![]() Some pastured pig farmers have also created alley cropping systems where they raise certain annuals (corn, root crops, vegetables, etc) in between perennials (fruit & nut trees) and rotate their pigs in and out of these systems depending on when they are ready for harvest. Check out my article on How to Set Up an Organic Pig Feed System Using Vegetables to learn more. I have had some success with planting vegetables in paddocks and letting my pigs eat them when they are ripe. There are also other options for feeding your pigs besides traditional pig feed. Check out my article on The Best Pig Feed to learn more. There are several brands of feed out there that include these ingredients and will work well for your pigs. Most pig feed is primarily made up of corn, soybean meal, vitamin pack, and some additional ingredients. Whether you are just wanting to supplement your pigs with additional feed or provide them with a complete food source, you have a few options. However, my Berkshires, Large Blacks, Hampshires, and Blue Butts would stall out and not gain weight without enough supplemental feed. I have raised American Guinea Hogs and Kuneunes on pasture and in the woods during the spring, summer, and fall without supplementing them with any additional feed sources and they thrived. Even worse, they may become sick from a nutrition deficiency.Ĭertain breeds seem to handle this better than others. If not, the pigs may stall out and not grow. ![]() When raising pigs on pasture or in woodlots, you will more than likely need to supplement them with additional feed sources to make sure they get enough protein, and specifically, enough lysine. Pigs are also scavengers and may eat the carcasses of dead animals that they come across.ĭo I have to feed pigs that are raised on pasture? If you raise pigs out on pasture, this may include things like the occasional frog, worms, snake, or any other small animals if they are hungry enough. Pigs raised on a farm typically eat pig feed that is primarily made of corn, soybean meal, and a vitamin pack. ![]() This includes things like grains, legumes, grasses, nuts, roots, vegetables, fruit, dairy, eggs, and more. Pigs are omnivores meaning they can eat plants and animals. Either way, I believe this guide will still be helpful to you. You may not agree with me on those points and you may have a different idea on how you want to raise pigs on your farm. It’s better for the animal, the pork is healthier, and it’s better for the environment. I’m a big proponent of pasture raised pigs. Two big questions you may want to ask yourself though are do you have enough space on your farm to raise pigs? And, if you are planning on selling pork, do you like it enough to eat it yourself if you have trouble selling it? ![]() Now, the question for you is why do you want to raise pigs? Your reason doesn’t have to be the same as mine. It just means I put a lot of time and energy into raising pigs and selling pork. That doesn’t mean I don’t raise other animals. Joel Salatin often talks about picking a centerpiece for your farm. With that being said, I truly hope this guide is helpful and provides you with all the information you’ll need to start raising hogs on your farm today.ĭo you like pigs? Or better yet, do you love pork? I do! Which is one of the reasons why I have put so much time and energy into raising pigs on my farm. I’m treating it as an ever-evolving living document on raising pigs. My plan is to continually add new information to this guide. Feel free to read those posts to learn more and then come back here to continue on. You’ll also see that under each answer I link to other articles I have written that cover certain topics more in-depth. This is to hopefully answer each individual question about raising pigs that you might have. I have written this guide using a Q&A style.
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