would one get 5 or 10 lbs of a good mix? Can you recommend sources? (I'm always interested in a better deal!)


You might check this place out Garden Tools | Garden Supplies | Organic Gardening Supplies | Organic Seeds | Organic Fertilizer They have a wide selection of cover crop seeds and mixes.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

CesumPec said:


> I went to a wildlife food plot seminar last year, put on by the U of Florida extension, and they said the last thing you should buy is the deer or turkey seed mixes. The packagers put in so much cheap stuff that it is a waste of money. According to UF, buying separate packages of the useful constituent items could save you more than half. haven't tried it myself, so I'm just relaying what they said with the standard warning of buyer beware.


I have used 25 lb. bags of wildlife plant seed mix. It worked for me.


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

Laura Jensen said:


> Interesting. How else would one get 5 or 10 lbs of a good mix? Can you recommend sources? (I'm always interested in a better deal!)


Hi Laura. 
I got 25 lb. mix from Orscheln and also a local farm store here. Both worked very well. I don't remember the brand names. I think walmart also had some in there sporting goods dept. I haven't used the one from Wal-mart. 

Best,
Gerold.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

You know, {slapping self in head} I just realized there is only one good answer to the Q in the thread title

Q: "what would you grow during spring/summer in pig pen?"


A: pigs


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## "SPIKE" (Dec 7, 2011)

hogsongrass said:


> Things we have tried and result:
> 
> buckwheat - quick to grow and germinate needs warmth
> oats - needs cool moist soils, pigs love it in the milk stage
> ...


My American Guinea Hogs really like The annual rye grass I have been growing. It looks real nice growing all winter here in west TN. The goats like it too, just have to limit their intake.
I cut it with a scythe and bring it to the animals so it does not get distroyed and last all winter.

SPIKE


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

thank you, Spike


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## Taylor123 (Oct 12, 2020)

gerold said:


> Hi Laura.
> I got 25 lb. mix from Orscheln and also a local farm store here. Both worked very well. I don't remember the brand names. I think walmart also had some in there sporting goods dept. I haven't used the one from Wal-mart.
> 
> Best,
> Gerold.


I


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