By Spy Uganda
The most important part of swine production is in knowing the correct way to feed pigs. Whether browsing through a piglet feeding guide or studying swine management techniques, pigs need a high energy diet that is low in fiber that contains ample protein.
Pigs will consume enormous amounts of food quickly. To raise and maintain a healthy stock, maximize growth and reproduction, and increase production, it is necessary to feed them the right food and a balanced diet from wean to finish.
So, What Should Pigs Eat?Â
Though pigs will eat just about anything, all kinds of scraps or leftover food such as bread, other grains, vegetables, and fruits, their growth rates are best maintained when the animals are fed a feed made specifically for pigs.
When creating your own pig food mixture, there are certain types of food you’ll want to avoid for reasons ranging from slowed growth rate to outright toxicity. Here are the general foods to avoid in pig feed:
Sweets and high-sugar foods
Dog food
Cracked corn
Milk
Fish
Meat
Fruits
Potatoes
A good pig feed will help achieve optimum growth of your stock. Feeds should meet the animal’s needs for maintenance, growth, and reproduction, and contain sufficient energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins.
Farm grains are the most common and best source of food to feed pigs. Most typically corn-based feeds are used because they are high in digestible carbohydrates, low in fiber, and cost-effective.
The feed should be supplemented with other vitamins, proteins, and some antibacterial compounds to their feed to slow the growth of naturally occurring bacteria that may be harmful to the animal or your stock. Feeds mixed with rice bran, broken rice, maize, cassava, vegetables and distillers’ residues have shown positive results.
