Natural diet for mini pigs
Obviously, the easiest way to be sure your pig gets adequate nutrition is to feed a milled food manufactured by a reputable company. There are times when this isn’t possible which is why we created this guide to a natural diet instead of a pelleted feed. I will not pretend that nutrition is my strongest subject, this article was created using documents from credible sources that are linked below. For a more comprehensive diet plan, you should consult a nutrition specialist or your veterinarian. We realized not everyone across the globe has the same access to mini pig feed specifically, so this article can help you to formulate your own balanced diet for your pig. I would like to add something I recently learned that is of significant importance when you are discussing food. Illness is of a concern for any pig parent, 70-80% of the immune system is located in the digestive system, so the type of foods that are consumed in addition to the amount can absolutely affect your pigs overall health. When an inappropriate diet or unbalanced diet is fed, your pig's immune system is compromised opening the door for illness/sickness that a healthy pig, that is fed a well-balanced diet, could easily fight off. However, a pig whose immune system isn't functioning appropriately will be impacted in a much different way due to an impaired immune system.
Let me emphasize that you cannot pick and choose food at random to feed your pig. You MUST think very carefully about what you are feeding your pig to be sure all the necessary components are represented when you are formulating a natural diet for your pig. I have seen people read articles about natural diets that did list foods that were good for these diets, however, the person reading the article didn't understand that she could not take rolled oats and eggs and make that her pigs complete diet everyday. Obviously, it was not long before her pig became sick and malnourished because she didn't understand that those two foods alone did NOT provide her pig with the proper balance of nutrients. There is a lot of information on this page, and the reason for that is because we wanted those who were considering a natural diet to have as many resources as possible available to them.
Of all the farm type animals, the dietary needs of pigs most nearly parallel those of humans. Pigs are omnivores, that is, they can utilize energy and protein from both vegetable and animal sources to meet their requirements. This ability, coupled with economics, for years made garbage feeding a part of many swine farmers. From a disease control standpoint, feeding garbage is hazardous because pathogenic organisms that will affect pigs could be present in the scraps. The last outbreak of foot and mouth disease occurred this way in 1929 and many outbreaks of hog cholera have occurred since then. Because of the disease transmission hazard, feeding raw garbage to pigs has become illegal and some states have banned the feeding of cooked garbage as well.
Pigs have a very limited capacity for roughage and total fiber probably shouldn’t exceed 7%. For older pigs, there is some advantage to increasing this to 15% to keep them from getting too fat and to reduce the problem of constipation from lack of mobility. A legume hay can provide up to 20% of pig diets, this can be in the form of pasture or hay, with the balance being grain.
The general need for pig diets containing 75-80% energy and 16% protein (higher for growing pigs) dictates that most of the diet must be grain, when both composition and economy, are considered. To avoid deficiency disease problems, ideally, a combination of grains should be used.
Corn is an excellent source of energy for pigs. It is usually the cheapest and is commonly equated with fattening. This can be problematic for our pet pigs, as longevity and obesity are common concerns. If corn makes up most of the diet for a pigs’ lifetime, disease problems will occur because corn is deficient in the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, as well as calcium and total protein. Without supplementation, pigs fed a corn based diet will suffer stunting and skeletal diseases. Using a grain mixture will reduce this possibility.
Of course the various amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins or minerals that may be deficient in a diet can be supplemented. The amount to be supplemented should be left up to a nutritionist.
A few health concerns to note…
In addition to dietary deficiencies, there are a few other things that need to be discussed.
NEVER feed moldy feed to a pig because they’re extremely sensitive to the toxins that some molds produce. Gibberella zeae, a common grain mold, produces a toxin that has the same effect on a pig as female hormones. Pigs fed diets with this contaminate can sometimes have reddening and swelling of the vulva as well as enlargement of the mammary glands. The condition is reversible once the contaminated feed is removed, but it may take months before your pig normalizes.
Some people will feed dairy milk. The pigs usually do alright on this, but a note on dairy and pigs…many formula dairy feeds contain urea, which, in a cow, the rumen bacteria can convert into protein components, however, with pigs? They do not have this capacity and if dairy ration is their only feed, protein deficiency may result which will cause poor growth rates. Urea, by itself, has no nutritional value and it is also a highly toxic chemical when consumed in excess. It could easily kill a pig.
In addition to the usual nutrients, pigs need a good supply of water at all times. On a comparative weight basis, pigs will consume twice as much water as dry feed, in hot weather, their consumption will double. Young pigs may drink 20% of their body weight in water daily, but as they get older, this amount decreases to about 7%. In any case, the water must/should be fresh, if you are giving water, do NOT add to whatever is left in the dish, please dump it out, clean it out and refill.
Diet suggestions: THESE ARE SUGGESTIONS AND NOT INSTRUCTIONS!
