How to Feed Shelled Corn to Hogs
Commercially mixed pig feed contains corn as its main ingredient. Shelled corn is a very cost effective feed for your hogs and generally comes dried in 50-lb. sacks. Shelled corn needs some preparation before you feed it to your hogs. In addition to shelled corn, feed your hogs soybeans or another form of high protein feed. Hogs fed exclusively on corn tend to put on a lot of fat but less muscle. Less muscle means less meat when it is time to butcher.
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Things You'll Need
- 50 lbs. dry shelled whole corn
- 20-gallon tub with a lid or cover
- 10 gallons water
- Soybeans or alfalfa meal (optional)
- Shovel
Instructions
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1
Ration out enough shelled corn for three days of feeding. Most full-grown hogs will need approximately 10 lbs. of corn a day. Put the rationed corn in the 20-gallon tub.
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2
Cover the shelled corn with water. Fill the tub so the water level is four inches above the corn. Corn will expand as it soaks. Cover the tub with the lid.
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3
Let the corn soak for 24 hours prior to feeding. Stir the corn with the shovel at least once a day.
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4
Dip the day's ration out of the tub, and pour the feed into a feed trough.
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5
When you feed the last of the soaked corn on day three, refill the tub with corn and water. This way the next batch will be ready to feed the next day.
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6
Supplement your hogs with soybeans or alfalfa meal in addition to the corn ration.
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Tips & Warnings
For better nutrient absorption split your pig's daily ration into two feedings. Feed half in the morning and half in the evening.
Corn is high in energy but low in protein. Always have an additional source of protein available for your pig. Soybeans and alfalfa are both high in protein and complement the corn well. Corn and soybeans together make a well-balanced diet for pigs.
You can feed shelled corn to pigs dry, but some of the nutritional value will be lost in digestion. This will lead to higher feed costs because you will end up feeding your hog more shelled corn for him to get the same nutrition. Soaked corn is easier to digest than dried corn.
Feed soaked corn within three days of soaking. If you let it stand in water longer, it will begin to stink.
