# Feeding Pigs Fish Remains



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

What is the general acceptance of feeding fish cleanings to pigs? Haven't done it yet, but just buried some heads in the garden beds and wondered if they wouldn't better serve feeding to the pig.


----------



## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

How Do I said:


> What is the general acceptance of feeding fish cleanings to pigs? Haven't done it yet, but just buried some heads in the garden beds and wondered if they wouldn't better serve feeding to the pig.


The general acceptance is that it is not done, because it can impart a fishy taste to the pork. However, the fisherman of Newfoundland raised many hogs on diets of fish. The key to their producing an acceptable hog was they would switch the hogs to grain and eliminate the fish from diet for the last month of the hog's life.


----------



## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

It is widely done in some countries but what I have read is that for the last month they finish on something else less fishy tasting like corn, barley, wheat, etc. I don't have fish remains so I've never tried it.

Cheers

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


----------



## tomjones (Dec 22, 2007)

Interestingly I can get a lot of whole fresh fish (carp) as waste from an aquantance. I have a large iron kettle and plan to boil a big kettle full as soon as the ice goes out. A long slow cook and when it falls apart thicken it with grains to make a mash. Hoping I can cook it once a week and keep a couple of buckets cool to feed out of all week long. Maybe even freeze some buckets full.

This is only for breeding animals, not for feeders. Seems like a nice protein source.

Tom


----------



## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Fresh fish is a good food source but in grower pigs should be discontinued 6 weeks before killing. It does impart a fishy taste which is not pleasant and the fat will be soft and oily.

Tom, do you intend to cook the fish bones and all? I'm very hesitant about feeding cooked fish bones to pigs as they go hard, the skeleton breaks up and hard fish bones can easily do damage. We do quite a bit of fishing and I do feed the pigs the heads and skeletons but always raw. Your idea is a good one but personally I would be doing a rough filleting job for the cooked stuff and giving the skeletons to them raw. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------



## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

I have a neighbor who ate in a very nice restuarant that prided itself on growing most of its menu, when she ordered the roast pork was very upset that it tasted like fish which she hates.
She asked it the pigs were fed fish and she was told that they were fed fish scrapes everyday.

As stated, if I had a lot I would do it but switch to grains for the last 6 weeks


----------



## tomjones (Dec 22, 2007)

Actually I had planned to just chop them up first with a machete and long boil the whole thing.... 

Think I should just feed whole carcasses raw??? That would be a whole lot easier I guess.


----------



## Paul O (Sep 13, 2004)

I notice that fishmeal shows up in a lot of pig feed recipes. Iâd like to feed fresh fish to the pigs but I wouldnât want to jeopardize the flavor of the pork. I my case, the fish would be Mackerel, they have been spotty the last couple years but when you get into them you can fill up buckets (and its fun). Mackerel is oily and strong flavored but its relatively low in Mercury and high in Omega 3 oils.

I imagine the risk would be low in this case because the fish would only be available for a couple months and it wouldnât necessarily be the main ingredient. There would be plenty of time to finish them on grain. Perhaps I could split off a couple pigs and fed them the fish and see how they turn out. I guess Iâll have to see how it plays out.

Paul


----------



## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for the responses! This pig is going to the butcher in a very short time, so I'll pass for this go around, but I'm glad to find that the fish remains can be fed to pigs.


----------