Component 1 (Grain Mixture): feed 1/4 to 3/4 cup daily with components 2 and 3
Component 2 (choose 1 at each feeding)
Component 3 (feed 3-5 days a week)
Component 4
Nutritional requirements:
1. Energy
Let us begin by examining the ingredients used in a typical formula. Cereals and lipids (oils and fats) invariably provide the majority of energy, and their contribution to total formulation cost is usually the highest. Common cereals like maize and wheat are often considered indispensable, but this is far from truth as under certain conditions alternatives can be used, resulting in significant cost reduction. To this end, ingredients such as tapioca, sorghum, triticale, rice, rye and oats are often priced favorably enough to be used in sufficient amounts to replace all or part of the more common energy sources. These less common cereals are not without their problems and, as such, care must be taken when used in excessive amounts. Of course, cereal byproducts, and other energy-rich feedstuffs, are also useful in replacing common cereals, and examples include wheat byproducts, distiller’s grains, full-fat soybeans, tapioca and even citrus pulp. Carbohydrates come in many forms and are in almost every kind of food. You should be feeding 'good carbs' and avoiding the 'bad carbs’. Good Carbs include plant-derived foods that have a lot of fiber and are not overly sweet. Examples of some good carbs would be vegetables, fruit, and grasses. Bad carbs are the refined and sugary foods that are not good for humans either. Examples of Bad Carbs would include pastries, fried foods, and refined breads. Fiber: While fiber is tied to carbs, I had to put in a separate section on fiber because it is so important to your little pig's happiness and comfort. If you feed all of your pig's nutritional requirements in a handful of food, he/she may be getting what is needed, but will act hungry and soon be constipated. Make sure you have some sort of bulk to your pig ration so he/she will feel full and content. Good sources of fiber are oats, barley, hay, grass, and root vegetables. These foods not only contain fiber and 'filler', but they also have protein and good carbohydrates.
Energy sources for swine are the cereal grains; corn, milo, wheat, barley, and their by-products. In addition, fat, which contains 2.25 times the amount of energy as cereal grains, is often used to increase the energy density of swine diets. Most common cereal grains and fats are quite palatable and digestible. However, cereal by-products tend to be more variable; therefore, their use in swine diets may be limited. Although cereal grains will provide carbohydrates to meet the pig's energy needs, they must be supplemented with amino acids (protein), vitamins, and minerals to meet the pig's requirements for these nutrients.
2. Protein
Ingredients that supply protein make the second most expensive contribution to feed cost. Here, the situation is more difficult as alternative ingredients less readily available, but not impossible to find. Protein is very important to a healthy diet. A growing pig will have much higher protein requirement while a mature pet that is spayed or neutered will not need as much. While protein is very important, too much is also very hard on the system and some sources are easier to digest them others. My favorite protein sources for pigs are: raw milk, raw eggs, cooked lentils or other type of bean (must be cooked), grains like quinoa and barley. You can feed meat, but I prefer not to; since it tends to make your pig smell more.
3. Minerals
Next is phosphorus, the third most expensive contribution to overall feed cost. In this case, the use of phytase is recommended when prices of inorganic phosphorus salts are too high. In some cases, phytase should be used even in double doses to further reduce cost and inclusion of inorganic phosphorus. Most likely, the cost of calcium and sodium sources is always quite low, and, as such, these ingredients do not merit much attention for our purposes. Nevertheless, some commercial products (such as premixes and concentrates) are fortified with elevated concentrations of calcium carbonate and salt as a way of reducing their cost.
Minerals constitute a small percentage of the swine diet, but their importance to the health and well-being of the pig cannot be over-emphasized. Minerals have been classified into two types: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals (major minerals) that are commonly added to swine diets are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and chloride (magnesium and potassium are also required but are adequately supplied by grains). Microminerals (minor or trace minerals) or primary concern are zinc, copper, iron, manganese, iodine, and selenium. Functions of minerals are diverse, ranging from structural functions in some tissues to a wide variety of regulatory functions. The increasing trend toward confinement rearing of pigs, without access to soil or forage, increases the importance of meeting dietary mineral requirements. This can be bought in a premix.
4. Premixes
Then, we come to the vitamin and trace mineral premixes. A good vitamin/mineral supplement is important to a healthy pig. Vitamins are generally taken care of if you feed fruits and veggies, but minerals should be supplemented since most food sources are lacking. Here there is tremendous variation in quality and prices in the market. First, there are products that are cheap enough but in return they do not provide enough nutrients for adequate animal performance. You can feed a pig the same supplement you feed a child (halved for piglets) or you can purchase a supplement specifically for pigs. They are cheaper than children vitamins, have been specially formulated to be appropriate for miniature pigs and are still human grade quality. Canine NuVet Plus tablets are a great source for vitamin/mineral supplementation, but please speak to your vet before feeding ANY supplement. In most cases, however, premixes are over-fortified with vitamins and trace minerals resulting in wasting of nutrients. Reducing the inclusion level of a premix is quite often an easy solution, but this should not be done without consulting a qualified nutritionist.
5. Additives
Finally, we must examine all additives that are so often added in most diets without much consideration to their real effectiveness and return on investment. It is not uncommon for many formulas to contain up to ten additives that provide only marginal (if any) benefit. Such additives should be examined very thoroughly based on published scientific evidence.
Oil/Fat: The right kind of fats are essential to your mini pig, but should be used sparingly. Good oils and fats to add to your pig's diet would include: olive oil, flax oil or flax seeds, or cod liver oil, raw cream, unsalted sunflower seeds, walnuts, fatty fish (I choose to go vegetarian but pigs are omnivores and do well with meat in their diet), Make sure you do not feed any oils that are spoiled or rancid*. Bad oils and fats would include trans fats, fried foods, pastries, candy, and generally anything a doctor would tell a heart patient to avoid. Fats and oils such as lard, choice white grease, beef tallow, corn oil, and soybean oil contain about 2.25 times as much metabolizable energy as most of the cereal grains. Research indicates that the addition of 1 to 5 percent fat to growing-finishing swine diets will improve feed conversion and often average daily gain with no adverse effect on carcass quality. A reduction in the amount of dust will be evident and wear on mixing equipment and augers will be reduced with 2 to 3 percent added fat.
