BarnOwl
Loving the herd life
Hi y'all! We're happy new owners of 3 American Guinea Hog feeder pigs. One is about 14 months old and the other two were born in April. I've heard AGHs are prone to obesity. I was wondering if there were any early indications that a pig is getting too fat. The breeder said to look out for fat buildups on the face/head. Are there any other early indicators I should look out for? If they start to get too heavy, I'd like to cut down on their feed before it gets too bad.
Also, what do you all feed your pigs? There are a lot of choices at our local feed stores (finishers, growers, ect). There are also some off-brands at the local feed stores that are cheaper. If the cheaper feeds are just as good as the name brand feeds, it would be nice to support a local business (not to mention nicer on my wallet). Are there certain protein or vitamin levels that I should be looking for. I like to read ingredient lists, and I can be slightly particular about my dog and chicken feeds, but I don't know as much what to look for with hog feeds, so any advice is welcome.
Finally, if any of you have AGHs or similar breeds, I'd love to know about how much and how often you feed. I have some pig books, but much of the feeding advice seems geared towards larger, more commercial hog breeds. So far, I've been feeding each pig about 1-2 quarts of feed twice a day, fresh produce from the garden, and healthy kitchen scraps and leftovers. Worried maybe I'm feeding too much. But they really love to eat (I can relate) and always seem so hungry at feeding times.
Thanks in advance for any feedback! So glad I found this site, lots of experienced people here.
Also, what do you all feed your pigs? There are a lot of choices at our local feed stores (finishers, growers, ect). There are also some off-brands at the local feed stores that are cheaper. If the cheaper feeds are just as good as the name brand feeds, it would be nice to support a local business (not to mention nicer on my wallet). Are there certain protein or vitamin levels that I should be looking for. I like to read ingredient lists, and I can be slightly particular about my dog and chicken feeds, but I don't know as much what to look for with hog feeds, so any advice is welcome.
Finally, if any of you have AGHs or similar breeds, I'd love to know about how much and how often you feed. I have some pig books, but much of the feeding advice seems geared towards larger, more commercial hog breeds. So far, I've been feeding each pig about 1-2 quarts of feed twice a day, fresh produce from the garden, and healthy kitchen scraps and leftovers. Worried maybe I'm feeding too much. But they really love to eat (I can relate) and always seem so hungry at feeding times.
Thanks in advance for any feedback! So glad I found this site, lots of experienced people here.
Last edited: