How to Feed Breeder Pigs

Only the best of the young female pigs are selected and kept as breeders. Farmers search the growing litters, looking for fast growers with strong legs, well-defined ham, and lower than average fat content. The chosen few will be able to produce offspring for 8 to 9 years, though many are "retired" after 5, as their litters become smaller and therefore less profitable with age. In order to ensure the best overall outcome from your breeding program, your pigs must be fed properly.

Things You'll Need

• Feeding troughs
• Commercially prepared feed
• Oats
• Corn
• Alfalfa or Red Clover hay
• Water

Instructions

1. Purchase or build a feeding trough. Ensure your trough has dividers to discourage rooting through the entire trough. Also, make sure you purchase a trough that is long enough to guarantee that all of your breeders have equal opportunity to access the food, without being bullied out of the way. Alternatively, you can purchase a number of feeders and place them at strategic distances away from each other.

2. Select your breeders or gilts when they are 5 to 6 months old. These chosen breeders should be given approximately 4 lbs. of feed per day for the next 6 weeks. This is about 2/3 of the standard ration. This temporary reduction in food will be offset by a weight gain program in a month's time. This particular pattern frequently results in an extra piglet or two when the litter is born.

3. Feed your breeding sows ½ lb. of a commercially prepared feed which combines at least 12 percent protein with a mineral supplement, 1 lb. of grain or oats and enough corn to generate a weight gain of approximately 2 lbs. per day beginning 2 weeks prior to breeding.

4. Increase the food supply gradually after breeding, providing up to 7 lbs. of mixed grain per day during the gestation period. Alternatively, if it is available, your bred pigs can be given 3 to 4 lbs. of commercially mixed grain product plus garden waste, table scraps and alfalfa or red clover hay. Or, if you have the space and the appropriate fencing in place, they can be let out in the pasture, provided they are not too close to delivery date. Bear in mind, gestation takes approximately 114 days.

5. Feed the boar approximately 4 lbs. of mixed grain per day and then turn him out to pasture. The boar should be given access to ¼ to ½ acre of red clover or alfalfa field to root around and forage in.

6. Provide your pigs with an abundance of fresh water. Your average breeder pig requires a minimum of 3 gallons per day prior to giving birth and a lactating sow needs as much as 5 gallons each day.

Tips & Warnings

• Separate your pigs before they reach puberty, between 5 and 8 months of age, or you may end up with unplanned litters from an undesirable match. If your initial attempt at breeding did not succeed, don't give up and cull the sow. Female pigs go into heat every 16 to 24 days and their cycle lasts for up to 3 days, providing ample opportunity for the chosen male to accomplish the task.

References

• A Beginners Guide to Pig Farming
• Pig Farming