Addition of fat above 5 percent will further improve feed conversion, but physical handling problems such as bridging in the feeders and caking in the mixer may limit the use of these higher levels. Diets containing fat may become rancid during prolonged storage or when feed is exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, an antioxidant such as ethoxyquin, BHT, or BHA should be added to fat before mixing it into the rations.
Adding fat to swine diets is a matter of economics. Fat additions will usually increase the cost of the diet, which must be offset by an increase in pig performance. Several commercial supplements and complete feeds contain added fat. New commercial products that contain dried fat may reduce part of the mechanical problems of adding liquid fat on the farm, but the economic feasibility of using these products must be evaluated. Fat products that have limestone, as the carrier should be avoided, because the calcium will decrease the digestibility of the fat.
6. Fresh Water
Pigs need a lot of water and should have a clean source. They should drink somewhere between 7-20% of their weight in water daily to maintain a healthy ratio. Pigs should have access to fresh water at ALL times.
Major Energy Ingredients for Pig Diets
Corn - an excellent energy source for pigs. The complementary way in which corn and soybean meal blend to produce a well-balanced diet for pigs makes this combination the standard to which all other mixtures are compared. Corn is presently the major energy source throughout USA and eastern Canada but there are many suitable alternatives. Pigs can digest most cereal grains and, so long as diets are formulated properly, many options exist.
Barley - main energy source for pigs in western Canada and much of Europe.
Oats - excellent for mature animals, particularly if dehulled. Oats are not as good for younger pigs but can provide 20 - 30 % of the total energy source.
Wheat - very good energy source if price is right.
Major Protein Ingredients for Pig Diets
Soya Bean. Usually feed as extracted soya bean meal, the residue remaining after oil removed. This is the major protein source for pigs in North America and throughout much of the world with intensive husbandry. Soya bean meal contains 44 - 49% protein. Whole soya beans can be fed as combined energy (18% oil) and protein (37%) source but usually contain toxins (trypsin inhibitors). The high heat associated with most oil extraction processed denatures the inhibitors since they are proteins. Whole beans must be heat-treated prior to feeding.
Canola (Oilseed Rape). The meal remaining after oil extraction from Tower or Candle varieties, the common types grown in Canada. Canola meal is an excellent protein source for pigs. The earlier varieties of Rape, still grown in some parts of Europe, contain toxic factors (glycosinolates) that make this meal unsatisfactory for pig diets.
Minerals and Vitamins
The specific needs for minerals and vitamins vary considerably with the age and production stage of particular animals. Most producers incorporate the appropriate vitamin-mineral premixed into all diets.
Food Industry By-Products
Feed Additives.
These come in many forms with legislation covering their use varying from country to country and continually under revision.
Preservatives. antioxidants, gelatin coatings for vitamins, organic acids, and similar compounds are sometimes included to prevent or reduce deterioration during storage
Flavoring & Coloring Agents. Sweetening and flavorings are common in early wean diets to give milk-like taste. Colors are sometimes used to distinguish diets, particularly if feed is medicated.
Texturing agents may be added to promote pelleting. Ex. Molasses to assist passage through screens; beet pulp to improve texture.
Antibiotics - to inhibit or kill bacteria.
Many used, often not pure pharmaceutical grade but rather the dried fermentation product containing antibiotic residues plus mycelium of the producing fungus.
May prevent degradation of nutrients by bacteria during storage. Producers should do all they can to minimize and eventually eliminate the routine need for these.
Antifungal & antiprotozoal compounds. These are mainly antihelmintics.
Other Antimicrobials (those not derived from fungi)
CuSo4 An inexpensive additive that may reduce microbial action during storage. Arsenicals are also used or this.
Enzymes
The incorporation of various enzymes into pig diets is a relatively new concept. However, if their production costs can be reduced through biotechnological synthesis or some other practical procedure, the practice might become universal. Some prospects are: proteases to make protein more available; b-glucanase to break down complex cereal starches to glucose; cellulose to digest plant cell walls; and phytases to liberate tightly bound phosphates. Any of these enzymes could liberate specific nutrients from plant materials so these are available to the animals in greater quantities.
Probiotics
Usually dried mixtures of lactobacillus and other microflora which, when added to diet, multiply in gut to displace less desirable and possibly pathogenic species. Most are trade secrets.
Gut Acidifiers.
Citric and fumaric acids maintain acidity of duodenum without altering body's acid:base balance. Distressed pigs, such as those at weaning, may have impaired gut function so stomach secretes less acid to control bacterial flora in the intestine. Acidifiers compensate for this.
Immune Stimulants.
Killed or attenuated microorganisms, often given to sows prior to parturition to promote passive immunity in piglets. Some may also give direct to piglets to promote active immunity.
Chelating Agents.
Claim is that trace elements bound to chelating agents are protected from binding to other components that may prevent absorption, and then released for absorption at critical part of intestine.
Emulsifying Agents Necessary if fat included in diet.
