What To Feed Pigs Rule 2/7
Here are some tips on what to feed pigs
Rule 2: Cereal grains must be processed – cracked, rolled or soaked – for efficient digestion by the pig.
Pigs will eat whole grain but this will pass straight through and show in the manure. Grain that is processed is more easily digested by the pig and there is less feed wasted. The recommended particle size for pigs is 0.7mm or 700 microns.
Use of hammer mills or roller mills breaks the grain to smaller particle size and increases the surface area available to the digestive enzymes in the gut. Soaking softens the grain and it is broken to smaller particle size when the pig chews the grain. Soaking is inefficient for large numbers of pigs, and there is the added risk of mycotoxin development. (Mycotoxins are toxins produced by moulds.)
Pelleted feed has a fine particle size suitable for easy digestion by the pig. However pellet size can vary so be sure the pellets are not too large for young pigs to eat.
If you can see whole grains or parts of grains in the pig manure then you are wasting feed.
