HOW TO FEED AND MANAGE PIG WEIGHT
Successful Steps for Meeting Show Weights
Starting off with the correct weight will be the first step and it will be the difference between a struggle to make weight or an enjoyable experience. A pig that is too small and too young will only equal an uphill battle to make weight! It is far easier to walk away from a small cute pig and find another whose weigh is appropriate for your show. Here is an example of two pigs with a 20-30 lb. weight difference. The large pig is about 75 lbs. and the small one is about 50 lbs. They can both be shown at the same fair, but the smaller pig will need to be on a strict feeding program to ensure that there is enough days to make weight.
SO WHAT IS A GOOD WEIGHT?
The following questions MUST be answered before you begin shopping for your pig. It will help you and the breeder select the right sized pig for the show. Read Feeding Basics for more information.
Show Date – How many days it is to the show?
Weight Range – What is the required weight range for the show? This range can change from year to year, so be sure to read the exhibitor handbook for the specified range. Record the bottom & top weight range.
Ideal Weight – What is your ideal weight for the show? Do you want to be in the heavyweight class or?
Calculate – Perform the calculation using the information to determine a good starting weight. The basic rule of thumb is that pigs grow at a rate of 1.5 lbs. of Average Daily Gain (ADG) using a well-balanced market swine feed. This can be increased to 1.8 to 2.0 lbs. ADG or more by increasing feed, supplements and other strategies discussed in the Feed Section.
It’s Day One of Feeding your new project Pig!
Weight management starts on day one and does not stop until the pig is being loaded on the truck to the processor. It’s a wise choice you chose the 75 lb. pig over that cute little 50 pounder that looked like a puppy!
Regardless of what size pig you purchase, I cannot stress enough about the importance of feeding all pigs separately and weighing the feed! If you share a pen, always feed each pig separately twice a day! It is important it is to know exactly how much food is going into your pig from day one! And it is important to remember that the bigger pig will always eat more feed faster than the smaller pig! And why would you want to be feeding your friends pig your feed? At $26.00 for a 50 pound bag of feed is = $.52/lb. x 4 lbs. of feed is $2.08 per day. So spend your money on your animal. Otherwise, the lost feed will add up against you and your pig will not be growing at the rate scheduled. WEIGH & FEED SEPARATELY – Know with certainty the exact amount of feed consumption by weighing feed!
To encourage feed competition and eating habits, we hung a feed bucket on each side of the fence. The pigs nose to nose could feel the competition and would eat at a steady rate.
Digital Scale
Free Feeding – I do not recommend free feeders for market pigs. While they appear to offer as much food as your pig is willing to consume, it blinds you to how much is really being consumed each day. If your pig did not feel good and was off his feed, you may not know for a day or two. The benefit of knowing how much your pig is consuming for weight management is the same as knowing how much gas is being put into your car! If I covered the gas gauges on the pump and your car…you would not know if I added 5 or 20 gallons! How comfortable would you be to drive that car? You would not know with certainty that you would be able to reach your destination. The same is for your pig. Know how much is being fed and know that you will reach your pig’s weight destination!
TIPS FOR FEEDING SEPARATELY:
CHEAP & EASY
Hang a feeder on the outside of your pen. One pig eats inside while the other eats outside. With food in the feeder….that pig won’t go anywhere! I always liked to hang the feeders on each side of the gate, as this created a little nose to nose competition which helped them eat more. Only choose this method if the pig is safe within a larger fence area.
FOLDING HOG PANEL
Make a partition panel using a 3’ & 6’ portion of hog panel. It can be attached to the fence and clipped to the gate to create a feed station to keep the pigs separate. When not in use, it can fold up against the fence wall.
SWINGING GATE FEED STATION
Make a solid feed stall out of Galvanized panels with an access gate mounted to a fence corner or panel.
HOW MUCH FEED WILL MY PIG EAT?
On average, your market pig will eat about 14 bags of feed or 700 lbs. of feed! In the chart, see how the amount of feed increases with each weight range? It will be important to weigh both your feed and your pig! It’s the only way to be certain that the amount of feed is the correct amount for your pigs’ weight. Using a Digital Hanging scale or table top model is an accurate way to accomplish weighing feed. Reference the Feed section for more articles and information.
FEED BASICS & RULES
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Feed Must be Nutritional, Sufficient, Adjusting & Increasing
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Good Ingredients = Good Weight Gain
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3 lbs. of feed = 1 lb. of weight gain
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Hollow/Empty Ingredients = Poor Weight Gain & Health
Feed Must be Nutritional, Sufficient, Adjusting & Increasing
Nutritional – Feed must be of good quality and designed for growing a market pig. The feed mills manufacturers have designed each blend of feed to meet the nutritional and growing needs of the market pig. Most feed brands will have different levels for market pigs such as a grower feed and a finisher feed. The main difference is usually protein levels.
Sufficient – Feed must be sufficient for the weight and size of the pig. Underfeeding will cause you problems.
Adjusting – Your feed quantity needs to be adjusted and increased every couple of weeks. Your pig is growing by pounds every day, and so must the amount of feed given. Feed amounts should be adjusted to meet your weight goals. If your pig is suddenly growing faster than planned, reducing the amount of feed should help to slow the growth rate. Read Feeding Basics for more information.
Good Ingredients = Good Weight Gain
It is basic math…good ingredients + good quantity = equal good weight gain and 3 lbs. of feed = 1 lb. of weight gain. By starting your pig with a good quality market feed, your weight gain should be steady and increasing. If weight gain is low, check feed chart to ensure that you are feeding the correct amount for your pig’s weight. Other health factors such as worms, poor feed, poor genetics, sickness or environment can impact your pig’s weight progress. Be sure to have help in evaluating if any of these apply to your pig. The sooner you bring it to the attention of your leader, the sooner the issue can be dealt with and fixed!
Hollow/Empty Ingredients = Poor Weight Gain & Health
It cannot be stressed enough…junk in = junk out! I’ve seen all sorts of last-minute tricks to get rapid weight gains. Nothing replaces a solid, quality feed program. The most serious risk of these tricks is the pig’s digestive tract! Suddenly giving your pig a diet change can result in serious diarrhea, dehydration and more weight loss! I’ve heard stories of feeding cake, Twinkies, ice cream, buttermilk and last but not least…a tri-tip roast! I can’t help but think that not only is this terrible for your pig, it’s also expensive!
The Basic Feeding Rule
For adjusting your pig’s weight, there are plenty of supplements designed to add or hold back weight. Please check out our business partners in the feed industry for their recommended feeding programs or contact your local feed dealer for the products available. There are great products designed to add fat or muscle. Your advisor, breeder or feed dealer can help you assess which product will help you achieve your market weight. Read Feeding Basics for more information.