Thankfully, we have someone with a nutrition degree reviewing and likely rewriting our natural diet page in addition to our information about nutrition in general. We get a lot of questions about nutrition and felt it was necessary to have accurate information that is best for your pig posted to help you. With that being said, we will update the sections once those articles are complete, along with the creator of the article. In the meantime, if you have any questions about nutrition, please send us an email or message via our Facebook page and we will put you in touch with our expert.
Sources:
http://www.southhousefarms.com/natural-diet.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
http://www.wattagnet.com/innovative-feed-formulation-methods-reduce-feed-cost
https://www.ncsu.edu/project/swine_extension/nutrition/nutritionguide/energy/energy.htm
http://articles.extension.org/pages/principles-of-balancing-swine-dietsLogical_Steps_in_Formulating_a_Diet
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/swine/formulating-farm-specific-swine-diets
http://www.uscenter.org/FileLibrary/External/EnergySources.pdf
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/pigfeed.htm
Below you will find multiple PDF files that have been written by government agencies and/or universities regarding nutrition for pigs. Most are geared towards production pigs, but nonetheless, the nutrition requirements/basic nutrition remains the same for a healthy pig.
Obviously, the easiest way to be sure your pig gets adequate nutrition is to feed a milled food manufactured by a reputable company. There are times when this isn’t possible which is why we created this guide to a natural diet instead of a pelleted feed. I will not pretend that nutrition is my strongest subject, this article was created using documents from credible sources that are linked below. For a more comprehensive diet plan, you should consult a nutrition specialist or your veterinarian. We realized not everyone across the globe has the same access to mini pig feed specifically, so this article can help you to formulate your own balanced diet for your pig. I would like to add something I recently learned that is of significant importance when you are discussing food. Illness is of a concern for any pig parent, 70-80% of the immune system is located in the digestive system, so the type of foods that are consumed in addition to the amount can absolutely affect your pigs overall health. When an inappropriate diet or unbalanced diet is fed, your pig's immune system is compromised opening the door for illness/sickness that a healthy pig, that is fed a well-balanced diet, could easily fight off. However, a pig whose immune system isn't functioning appropriately will be impacted in a much different way due to an impaired immune system.
Let me emphasize that you cannot pick and choose food at random to feed your pig. You MUST think very carefully about what you are feeding your pig to be sure all the necessary components are represented when you are formulating a natural diet for your pig. I have seen people read articles about natural diets that did list foods that were good for these diets, however, the person reading the article didn't understand that she could not take rolled oats and eggs and make that her pigs complete diet everyday. Obviously, it was not long before her pig became sick and malnourished because she didn't understand that those two foods alone did NOT provide her pig with the proper balance of nutrients. There is a lot of information on this page, and the reason for that is because we wanted those who were considering a natural diet to have as many resources as possible available to them.
Of all the farm type animals, the dietary needs of pigs most nearly parallel those of humans. Pigs are omnivores, that is, they can utilize energy and protein from both vegetable and animal sources to meet their requirements. This ability, coupled with economics, for years made garbage feeding a part of many swine farmers. From a disease control standpoint, feeding garbage is hazardous because pathogenic organisms that will affect pigs could be present in the scraps. The last outbreak of foot and mouth disease occurred this way in 1929 and many outbreaks of hog cholera have occurred since then. Because of the disease transmission hazard, feeding raw garbage to pigs has become illegal and some states have banned the feeding of cooked garbage as well.
Pigs have a very limited capacity for roughage and total fiber probably shouldn’t exceed 7%. For older pigs, there is some advantage to increasing this to 15% to keep them from getting too fat and to reduce the problem of constipation from lack of mobility. A legume hay can provide up to 20% of pig diets, this can be in the form of pasture or hay, with the balance being grain.
The general need for pig diets containing 75-80% energy and 16% protein (higher for growing pigs) dictates that most of the diet must be grain, when both composition and economy, are considered. To avoid deficiency disease problems, ideally, a combination of grains should be used.
Corn is an excellent source of energy for pigs. It is usually the cheapest and is commonly equated with fattening. This can be problematic for our pet pigs, as longevity and obesity are common concerns. If corn makes up most of the diet for a pigs’ lifetime, disease problems will occur because corn is deficient in the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, as well as calcium and total protein. Without supplementation, pigs fed a corn based diet will suffer stunting and skeletal diseases. Using a grain mixture will reduce this possibility.
Of course the various amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins or minerals that may be deficient in a diet can be supplemented. The amount to be supplemented should be left up to a nutritionist.
A few health concerns to note…
In addition to dietary deficiencies, there are a few other things that need to be discussed.
NEVER feed moldy feed to a pig because they’re extremely sensitive to the toxins that some molds produce. Gibberella zeae, a common grain mold, produces a toxin that has the same effect on a pig as female hormones. Pigs fed diets with this contaminate can sometimes have reddening and swelling of the vulva as well as enlargement of the mammary glands. The condition is reversible once the contaminated feed is removed, but it may take months before your pig normalizes.
Some people will feed dairy milk. The pigs usually do alright on this, but a note on dairy and pigs…many formula dairy feeds contain urea, which, in a cow, the rumen bacteria can convert into protein components, however, with pigs? They do not have this capacity and if dairy ration is their only feed, protein deficiency may result which will cause poor growth rates. Urea, by itself, has no nutritional value and it is also a highly toxic chemical when consumed in excess. It could easily kill a pig.
