Feed the Pigs

“Well, pigs can’t survive only on grass — they need some grain in their diet, as do chickens — which is why you never see “grass–fed pork” or “grass–fed chicken” on any packaging. You only see grass–fed beef, lamb, and goat, because these animals eat only grass.”    Source

If you have a little space and enjoy animals you should consider adding piglets to your farm.

Pigs can be raised year-round in most places.  They are by far the easiest animal on our farm.  We have some experience with several “farm” animals, and pigs may be the favorite.  We have raised: dairy cows, beef cows, layer chickens, broiler chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, rabbits, sheep, a ferret, and even a broad-headed skink has lived here.

Pigs are easy.

They don’t need to be let out.  They don’t need to be closed in a house at night.  They don’t need to be milked, sheared, medicated or immunized.  Pigs don’t need much of anything.  Give them plenty of food & water and a nice place to live and they’ll be happy.

Not only are pigs a cinch to raise, but a 20-pound feeder-piglet can also be grown into a 300-pound hog over summer (or a winter).  This means you can get a spring pig and be out of the pig business by Thanksgiving.  If you hate it it’s over in 4 months.

After you make the decision to raise some pigs you’ll be left deciding how to raise them.

There are 2 main camps when it comes to raising pigs-

1. Raise them on Concrete
2. Raise them on Pasture

We raise ours on pasture.  Well, technically, it is not exactly the grassy field you may be picturing in your mind.  In our experience, pigs will destroy as much land as we give them.  We prefer to give them a nice spot near the woods (or in the woods) where they get fresh air, sunshine, some grass and plenty of ground to dig around in.

Before I get into all the reasons we chose pasture I’ll give the concrete system a quick review.

Unfortunately, almost all pigs raised in the US today are raised in CAFO’s (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). They live a sad life confined to buildings without access to grass, pasture or sun.

Most of the pigs in the US are born on concrete and live on concrete their entire lives.  It is the only thing they ever see.  This has become the excepted standard of operation for raising pigs today.  Most pork products sold in grocery stores come from pigs who spent their entire lives in a building.

Concrete Advantages:

• Pigs are easy to keep clean.
• They can’t root.
• They can’t dig.
• They can’t tunnel under the fence and escape.
• They can’t build swimming pools.

Concrete may keep the pigs from digging, rooting and wallowing..

BUT

They are pigs.  They are supposed to dig, root and wallow.  They love to dig, root and wallow.  They NEED to dig, root and wallow.

The poor, poor pigs on concrete.

No sunshine.  No grass.  No trees.  No fresh air.  No mud.  No dirt.  No plants.  No rain.  Nothing to forage.  Nothing to explore.  Nothing to wallow in.

Nothing but food, water, concrete, and other pigs.

“About 99% of all pigs raised in the US are raised in confinement buildings, on operations known as CAFO’s.”

source: The Dodo

If you want the healthiest pork, you will want to get these little piggies off the concrete and let them play in some dirt in the sunshine!

Why Pasture Raised Pigs:

1. Stimuli for the pigs – sufficient opportunity to fulfill their natural need to root and explore
2. Grasses, plants and Increased nutrition from pasture foraging
3. The pigs have wallows (muddy water holes) to cool off in
4. Exposure to sun, rain and fresh air
5. Pigs get more exercise
6. Pigs on pasture have fewer health problems
7. Lower costs to raise animals (as part of their diet will come from the pasture)
8. Healthier working environment for individuals caring for the pigs
9. Meat from pastured pigs is healthier and tastier
10. Happy pigs!

Although I would love to turn my little piglets out to pasture and wish them well, that is not enough to give them a healthy start.  Depending on the size of the pasture and the vegetation available in it, your new feeder pigs will need a little more in their diet.  Especially when they are young.

Now that I’ve made the case for pastured pigs, I want to clarify that I am not talking about “grass-fed” pigs.  There is a difference.

Pastured pigs live in sunshine, fields and are free to root, forage and find lots of goodies to eat.  They may eat grass, but they are mostly eating bugs, grubs, slugs, roots, scraps, feed, and many other things.  They live on pasture – but they eat many, many things besides grass.

Grass-fed pigs are something else.  I’m not sure who came up with the idea to grass feed pigs, or how they are even accomplishing it, but it is somewhat of a confusing matter.

Pigs can’t live on a diet of only grass & hay, especially young ones.

WHY PIGS NEED MORE THAN GRASS

In order to ensure our piglets get the best start in life, we supplement their foraging diet with some high-quality hog feed.

While they are just little guys and gals we offer our piglets a feed that is 18 – 21% protein.  Once they are off to a good start we move them to a hog-grower that is 16% protein.  Throughout this entire time, we surround them with good hay for their enjoyment.  We put it in their food.  We put it in their house.  We want it to be available and familiar to them.

FIRST:  Pigs Do not naturally eat hay

The problem with trying to grass feed pigs is that they don’t naturally eat hay.  They will forage – but they are not foraging for grasses.  They are foraging for bugs, slugs, grubs, and roots.  This is why God gave them shovels on their faces.  Yes, they will eat and kill the grass in no time, however, I think they are after the roots more than the blades.  Ya know?

I do want to mention that allowing pigs to root around and find all these underground delicacies will make your pork chops better.

Pigs are unique animals in that when they are raised on pasture, obtaining a significant portion of their diet from foraging, their meat will be exceptional.  Sheep and hogs share the fact that, when raised where they can forage, they will not only be more nutritious, they will also be more tender and a superior overall product.

SECOND:  Pigs cannot properly digest grass

Another problem with trying to get pigs to consume hay is that they can’t until they are older.  It’s true.

Their systems are not mature enough to properly digest and absorb the nutrients from hay.  Most breeds of pigs can begin to get some sustenance from hay by the time they are 4 months old.

Would you like to know what my pigs are doing when they are 4 months old?  Going to freezer camp.

THIRD:  Pigs do not like hay

Pigs are smart.  They seem to know that hay is for horses.  Pigs naturally, will turn to everything else in their pens for food before turning to hay.

I’ve googled it and I’ve lived it.  You can give them hay, but you can’t make them eat it.  I’ve given them the best hay money can buy.  I sprinkled it with their favorite feed.  I coated it with molasses.

The bottom line is that pigs don’t naturally want to eat hay and they weren’t designed to live on hay.

Will they eat it if they have nothing else?  Probably.

Is it their natural diet?  No.

Can they live on it?  I do not know.

Pigs need a high protein diet.  This simply doesn’t come from most grasses.

I still like to toss my pigs a flake or two of hay.  They play in it.  They sleep on it.  And sometimes they munch on it.

At the end of the day, we need to make sure our animals are getting what they need.  For my pigs, this means plenty of scraps from the garden, loads of excess vegetables (free for the taking behind the local farm stand), land to root, quality hog feed, and some hay.

Pastured pigs (not grass-fed).

Healthy, superior, and better tasting!

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Candi