Increasing the weight of a pig can be a simple matter of feeding it the right combination of foodstuffs.
1Determine what percentage of the meal should be protein. A young pig of 8 weeks should be given feed with 17-18% protein. Older pigs should get around 15%.Ad
2Determine what type of protein source(s) you're going to use. Tankage and meat scraps are one good source (although some people fear spread of disease when using meat scraps, since human illnesses can be given to pigs through direct contact; i.e. eating the meat), as is soybean oil meal. For best results, give the pigs a mix of both.
3Determine what types of grain you're going to use. No matter what type of grains you use, 50% of it should be yellow corn. Barley, wheat, and sorghum can also be used, but take care with the sorghum. Do not use the bird-proof sorghums because they have reduced palatability. Also, yellow or white sorghum is better than red.
4If you make the feed yourself, grind the grain (but not too finely) and mix with the protein source(s) for a complete meal. If you buy the feed, buy ground meal for a large number of pigs or pellets or cubes for a smaller number of pigs.
5Determine how chubby you want your pig. If it's more important that your pig gain weight quickly, then use the "free choice" method to feed your pig. Let the food out and let them eat all they want. If it's more important that your pig is trim, feed your pig about 90% of their appetite. This will take a little longer, but it will give you a trimmer pig.
6Mix 1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil with two eggs and add to the entire mixture. Add any kind of syrup to sweeten the flavor.Ad
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the Impossible Quiz?
- Here's a good tip when trying to increase the pig's weight: don't slaughter it too soon. Remember: dead pigs don't increase weight.
- Ground meal can have a minimum purchase amount that can be expensive for a person with a small number of pigs.
Recent edits by: jaysheel, Rock20000, Kalyx
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