In addition to the usual nutrients, pigs need a good supply of water at all times. On a comparative weight basis, pigs will consume twice as much water as dry feed, in hot weather, their consumption will double. Young pigs may drink 20% of their body weight in water daily, but as they get older, this amount decreases to about 7%. In any case, the water must/should be fresh, if you are giving water, do NOT add to whatever is left in the dish, please dump it out, clean it out and refill.
Diet suggestions: THESE ARE SUGGESTIONS AND NOT INSTRUCTIONS!
Component 1 (Grain Mixture): feed 1/4 to 3/4 cup daily with components 2 and 3
- 1 part oats - rolled, steel cut, or oatmeal.
- 1 part barley - steam rolled
- 1 part millet, quinoa, or brown rice baby cereal
- 1 half part black oil sunflower seeds (unsalted uncooked)
Component 2 (choose 1 at each feeding)
- Raw egg
- Raw milk
- Cooked lentils
Component 3 (feed 3-5 days a week)
- Flax oil, olive oil, or ground flax seeds
- Vitamins
Component 4
- Good quality hay or non-fertilized grass (available all the time so they can snack if hungry)
- Veggies at least once a day - peas, carrots, cooked potatoes, leaf lettuce, celery, etc.
- Fruits fed as treats - apples, pears, bananas, dried fruit. Small amounts go a long way, apple cores, partial bananas or fruit pealing work great.
- Nuts fed as treats - go sparing since they are high in fat, but pigs love them and they are very healthy. Acorns are controversial since most mammals cannot eat them in their natural state without a toxic effect due to the heavy tannins they contain. The exceptions are deer, squirrels, birds, and some pigs. Yep, pigs have developed a strange resistance to acorn toxicity and some have never had a problem eating them. I would not however feed them green acorns or green oak leaves, they can cause a build up of tannins and a toxic reaction. Some pigs do fine, some do not. Massive amounts of acorns aren't good for ANY pig though.
Nutritional requirements:
1. Energy
Let us begin by examining the ingredients used in a typical formula. Cereals and lipids (oils and fats) invariably provide the majority of energy, and their contribution to total formulation cost is usually the highest. Common cereals like maize and wheat are often considered indispensable, but this is far from truth as under certain conditions alternatives can be used, resulting in significant cost reduction. To this end, ingredients such as tapioca, sorghum, triticale, rice, rye and oats are often priced favorably enough to be used in sufficient amounts to replace all or part of the more common energy sources. These less common cereals are not without their problems and, as such, care must be taken when used in excessive amounts. Of course, cereal byproducts, and other energy-rich feedstuffs, are also useful in replacing common cereals, and examples include wheat byproducts, distiller’s grains, full-fat soybeans, tapioca and even citrus pulp. Carbohydrates come in many forms and are in almost every kind of food. You should be feeding 'good carbs' and avoiding the 'bad carbs’. Good Carbs include plant-derived foods that have a lot of fiber and are not overly sweet. Examples of some good carbs would be vegetables, fruit, and grasses. Bad carbs are the refined and sugary foods that are not good for humans either. Examples of Bad Carbs would include pastries, fried foods, and refined breads. Fiber: While fiber is tied to carbs, I had to put in a separate section on fiber because it is so important to your little pig's happiness and comfort. If you feed all of your pig's nutritional requirements in a handful of food, he/she may be getting what is needed, but will act hungry and soon be constipated. Make sure you have some sort of bulk to your pig ration so he/she will feel full and content. Good sources of fiber are oats, barley, hay, grass, and root vegetables. These foods not only contain fiber and 'filler', but they also have protein and good carbohydrates.
Energy sources for swine are the cereal grains; corn, milo, wheat, barley, and their by-products. In addition, fat, which contains 2.25 times the amount of energy as cereal grains, is often used to increase the energy density of swine diets. Most common cereal grains and fats are quite palatable and digestible. However, cereal by-products tend to be more variable; therefore, their use in swine diets may be limited. Although cereal grains will provide carbohydrates to meet the pig's energy needs, they must be supplemented with amino acids (protein), vitamins, and minerals to meet the pig's requirements for these nutrients.
- Wheat. Wheat is an excellent feed grain for swine, but usually is not competitively priced with milo or corn. Wheat can replace all or part of the corn or milo in a swine diet on a pound-for-pound basis without affecting performance. Because wheat is slightly more lysine and phosphorus than corn and milo, the amount of soybean meal and dicalcium phosphate can be reduced in the diet. Research shows that soft ed winter wheat is comparable in feeding value to hard red winter wheat for finishing pigs. Because wheat tends to flour when processed, it should be coarsely ground (3/16" screen) or rolled. If ground too finely, feed intake may be decreased and performance lowered.
- Barley. Barley also contains more lysine than milo or corn. However, it contains less energy and more fiber. Therefore, pigs fed barley-based diets will tend to have 5 to 10 percent poorer feed efficiency. Fine grinding (600 to 700 microns) of barley diets improves the feeding value for growing/finishing pigs, but when energy intakes is critical, barley diets are not recommended.
- Oats. Oats also have more lysine than either milo or corn, but again, their high fiber content limits their application in swine diets. Oats should not exceed 30 percent of the diet growing/finishing pigs. Because of the high fiber content of oats and barley, they may be best used in sow gestation diets, if economically priced.
