Feed question and Winter

Nekatlla

Chillin' with the herd
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Points
26
Location
Upstate NY
Misfitmorgan.
It s funny, my buddy that I do all this stuff with is kinda a fly by the seat of your pants kinda guy and we always seem to be behind the 8 ball in the end. So we’ve found out that just as we are finishing up still this year we need to order our piglets now for the spring. LOL guess we will get a break next fall. Another quick question for you, we receive the piglets at 30 lbs about a month old(give or take) and I’ve read they need starter with a 20% protein mix (which we are getting commercial) when do you switch to grower? I can’t seem to find that info out there but from what I can piece together it looks like about 4 months old around 100lbs or so?
Thanks again!
 

misfitmorgan

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
3,726
Reaction score
6,995
Points
423
Location
Northern Lower Michigan
Misfitmorgan.
It s funny, my buddy that I do all this stuff with is kinda a fly by the seat of your pants kinda guy and we always seem to be behind the 8 ball in the end. So we’ve found out that just as we are finishing up still this year we need to order our piglets now for the spring. LOL guess we will get a break next fall. Another quick question for you, we receive the piglets at 30 lbs about a month old(give or take) and I’ve read they need starter with a 20% protein mix (which we are getting commercial) when do you switch to grower? I can’t seem to find that info out there but from what I can piece together it looks like about 4 months old around 100lbs or so?
Thanks again!

Far as i know and the way we do it is starter until they are 8 weeks old then grower for all of our butcher pigs. All piglets get free choice starter for the first 8 weeks. Our breeders stay on starter(pig & sow) and shell corn.
We mostly use the shell corn and hay as filler to keep their tummys working. There is a pretty big difference from feeding 40-250lbs meat pigs and a 250-500lb breeding pig. Meat pigs we want fast gain and growth, breeders we want slow gain and steady growth.
 

Latestarter

Novice; "Practicing" Animal Husbandry
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
11,384
Reaction score
17,481
Points
623
Location
NE Texas
Down here there seem to be pigs available pretty much year round... Just a look through Craig's list here and there are always pigs for sale. Not sure about way up north there. Must be some folks up there who experience a "whoops" and have pregnant sows "out of season"... :hu I don't guess it would be the best plan to raise new born piglets in the middle of winter... Well, unless they were indoor pigs?
 

misfitmorgan

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
3,726
Reaction score
6,995
Points
423
Location
Northern Lower Michigan
Normal piglet season is February and yes they are indoors. Re-breed is generally where fall piglets come from. If a Sow has piglets in February and you let them stay with mom until they are 8 weeks old then re-breed on the first heat you will end up with the next litter of piglets in August which are weaned and for sale in October. Then you would breed again in October if you wanted February Piglets. You have an 8 week wean then approx 8 days to breed to sow again.
 

Latest posts

Top