Feeding Hogs

[Does’ Leap]

Does anyone have any solid numbers for how much grain it takes to get a hog to a live weight of around 220 lbs?  There are numbers from the conventional ag sector out there, but I’m not sure how applicable this might be to pigs raised on pasture.  We feed out of a 3 ton bulk bin, so it is hard to track how much grain we are feeding.  In the past, I have conservatively figured on a 1,000 lbs. of grain/pig, but feel this might be inflated.

Are any of you feeding certified organic grain to pigs and selling pork?  If so, what are you paying for your grain and what are you charging for your pork?

Thanks.

George

[Ed Thayer]

George,

 

We raise two pigs each year and I looked in the file and we fed forty- 50 lb bags of Blue Seal Hog feed for the 2013 season. That is 1,000 lbs per pig. When i slaughtered them at the farm in November, they were 230 lb and 245 lbs each. The pigs were also grass fed in pasture and were fed surplus vegetables from the garden.

We do not feed organic and do not sell, we raise for our use only.

 

Ed

 

[Livewater Farm]

we always figure on 2-3# of grain per # of meat with waste milk and pasture

Bill

[carl ny]

I feed 10, !00# bags of feed per pig,(9 of pig feed and 1 of corn meal). I average about 220 to 250 lb. hanging weight. Only grow for personal use.

carl ny

[JaredWoodcock]

We have a huge range of feed costs depending on the pasture and the rotations, I raised a couple nice batches of tamworths from Matt Whalen in Tunbridge and on prime pasture with 1-3 day rotations plus some field peas and pumpkins we averaged about 500 lbs of feed per pig with a hanging weight of 160-210 in 7 months. The last batch I raised that were not bred as well and were foraging in the forest with weekly moves through about 5 acres ate about 1000-1200 lbs of feed with weak results 130-180 lb hanging in 9-10 months. We feed measured rations twice daily, no gravity feeders. The extra work put into mob grazing and planting forages is worth it, and well bred pigs go a long way too…

We feed a local grain that runs about 30 cents a pound, organic is a little over twice that, and we charge around 5 -10 percent less than sugar mountain, our prices are about the same as Jericho settlers farms prices on the website, I think they are the 2011 prices though. We charge $3.50 /lb hanging weight which does not include any butchering cost. Basic sausage is $8/lb, bacon $13.50/lb and cuts are everywhere between. Our butcher costs are 85 cents/lb, $45 kill fee, $15 box fee, $20 label fee, in the end pigs are not great profit.

Jared

[Paulk]

I hated to start a new topic and couldn’t find the answer anywhere so I thought I would add to this one.  My wife and I are going to get a couple pigs to raise for butcher and I was wondering if anyone had a good feed ration to have mixed.  I really don’t like to use commercial bag feed and have my own ration for my goats, so if I can get a good formulation for pigs I can buy it in bulk when I get goat feed.  I am new to pigs as we have been raising goats and chickens mainly.  Would also like to get a good chicken ration also if anyone has one.

[carl ny]

Your dealer where you get your goat feed mixed should have a pig feed mix that he grinds.I would check with them and see what they have in it.I will see if I can find an old tag from mine.

carl ny

[dominiquer60]

Jared,

Since we still can’t PM- I have a friend in Greenwich that would love some Tamworths, do mind contacting me about price and if you are able to get any extra this year?  marczake@hotmail.com.

Thanks,

 

[Paulk]

My dealer that I get my goat feed is reluctant on telling me any one specific ration.  With my goat and horse feed his answer was ” ya I mix several different rations if you want to pick one I’ll mix it”  This is the answer I got about other feed also.  I think this keeps him from getting blamed if the ration causes problems.  He will break everything down and tell me if he thinks it will be a benefit or not but won’t say this is what you need to feed. With my goat feed I talked to several people that I was buying my breeding stock from that had very nice looking animals and with some research was able to come up with a formula thats seems to produce good results.   I figured that if I can save a little trial and error by getting some input from here  I would be better off.

Thanks Paul

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