2. Protein
Ingredients that supply protein make the second most expensive contribution to feed cost. Here, the situation is more difficult as alternative ingredients less readily available, but not impossible to find. Protein is very important to a healthy diet. A growing pig will have much higher protein requirement while a mature pet that is spayed or neutered will not need as much. While protein is very important, too much is also very hard on the system and some sources are easier to digest them others. My favorite protein sources for pigs are: raw milk, raw eggs, cooked lentils or other type of bean (must be cooked), grains like quinoa and barley. You can feed meat, but I prefer not to; since it tends to make your pig smell more.
3. Minerals
Next is phosphorus, the third most expensive contribution to overall feed cost. In this case, the use of phytase is recommended when prices of inorganic phosphorus salts are too high. In some cases, phytase should be used even in double doses to further reduce cost and inclusion of inorganic phosphorus. Most likely, the cost of calcium and sodium sources is always quite low, and, as such, these ingredients do not merit much attention for our purposes. Nevertheless, some commercial products (such as premixes and concentrates) are fortified with elevated concentrations of calcium carbonate and salt as a way of reducing their cost.
Minerals constitute a small percentage of the swine diet, but their importance to the health and well-being of the pig cannot be over-emphasized. Minerals have been classified into two types: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals (major minerals) that are commonly added to swine diets are calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and chloride (magnesium and potassium are also required but are adequately supplied by grains). Microminerals (minor or trace minerals) or primary concern are zinc, copper, iron, manganese, iodine, and selenium. Functions of minerals are diverse, ranging from structural functions in some tissues to a wide variety of regulatory functions. The increasing trend toward confinement rearing of pigs, without access to soil or forage, increases the importance of meeting dietary mineral requirements. This can be bought in a premix.
4. Premixes
Then, we come to the vitamin and trace mineral premixes. A good vitamin/mineral supplement is important to a healthy pig. Vitamins are generally taken care of if you feed fruits and veggies, but minerals should be supplemented since most food sources are lacking. Here there is tremendous variation in quality and prices in the market. First, there are products that are cheap enough but in return they do not provide enough nutrients for adequate animal performance. You can feed a pig the same supplement you feed a child (halved for piglets) or you can purchase a supplement specifically for pigs. They are cheaper than children vitamins, have been specially formulated to be appropriate for miniature pigs and are still human grade quality. Canine NuVet Plus tablets are a great source for vitamin/mineral supplementation, but please speak to your vet before feeding ANY supplement. In most cases, however, premixes are over-fortified with vitamins and trace minerals resulting in wasting of nutrients. Reducing the inclusion level of a premix is quite often an easy solution, but this should not be done without consulting a qualified nutritionist.
5. Additives
Finally, we must examine all additives that are so often added in most diets without much consideration to their real effectiveness and return on investment. It is not uncommon for many formulas to contain up to ten additives that provide only marginal (if any) benefit. Such additives should be examined very thoroughly based on published scientific evidence.
Oil/Fat: The right kind of fats are essential to your mini pig, but should be used sparingly. Good oils and fats to add to your pig's diet would include: olive oil, flax oil or flax seeds, or cod liver oil, raw cream, unsalted sunflower seeds, walnuts, fatty fish (I choose to go vegetarian but pigs are omnivores and do well with meat in their diet), Make sure you do not feed any oils that are spoiled or rancid*. Bad oils and fats would include trans fats, fried foods, pastries, candy, and generally anything a doctor would tell a heart patient to avoid. Fats and oils such as lard, choice white grease, beef tallow, corn oil, and soybean oil contain about 2.25 times as much metabolizable energy as most of the cereal grains. Research indicates that the addition of 1 to 5 percent fat to growing-finishing swine diets will improve feed conversion and often average daily gain with no adverse effect on carcass quality. A reduction in the amount of dust will be evident and wear on mixing equipment and augers will be reduced with 2 to 3 percent added fat.
Addition of fat above 5 percent will further improve feed conversion, but physical handling problems such as bridging in the feeders and caking in the mixer may limit the use of these higher levels. Diets containing fat may become rancid during prolonged storage or when feed is exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, an antioxidant such as ethoxyquin, BHT, or BHA should be added to fat before mixing it into the rations.
Adding fat to swine diets is a matter of economics. Fat additions will usually increase the cost of the diet, which must be offset by an increase in pig performance. Several commercial supplements and complete feeds contain added fat. New commercial products that contain dried fat may reduce part of the mechanical problems of adding liquid fat on the farm, but the economic feasibility of using these products must be evaluated. Fat products that have limestone, as the carrier should be avoided, because the calcium will decrease the digestibility of the fat.
6. Fresh Water
Pigs need a lot of water and should have a clean source. They should drink somewhere between 7-20% of their weight in water daily to maintain a healthy ratio. Pigs should have access to fresh water at ALL times.
Major Energy Ingredients for Pig Diets
Corn - an excellent energy source for pigs. The complementary way in which corn and soybean meal blend to produce a well-balanced diet for pigs makes this combination the standard to which all other mixtures are compared. Corn is presently the major energy source throughout USA and eastern Canada but there are many suitable alternatives. Pigs can digest most cereal grains and, so long as diets are formulated properly, many options exist.
