Making Farm-specific swine diets

I found this while doing research, thought I would share it with all of you.

https://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/swine/formulating-farm-specific-swine-diets/

 

Thank you Pakanohida for this information, Nice and interesting set of recommendations there.

We raise Guinea Hogs and are providing a pasture made up of several different plants. Currently I am adding at least three different plants each time I rotate. My end plan will have along the lines of 20 different forage plants along with several grasses in each paddock.

I am reading all I can to make sure I am doing the best things for our little herd. Our hogs are naturally pasture grazers, we give them a evening treat of commercial, non- GMO feed pellets and crimped oats to boost their nutrient levels. They also receive vegetables as a morning treat, then they graze the pasture all day. We are providing plenty of water, fresh twice a day (approximately 50 gallons per three) and their wallow is filled twice a day for mud bathing.

 

Apparently next year I start growing "Papered" pedigreed Berkshire pigs. Im reading all I can also to get things growing the way I want so we don't have to buy non-gmo feed by the ton.

 

Berkies can be pastured just as easily as our Guinea Hogs. You will need to provide them a diet that has around 20% to 25% protein each day. This isn't super hard if you build the pasture base with grasses, brassicas, grains and things like turnip greens. Let the pasture provide around 80% of their diet then give some grain and feed to supplement. We also provide free choice minerals so they have a well balanced and rounded nutrient profile. The biggest thing is to make sure they get enough good, nutrition by hog weight. https://www.homesteadorganics.ca/hogs.aspx is a fairly good source of information on the Berkshire breeds needs. The writer makes it sound like all breeds need the same thing, this however, is not the truth of hogs. For instance, our Guinea Hogs are by nature pasture eaters, some grain is needed but not as much as that site suggests. This is because like many other sites I've gone through, they are geared towards the "commercial" breeds.

Our Guinea Hogs are "papered" as will be the ones we breed. I am working them towards Buzzard's Roost being able to sell registered shoats and gilts that are red tinted or (if I am lucky enough to get there) red colored (my end goal for our breeding program). Good luck mate, I can tell you this, it is a lot of fun to raise hogs.