Barley - main energy source for pigs in western Canada and much of Europe.
Oats - excellent for mature animals, particularly if dehulled. Oats are not as good for younger pigs but can provide 20 - 30 % of the total energy source.
Wheat - very good energy source if price is right.
Major Protein Ingredients for Pig Diets
Soya Bean. Usually feed as extracted soya bean meal, the residue remaining after oil removed. This is the major protein source for pigs in North America and throughout much of the world with intensive husbandry. Soya bean meal contains 44 - 49% protein. Whole soya beans can be fed as combined energy (18% oil) and protein (37%) source but usually contain toxins (trypsin inhibitors). The high heat associated with most oil extraction processed denatures the inhibitors since they are proteins. Whole beans must be heat-treated prior to feeding.
Canola (Oilseed Rape). The meal remaining after oil extraction from Tower or Candle varieties, the common types grown in Canada. Canola meal is an excellent protein source for pigs. The earlier varieties of Rape, still grown in some parts of Europe, contain toxic factors (glycosinolates) that make this meal unsatisfactory for pig diets.
Minerals and Vitamins
The specific needs for minerals and vitamins vary considerably with the age and production stage of particular animals. Most producers incorporate the appropriate vitamin-mineral premixed into all diets.
Food Industry By-Products
- dairy - buttermilk & whey
- Vegetable - peels, pulps & rejects (potatoes etc.)
- bakery rejects or surpluses
- beverage by-products - brewers or distillers grains
- restaurant wastes - must be heat treated so special handling required
Feed Additives.
These come in many forms with legislation covering their use varying from country to country and continually under revision.
Preservatives. antioxidants, gelatin coatings for vitamins, organic acids, and similar compounds are sometimes included to prevent or reduce deterioration during storage
Flavoring & Coloring Agents. Sweetening and flavorings are common in early wean diets to give milk-like taste. Colors are sometimes used to distinguish diets, particularly if feed is medicated.
Texturing agents may be added to promote pelleting. Ex. Molasses to assist passage through screens; beet pulp to improve texture.
Antibiotics - to inhibit or kill bacteria.
Many used, often not pure pharmaceutical grade but rather the dried fermentation product containing antibiotic residues plus mycelium of the producing fungus.
May prevent degradation of nutrients by bacteria during storage. Producers should do all they can to minimize and eventually eliminate the routine need for these.
Antifungal & antiprotozoal compounds. These are mainly antihelmintics.
Other Antimicrobials (those not derived from fungi)
CuSo4 An inexpensive additive that may reduce microbial action during storage. Arsenicals are also used or this.
Enzymes
The incorporation of various enzymes into pig diets is a relatively new concept. However, if their production costs can be reduced through biotechnological synthesis or some other practical procedure, the practice might become universal. Some prospects are: proteases to make protein more available; b-glucanase to break down complex cereal starches to glucose; cellulose to digest plant cell walls; and phytases to liberate tightly bound phosphates. Any of these enzymes could liberate specific nutrients from plant materials so these are available to the animals in greater quantities.
Probiotics
Usually dried mixtures of lactobacillus and other microflora which, when added to diet, multiply in gut to displace less desirable and possibly pathogenic species. Most are trade secrets.
Gut Acidifiers.
Citric and fumaric acids maintain acidity of duodenum without altering body's acid:base balance. Distressed pigs, such as those at weaning, may have impaired gut function so stomach secretes less acid to control bacterial flora in the intestine. Acidifiers compensate for this.
Immune Stimulants.
Killed or attenuated microorganisms, often given to sows prior to parturition to promote passive immunity in piglets. Some may also give direct to piglets to promote active immunity.
Chelating Agents.
Claim is that trace elements bound to chelating agents are protected from binding to other components that may prevent absorption, and then released for absorption at critical part of intestine.
Emulsifying Agents Necessary if fat included in diet.
Thankfully, we have someone with a nutrition degree reviewing and likely rewriting our natural diet page in addition to our information about nutrition in general. We get a lot of questions about nutrition and felt it was necessary to have accurate information that is best for your pig posted to help you. With that being said, we will update the sections once those articles are complete, along with the creator of the article. In the meantime, if you have any questions about nutrition, please send us an email or message via our Facebook page and we will put you in touch with our expert.
Sources:
http://www.southhousefarms.com/natural-diet.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com
http://www.wattagnet.com/innovative-feed-formulation-methods-reduce-feed-cost
https://www.ncsu.edu/project/swine_extension/nutrition/nutritionguide/energy/energy.htm
http://articles.extension.org/pages/principles-of-balancing-swine-dietsLogical_Steps_in_Formulating_a_Diet
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/swine/formulating-farm-specific-swine-diets
http://www.uscenter.org/FileLibrary/External/EnergySources.pdf
http://www.aps.uoguelph.ca/pigfeed.htm
Below you will find multiple PDF files that have been written by government agencies and/or universities regarding nutrition for pigs. Most are geared towards production pigs, but nonetheless, the nutrition requirements/basic nutrition remains the same for a healthy pig.
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The document below is a swine nutrition guide. This is everything you need to know about nutrition and supplements, etc.
Foods appropriate for pigs
Grains
A good portion of your pig's diet should be composed of grains, which will typically be found in the pig feed your provide her. However, grains can also be a part of the nutritious treats you give your pig. Healthy grains can be found in all-natural crackers, bread and cereals that don't have any added salt or sugars. Whole-grain popcorn is a tasty, suitable treat for pigs as well, so long as it's unbuttered and unsalted.
Vegetables
In addition to a healthy diet of grains, pigs must eat a daily salad of fresh vegetables. While vegetables are an essential nutritional requirement for a pig's everyday diet, they can also serve as delicious snacks. Dark, leafy greens, like kale or spinach, are perfect for pigs, providing ample amounts of vitamins. Other healthy vegetables snacks for pigs include bean sprouts, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, arugula, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, parsnips, bell peppers, pumpkin, summer squash, turnips, winter squashes, leafy greens, eggplant, celery, radishes, snow peas, spinach, yams, kale, tomatoes, chard, and zucchini or any other fresh vegetables you can find at the store or farmer's market. Click here to see a list of pig approved fruits and vegetables.
Fruits
Fruits are an especially delicious treat for pigs, but one that should be given only occasionally. Because of the sugar content found in fruit, pigs should only be fed one or two small portions of fruit every couple of days as a treat. Small pieces of fruit can also be used as a reward if you're attempting to train your pig; she'll love the sweet prize. Pigs are able to eat a wide range of fruits, so long as it's in moderation. Give your pig opportunities to try a variety of fruits -- from bananas and apples to oranges and pears -- to see which he or she likes best.
Acceptable Snacks
Treats are just that...treats. They should be earned, not handed out. When you are working with your pig or training your pig, treats should be given, but they need to work for them. Do NOT hand out treats for no reason. Pigs will quickly become "entitled" and demand treats whenever THEY want them. You can give 1/4 of ONE cheerio and you will get the same trick. Pigs do not know you're not giving a whole cheerio, so limit the volume you are giving and do NOT hand out handfuls of treats. Unsalted/unbuttered popcorn, grapes, cheerios, peanuts (unsalted) in or out of the shell, diced veggies as above, pumpkin seeds (unsalted), pitted apricots, pitted cherries, pears, apples, berries, oranges, grapefruit, melons, and pitted peaches. ALL treats, including fruit, should be in moderation.
Unacceptable Snacks
Pigs will happily eat a wide variety of foods -- even those that are not healthy for them. Some owners have been known to give their pigs snacks like cat or dog food, cooked leftovers or sugar, all of which are unhealthy and unacceptable for pigs.. Other unacceptable snacks include salty items, meat, poultry or fish products, chocolate, milk products, and canned foods. The exception to this is via a veterinarian'a recommendation. (There have been cases when a vet has recommended a product that is not typically recommended)
A good portion of your pig's diet should be composed of grains, which will typically be found in the pig feed your provide her. However, grains can also be a part of the nutritious treats you give your pig. Healthy grains can be found in all-natural crackers, bread and cereals that don't have any added salt or sugars. Whole-grain popcorn is a tasty, suitable treat for pigs as well, so long as it's unbuttered and unsalted.
Vegetables
In addition to a healthy diet of grains, pigs must eat a daily salad of fresh vegetables. While vegetables are an essential nutritional requirement for a pig's everyday diet, they can also serve as delicious snacks. Dark, leafy greens, like kale or spinach, are perfect for pigs, providing ample amounts of vitamins. Other healthy vegetables snacks for pigs include bean sprouts, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, arugula, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, parsnips, bell peppers, pumpkin, summer squash, turnips, winter squashes, leafy greens, eggplant, celery, radishes, snow peas, spinach, yams, kale, tomatoes, chard, and zucchini or any other fresh vegetables you can find at the store or farmer's market. Click here to see a list of pig approved fruits and vegetables.
Fruits
Fruits are an especially delicious treat for pigs, but one that should be given only occasionally. Because of the sugar content found in fruit, pigs should only be fed one or two small portions of fruit every couple of days as a treat. Small pieces of fruit can also be used as a reward if you're attempting to train your pig; she'll love the sweet prize. Pigs are able to eat a wide range of fruits, so long as it's in moderation. Give your pig opportunities to try a variety of fruits -- from bananas and apples to oranges and pears -- to see which he or she likes best.
Acceptable Snacks
Treats are just that...treats. They should be earned, not handed out. When you are working with your pig or training your pig, treats should be given, but they need to work for them. Do NOT hand out treats for no reason. Pigs will quickly become "entitled" and demand treats whenever THEY want them. You can give 1/4 of ONE cheerio and you will get the same trick. Pigs do not know you're not giving a whole cheerio, so limit the volume you are giving and do NOT hand out handfuls of treats. Unsalted/unbuttered popcorn, grapes, cheerios, peanuts (unsalted) in or out of the shell, diced veggies as above, pumpkin seeds (unsalted), pitted apricots, pitted cherries, pears, apples, berries, oranges, grapefruit, melons, and pitted peaches. ALL treats, including fruit, should be in moderation.
Unacceptable Snacks
Pigs will happily eat a wide variety of foods -- even those that are not healthy for them. Some owners have been known to give their pigs snacks like cat or dog food, cooked leftovers or sugar, all of which are unhealthy and unacceptable for pigs.. Other unacceptable snacks include salty items, meat, poultry or fish products, chocolate, milk products, and canned foods. The exception to this is via a veterinarian'a recommendation. (There have been cases when a vet has recommended a product that is not typically recommended)